Makedonska Kamenica (Македонска Каменица) - a town in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It is located at the foot of the Osogovo Mountains on their southern slope. It is known as a mining town. The most famous Macedonian lead and zinc mine Sasa is in its immediate vicinity. It was declared a city in 2004. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name, which covers an area of 19,037 ha, has 9 settlements with a total of 8,110 inhabitants. According to the 2002 census, the city has 5,147 inhabitants.
The name Kamenica comes from the name of a river, its meaning is "water flowing in a rocky bed". In the past, the name of the village is documented in a record from 1566, as Kamena Reka, from which comes the first known Macedonian printer Jakov, who in 1566. print his books in Venice.
Prehistoric Era (Neolithic Period)
The history of Makedonska
Kamenica, a small town in eastern North Macedonia nestled in the
Osogovo Mountains, begins in the distant past. Archaeological
evidence indicates that the broader region of eastern North
Macedonia has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, roughly
starting around 6000 BCE. This era marks the transition from
hunter-gatherer societies to early farming communities, with
settlements featuring advanced material culture, including pottery,
tools, and architecture adapted to agriculture and animal husbandry.
Key sites in the vicinity, such as Grncharica near the village of
Krupiste (within the eastern planning region), have yielded
artifacts like figurines and tools, including what is considered the
oldest Neolithic human remains in the Balkans. Excavations at
locations like Dikili Tash and Siagri in eastern Macedonia reveal
organized villages with evidence of crop cultivation, animal
domestication, and early trade networks. While no major Neolithic
site has been definitively identified directly within modern
Makedonska Kamenica's boundaries, the town's location in a
mineral-rich area suggests it may have been attractive for early
resource exploitation, such as basic mining or gathering of natural
materials like zeolite and kaolinite, which are mentioned in
regional archaeological contexts. This period laid the foundation
for sustained human presence in the Osogovo region, influenced by
the fertile valleys and natural resources that would define the
area's economy for millennia.
Ancient Period (Roman Era)
By the Roman period (approximately 3rd to 6th centuries CE), the
region around Makedonska Kamenica saw increased activity,
particularly tied to imperial expansion and resource extraction. As
part of the Roman province of Macedonia (later divided, with
northern parts including Dardania under Moesia), the area benefited
from Roman infrastructure and defense systems. Settlements and
fortifications were built to protect trade routes and mining
operations, reflecting the empire's interest in the region's lead,
zinc, and other minerals. The Sasa mine, located near the town, has
roots traceable to Roman mining activities, where shafts and tools
from this era have been uncovered, indicating organized extraction
efforts. The Romans integrated the local Paeonian and Thracian
populations, who had inhabited the area earlier, into their
administrative framework. Prosperity during Augustus's reign (27
BCE–14 CE) brought peace and economic growth, though the region's
peripheral location meant it was often a frontier zone vulnerable to
invasions. By the late Roman period, under Diocletian,
administrative reforms further solidified control, but the area
began to face pressures from migrating tribes as the empire
weakened.
Medieval Period
The medieval era brought
significant cultural and political shifts to the region. Starting in
the 6th century CE, Slavic tribes settled in what is now North
Macedonia, including the Osogovo area, blending with existing
Byzantine influences. From the 7th to 13th centuries, the territory
was under Byzantine control but increasingly incorporated into
emerging Slavic states. By the 9th–10th centuries, it formed part of
the medieval Bulgarian Empire, followed by incorporation into the
Serbian Empire in the 13th–14th centuries. In the 14th century, the
area became part of the principality ruled by Konstantin Dejanović,
a Serbian noble, before falling to Ottoman conquest after his death
in 1395.
A key development was the arrival of Saxon miners (known
as "Sasi") from Hungary and Germany during the medieval period,
invited by local rulers to revive mining in ancient Roman shafts.
These settlers established communities around the Sasa mine, which
derives its name from "Saxons." The village of Sasa (now part of the
municipality) became a mining hub, with the area known simply as a
small village focused on extraction. Archaeological sites in the
eastern region, such as Bargala and Vinica Kale, highlight the
medieval Byzantine and Slavic influences, including fortifications
and churches.
