T E T O V A

Tetova is situated in the Northwest of Macedonia at the foot of the Sharr Mountain (Scardus Mons) at an altitude of 468 m above sea level. The Shkumbin river, which has its source at the Sharr Mountain , divides the town into two parts.

 Center of Tetova

The Menada of Tetova (statue of a female player in bronze from the time of the Roman Empire - 5th century BC) is the oldest archaeological remnant found in this region.

Although there is evidence of settlements from the Bronze Age, the town is mentioned for the first time in the 17th century with the toponym of Htetova. In 1689 it becomes a chartered town. According to the “Salname” of the year 1874, Tetova had 575 shops, 10 inns, 12 big and small mosques, one “tekke”, one library etc.
Some of the mosques were built as early as in the 15-th century. The most famous one is the Multicoloured Mosque (also called the Pasha Mosque), which is situated on the right bank of the Shkumbin river. The yard of the mosque houses the octagonal tomb of Hurshide and Mensur, who had collected money for its construction in 1495.
In the 19-th century, the Russian consul I. Jastrebov mentions Tetova because of its good climate. The travel writer Ami Bue describes Tetova as a clean town.

On the outskirts of the town, there is the Arabati Baba Tekke of the Bektashis with a beautiful architecture. Near the Shkumbin lies the ancient Hamam of the town.
According to the 1993 census, Tetova has 180,654 inhabitants, by the majority Albanians. There are also Macedonians, Vlachs, Roma etc. As for the religious affiliation, the inhabitants are Muslims, Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants.
The town extends over an area of 1080 km².

The Castle of Tetova, which was build during the Ottoman reign (1824), lies on the hill in the North of the town.

The leisure and sports centre "Sunny Hill" lies amidst the Sharr Mountain area. It can be reached through the motorway (18 km) and with the funicular.
Today Tetova is an important political, educational, cultural, economic, and sports center. It houses the seats of the Albanian political parties as well as two universities.
Tetova is the host of many cultural and artistic events: the folklore festival “Sharri këndon” (Sharr is singing), the song festival for children “Bletëza” (Little Bee), the international poetry festival “Ditët e Naimit”, the Albanian book fair, the international translators’ congress etc.