Pehčevo (Пехчево, Pehchevo) - a town in the area of Maleshevo and administrative center of the Municipality of Pehčevo. It is famous for its winter tourism.
According to the legends, it is said that Pehčevo got its name from some stoves that were located under the slopes of the mountain Bukovik. These kilns were set up because of the mines located on the slopes of Bukovic, which were in need of ore processing. Therefore, Pehčevo was called Pehčevo. But over time with the arrival of the Ottomans, the city changed its name to Pehčevo.
Pehčevo is located in the extreme eastern part of Macedonia, in the area of Maleshevo, 10 km north of Berovo and 27 km south of Delchevo. About 20% of the territory of the municipality of Pehčevo are arable land, and the rest are pastures, forests and arable land. Pehčevo is located at 1,000 meters above sea level and after Krushevo, is the second highest city in Macedonia.
Before the Turks entered
Maleshevo, at the end of the 14th century (1394-1395), part of the
local population of Pehčevo was engaged in the exploitation of iron
ore from Bukovic. According to written documents from 1580, this
mine was started to be exploited by the Turkish authorities. Due to
the good location, Pehchevo was inhabited by new inhabitants, mostly
Muslims, originating from the hilly and mountainous areas of Asia
Minor. With the new roommates, Pehchevo in the second half of the
18th and the beginning of the 19th century gets an oriental look.
Due to this physiognomy of the town, the Turks called it Osmanli
Kasaba (Turkish town), as well as due to its convenient geographical
location and openness to all Muslims. Already at the end of the 19th
century, the town grew into a large administrative center of the
Turkish administration for the wider region of the entire Maleshevo
region. It was at that time that the Pehchevo kaza based in Pehchevo
was formed. In the last years of the 19th century, in Pehcevo there
were nine houses located in the center of the town, a clock tower
with a specific bell that could be heard far away, an administrative
building of kaza (ukumat), a pharmacy and other facilities. During
World War I, most of the buildings that had oriental shapes,
including the restored clock tower, were destroyed. In this war,
Pehchevo also lost many of its inhabitants as a result of
emigration, mostly from the Muslim population.
According to
the data of Vasil K'nchov ("Macedonia. Ethnography and Statistics")
from 1900, the town of Pehchevo had 4,070 inhabitants, of which
3,300 were Macedonian Muslims, 700 were Macedonian Christians and 70
were Roma.
Air conditioning
The climate in the
municipality and the city is continental, with moderately hot
summers and long cold winters. The average annual temperature is 9 °
C, and the average relative humidity is 72% with precipitation of
544.3 mm per year.
Only 10 km from Pehcevo is the
famous tourist place Ravna Reka. Here are the famous Pehcevski
waterfalls, the source of Bregalnica, beautiful summer houses and
sports fields. The place abounds with beautiful cottages and two
fishponds.
Archaeological sites
Bukovic - a settlement
from late antiquity;
In the River - a mine from late antiquity;
Gradishte (or Monastery) - a building from Roman times;
Monastery
- early Christian church;
Rudishte (or Rakovec) - late antique
and medieval mining settlement; and
Settlement - a settlement
from late antiquity.