Ottoman Period (14th–20th Centuries)
Ottoman
rule dominated the region for over 500 years, beginning in the late
14th century following the conquest of Serbian territories. The area
was integrated into the Ottoman administrative system, with
Makedonska Kamenica (then known as Kamenica) first documented in
Turkish records from 1570–1573 as a village with 80 families and 59
unmarried inhabitants. This period saw sporadic resistance,
particularly in the second half of the 16th century, with figures
like Grandfather Iljo Maleshevski and Rumena Vojvoda leading local
uprisings against Ottoman authority.
The Ottoman era brought
cultural and demographic changes, including Islamization in some
areas, though the local population remained predominantly Slavic and
Christian. Mining continued intermittently, but the region was
largely rural and peripheral. By the 19th century, nationalist
movements emerged, contributing to the broader "Macedonian Question"
that fueled Balkan conflicts. Ottoman rule ended with the Balkan
Wars (1912–1913), when the territory was partitioned, and the area
fell under Serbian control as part of the Kingdom of Serbia (later
Yugoslavia).
20th Century and Modern Era
The 20th century
transformed Kamenica from a village into a modern town, driven by
mining. Under early Yugoslav (Serbian) rule, mining at Sasa resumed,
attracting workers and leading to the establishment of a dedicated
miners' settlement before 1950. In 1950, the town was renamed
Makedonska Kamenica, reflecting post-World War II national identity
efforts in socialist Yugoslavia. The Sasa mine expanded
significantly during the Yugoslav era, becoming North Macedonia's
largest lead-zinc operation, with flotation plants and underground
mining producing concentrates for export.
North Macedonia gained
independence in 1991, and Makedonska Kamenica became a separate
municipality in 1996, encompassing the town and surrounding villages
like Sasa, with a total area of about 189 km². The population,
predominantly ethnic Macedonians, peaked at 8,110 in 2002 but
declined to 6,439 by 2021 due to emigration and aging demographics.
The mine, privatized in the post-Yugoslav period, was acquired by
Central Asia Metals in 2017, continuing as a major employer despite
environmental challenges, including tailings spills in 2003 and 2020
that caused local pollution. Today, the town remains centered on
mining, with cultural ties to its Saxon and Slavic heritage, and
efforts to promote tourism in the Osogovo Mountains.
Makedonska Kamenica is located in the eastern part of
the country, in the southern foothills of the Osogovo Mountains, in
the area of Osogovo. The rivers Moshtica and Kosevicka Reka flow
through the city, and the river Bregalnica is nearby.
The
highway "M-5" and the regional road "R-208" pass through the city,
which are connected with the rest of the country and the Sasa mine.
The city is 24 km west of Delchevo and 29 km northeast of Kocani.
In 1570-1573, 80 families and 59 unmarried persons were
registered in the village of Kamenica.
According to the
statistics of Vasil K'nchov ("Macedonia, Ethnography and Statistics")
from 1900, 350 inhabitants, all Macedonians, lived in Kamenica.
According to the exarch secretary Dimitar Mishev, ("La Macédoine et sa
Population Chrétienne") in 1905 there were 320 Macedonians, exarchists,
in Kamenica.
The city has 2,437 individual households and 2,971
apartments.
The city has a cinema hall, which serves for all major cultural events. In addition to this, there is also a library with 6,500 books, a House of Culture and a Center for Cultural and Artistic Publishing.
Of particular importance for the city is the event "Stone Cultural Summer", which is held every year and attracts various famous performers.
In terms of media, it is covered by one radio station "Radio Makedonska Kamenica" and cable television "Kam-Sat".
FC Sasa plays
in the city, which now competes in the regional league, but in the past
was part of the first Macedonian football league. The city has a stadium
with a capacity of 2,000 spectators and a city park.
On August
28, 1984, an Olympic swimming pool was put into use, built from the
funds from the self-contribution, solemnly opened by Fercho Spasovski,
president of the local organization of the SSRNM in Makedonska Kamenica.
The main economic activity of the population is mining, in addition to the Sasa mine, there are also textile plants and zinc works in the city. Agriculture is represented by the collection of various forest fruits, fungi, the cutting of firewood and furniture, and several shops operate in the city. Among the larger plants in Makedonska Kamenica are: "MI-Sasa", "Cinkarna", "Tamatex", "Luka" and "Textil-M".