Skopje — Capital of North Macedonia

Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia, a country whose very name was contested for nearly three decades. The country was known simply as the Republic of Macedonia after declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece objected strenuously, arguing that Macedonia was a geographic term belonging to a Greek region and that the name implied territorial ambitions over northern Greece. The dispute was resolved by the Prespa Agreement, signed in 2018 and entering into force in 2019: the country added "North" to its name, and in return Greece dropped its objections to the country joining NATO and the EU. North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020.

Skopje was the birthplace of one of the 20th century's most recognised figures: Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 when the city was still part of the Ottoman Empire. She was of Albanian Catholic descent and went on to found the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and a memorial house dedicated to her life stands in Skopje today.

In 1963, a catastrophic earthquake destroyed much of Skopje, killing over 1,000 people. International aid poured in from both blocs of the Cold War, and the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange was commissioned to design the rebuilt city plan. Decades later, the government launched the controversial "Skopje 2014" project — constructing dozens of neo-classical statues, triumphal arches, and monumental fountains at an estimated cost exceeding €500 million. Critics called it kitsch and dubbed it "Disneyland"; supporters argued it created a distinct national identity.

The city's history runs deep beneath the spectacle. The Stone Bridge (Kamen Most), an Ottoman structure from the 15th century, spans the Vardar river and is the city's most enduring symbol. The Old Bazaar (Čaršija) on the north bank is one of the largest Ottoman-era bazaars in the Balkans, and the Kale Fortress above it has Byzantine and Ottoman layers that predate any modern controversy.