Demir Kapija (Демир Капија) (Iron Porta or Iron Gate in Turkish) - a town in Lower Macedonia just in front of the famous Demir Kapija Gorge on the right side of the river Vardar. Demir Kapija is an important railway station and is located next to the international highway E75. The town is the administrative seat of the municipality of the same name.
The town is located in the southern part of the Tikvesh region, before Vardar enters the Demir Kapija Gorge. The river Boshava flows through Demir Kapija, which flows into Vardar not far from it. Located in altitude 115 meters above sea level. The city is 19 km south of Negotino, 29 km southeast of Kavadarci, 35 km northwest of Valandovo, 45 km north of Gevgelija and 60 km north of Veles.
The past of Demir Kapija is connected with
the famous picturesque Demir Kapija Gorge, a place from which many
military campaigns began and ended, a place that at different times
was a border of several rulers and a place that was the seat of
special feudal lords who occupied the territory and ruled her.
First, a settlement that existed around the fortress is
mentioned, under the name of the ancient Roman city of Stene. After
the fall of the Roman Empire, the fortress became the site of
another city called the Middle Ages. There is more written
information about this city, especially those related to the names
of the feudal lords Dobromir Hrs and Dobromir Srez. With the arrival
of the Ottomans, the settlement in the fortress ceased to live, the
local population was displaced to a new location a few kilometers to
the north and was called Banja, after the warm water baths that have
existed in this area since ancient times. After the catastrophic
earthquake on March 7 and 8, 1931, the population from the village
of Banja was evacuated to the area near the railway station Demir
Kapija. A new life began here, several trade and craft facilities
were opened, and later a school was opened, as well as several
commercial buildings. Most of the past of Demir Kapija is related to
constant wars and traumas experienced by the local population. This
city was occupied and ruled by many rulers during very short
periods. This did not allow the development of economic life to gain
momentum, but what was produced was plundered by the armies. Very
little changed during the five centuries of Ottoman rule. At that
time, Banja, inhabited by the population who had fled from Prosek,
was turned into a large feudal estate of various Turkish beys. At
the same time, the population was dependent on the Turkish feudal
lords for their lives and freedom. Only after the expulsion of the
Turks in 1912-1913. the village got rid of that addiction and
started living a freer life. But it did not last long because after
a few years a Bulgarian or Serbian occupying power was established.
In the First World War, the territory of Demir Kapija was conquered
by the Bulgarian-German and Serbian-English military forces. World
War I wreaked havoc on the city. The consequences of it were felt
for many years after her. During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1919-1941
the economic situation was bad because no one invested in this area.
The whole period of the Second World War in Demir Kapija was
full of major military events. Due to its good geostrategic
position, a significant number of German and Bulgarian armies were
concentrated here. Fighting for the settlement became more frequent
and especially expanded in 1943 and 1944, which contributed to the
importance of Demir Kapija to be vital for the withdrawal of German
units from Greece, which turned the settlement into a real fortress.
After the withdrawal of the Germans and the strong fighting of the
Macedonians in 1944, Demir Kapija was liberated.
After the
liberation, Demir Kapija flourished, especially during the time when
the settlement was the seat of the municipality of the same name.
However, after the abolition of the municipality and the
transformation of Demir Kapija into a regular seat of the Local
Office, the growth has stagnated, which has left negative traces in
the overall life. In 1996, Demir Kapija regained the status of a
municipality, with the election of the first mayor and the first
multi-party municipal council, the pulse of life returned to this
city despite the extremely difficult economic situation created in
1990. The new municipal leadership returned the development to
positive starting positions.
After the Second World War,
Demir Kapija was inhabited by a large number of inhabitants from the
village of Trlis, Dram region in present-day Greece.
Church "St.
Mother of God "
Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God -
Orthodox Church in Demir Kapija. It is a central parish church and
was built in 1937.
Highway
Highway
- archeological site near the town of Demir Kapija. It is a temple
from early antiquity and Roman times. It is located northwest of
Demir Kapija, next to the railway Skopje-Gevgelija, more precisely
at the junction where the highway A1 intersects with the regional
roads R29171 and R2137.
Remains of a smaller building were
found during the road works. In it, on an area of 4 m2 were found
reliefs, statues, fragments of ceramics and more. The reliefs and
statues are from a composition of dioscuri in the company of
goddesses (Artemis). It is believed to be a sanctuary dedicated to
the Dioscuri (brothers Castor and Pollux, also represented by the
constellation Gemini). According to the findings, the site dates
back to the IV century BC. to the II century AD.
Bandera -
Boshavica
Bandera - Boshavica - archeological site near the town
of Demir Kapija. It is a temple and necropolis from Roman times.
Parts of architectural decorative plastic, from a monumental
building, were discovered at the confluence of Boshava in Vardar.
These are foundations of pillars (ion type), parts of architectural
beams with a wreath, one ion capital, as well as several
inscriptions from the II and III century. Graves "on two waters"
with structures of tegulas in which the dead were buried and
cremated were also found.
Banderica
Banderica - an
archeological site in the city of Demir Kapija. The site is a
necropolis and a masonry aqueduct from Roman times. It is located in
Klisursko maalo, about 1 km southeast of the center of Demir Kapija
and is a southeastern periphery of the ancient settlement Manastir -
Varnici. The rivers Boshava and Vardar are located on the north
side. Graves from the II-IV century have been excavated at this
place, as well as parts of a Roman water supply system built of
stone, brick and lime mortar.
Hospital
The site is a
necropolis and coin depot from early antiquity and the Middle Ages.
As early as 1938, during the construction of the hospital, a tomb
with a stone construction was excavated in which, in a ceramic bowl,
20 coins were found - Serbian medieval dinars from the XIV century.
The coins are privately owned by M. Matic. Much later, with the
research in 1974/75, in the yard of this hospital were discovered
several graves with findings that are kept in the Museum of
Macedonia.
Budur Chiflik
The site is a necropolis and a
necropolis from late antiquity. In 1947, a tomb made of stone slabs
measuring 1.92 × 0.66 × 0.64 m was discovered, placed in a
north-south direction. The inside of the tomb was covered with
marble slabs, the bottom was lined with a larger marble slab, and it
was closed with a plain stone slab. Inside, from tombstones, were
rich objects of gold and silver, including a gold bracelet and gag
leaves with amethyst in the middle. Much later, in 1964, during the
construction of individual houses on this site, foundations of
multi-room residential buildings were discovered. Foundations of
such buildings have been found on both sides of the river Dosnica.
Garden - a settlement from the Bronze Age and a necropolis from
Roman times;
Average - medieval fortress;
Klisura - a
settlement from early antiquity;
Polerelec Tower - a
fortification from the Hellenistic and Late Antiquity;
Monastery
- a settlement from prehistoric to late antique times, early
Christian and medieval necropolis
Monastery - Varnici -
settlement and necropolis from Roman times, basilica and necropolis
from late antiquity and a medieval church with a necropolis;
Necropolis 1 - Necropolis from the Iron Age;
Necropolis 2 - Budur
Chiflik - Necropolis from the Iron Age;
Plain - a fortified
settlement from the Iron and Hellenistic period;
Roman Road -
remnants of a road from Roman times;
Church - an early Christian
basilica with a necropolis and a medieval church with a necropolis;