Ottoman-era fortress to turn into museum

SKOPJE - Anatolia News Agency

The fortress in Skopje, which is regarded as one of the most important in the Balkans, will display pieces and artifacts stemming from the imperial age.

Cultural authorities in Skopje have announced plans to convert the Macedonian capital’s Ottoman-era fortress into a museum displaying pieces and artifacts stemming from the imperial age.

The project started earlier in September and is expected to be completed at the beginning of next year. The fortress, regarded as one of the most important in the Balkans, is expected to be revived thanks to the new undertaking, Macedonia Cultural Heritage Protection Office Director Pasko Kuzman recently told
Anatolia news agency.

A tangible indication of the Ottoman past will return with the project, a century after
the Ottomans were displaced from Macedonia.

Kuzman said the project would include another museum and a medieval church next to the Ottoman Museum.

Noting that they were cooperating with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, as well as the Turkish International Cooperation Agency in related projects, Kuzman also said they would like to acquire a copy of the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, one of the most important artifacts in the Istanbul  Archaeological Museum.