Culture of North Macedonia
Sites for archaeology of extraordinary quality include those at Stobi in Gradsko, Heraclea Lyncestis in Bitola, Lychnidos, the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid, and Scupi in Skopje.
Along with other cultural monuments the 11th- and 12th-century churches of Western medieval thema Bulgaria are famous throughout the world, characterized by unique architecture and priceless frescoes and icons.
They were succeeded by an exceptionally talented and fruitful generation, consisting of Borka Lazeski, Dimitar Kondovski, Petar Mazev who are now deceased, and Rodoljub Anastasov and many others who are still active.
Vangel Naumovski, who was long classified by art historians as a Naive artist, is well known for his Ohridska Porta Gallery, as well as for the original world of his paintings.
Contemporary Macedonian artists include Aleksandar Stankovski, Zhaneta Vangeli, Maja Dzhartovska, and Gordana Apostolovska who all use various styles.
In addition to Dimo Todorovski, who is considered to be the founder of modern Macedonian sculpture, the works of Petar Hadzi Boskov, Boro Mitrikeski, Novak Dimitrovski and Tome Serafimovski are also outstanding.
The most famous Macedonian director is Milčo Mančevski, whose debut feature film Before the Rain was nominated for an Academy Award.
After the 1st generation of modern Macedonian classical music, consisting of Trajko Prokopiev, Todor Skalovski, Stefan Gajdov, Petre Bogdanov Kocko and Zivko Firfov, came the work of the composers Kiril Makedonski, Gligor Smokvarski, Vlastimir Nikolovski, Toma Prosev, Tomislav Zografski, Mihailo Nikolovski, Ljubomir Brangolica, Stojan Stojkov, Risto Avramovski, Tome Mancev, Dimitrije Bužarovski and Goce Kolarovski.
The Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, established in 1944 in the People's Republic of Macedonia, is the oldest cultural institution in the field of music.
Each year about 50,000 people attend concerts of the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra and the various folk dance ensembles and other cultural and artistic associations.
The rock group Leb i Sol, with its original music infusing traditional folk themes and rhythms with modern influence, has been active for over twenty years and has become widely known both inside and outside North Macedonia.
A Turkish legend speaks about the origin of the construction of a large mosque in Bursa and its constructors among whom were two friends and storytellers known as Karagöz and Hadzivat.
Unable to actually give them life, the sultan kept them alive in the form of small, transparent puppets made of thin and colored skin.
Although this theatre includes a number of characters-puppets, its eminent theatricality emerges from the complex relation between its central masks of Karagoz and Hadzivat.
Hadzivat speaks conceitedly using archaic words, pretending to be wise and in actuality being a boringly pedant, rigid, corruptible, opportunist who constantly emphasizes his aristocratic origin.
