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Bitolj, Church in the fortress Kale Bair
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Place
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The fortress called "Kale Bair" in Turkish: the Fortress Hill is located on a hill northwest of Bitola, above the location of Badem-balari, i.e. Zelen Bair which overlook the river Dragor valley and the Pelagonian plain. It occupies an area of about 5 hectares - length about 500m, width about 190m. Its construction dates back to the time of the Bulgarian prince Boris (852-889). In the interior of the fortress, the foundations of the church of monumental proportions (23.6 x 20, 16 m) have been preserved.
Architecture:
The church represented a cross-domed basilica or ambulatory church, with an inscribed Greek cross. The nave has a three-part altar space and ending with a rectangular narthex. On the north and south sides of the altar space, the church had two annexes with a square base, most likely a chapel. The thickness of the walls and lateral supports indicate barrel vaults and a possible central cross-dome. The distinctive feature of the church's architectural structure is represented by the two towers built on the western facade, that is, by the northwestern and southwestern corners of the narthex. The material used in the construction of the church were coarse stone and mortar in combination with brick.
Dating:
The church is dated to the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century.
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Bitolj, Heraclea, the medieval necropolis near Basilica D and the medieval settlement
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Place
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The medieval necropolis near Basilica D and the medieval settlement in Heraclea near Bitolj The locality of Heraclea (Heraclea Lynkestis) - urban settlement from Hellenistic times to the Middle Ages; early Christian episcopal seat (from the 4th to the 6th century)
The site of Heraclea is situated 2.5 km south of Bitola, southwestern part of the Pelagonija plateau.
topographic location: the medieval necropolis is located near Basilica D (6th century), which was built in the suburbs of the eastern part of Heraclea (extra muros), 250 m from the acropolis of Heraclea (amphitheatre, episcopal basilica, etc.).
archaeological and conservation works: 1976-1980: The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Museum in Prilep organized protective excavations in the area of Basilica D;
Under the supervision of E. Maneva in 1981 the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Museum in Prilep continued the research on Basilica D and two necropolises next to the church;
necropolis, historical data: with the decline of Heraclea at the end of the 6th century, Basilica D and the necropolis from the same period were abandoned; for the next few centuries there are no traces of life in this area; it is not possible to determine what condition Basilica D was in when, at the end of the 10th century, this location began to be used as a necropolis.
Number of medieval excavated graves is 29 and they are located in the interior of the church both north and south of it; maybe only the altar area of the early Byzantine basilica was still in use, since there are no medieval graves in that part (just a guess). There is no doubt that there is a relationship between the sacral tradition of the terrain and the choice of location for the medieval necropolis (*This phenomenon was very widespread on the territory of Macedonia in the Middle Ages)
grave finds and analysis of archaeological material:
grave inventory of this type is most often found in women's and children's necropolises; consists of rings, earrings, gloves, buckles, necklace; with the exception of one grave of a young girl, the other graves had modest contributions.
dating:
late 10th or 11th century.
Slavic necropolis medieval settlement: traces of the settlement were discovered in the area around Basilica D (Latin imitation of a Byzantine coin from the 13th century, building material from the 13th-14th century) and in the central complex of Heraclea (fragments of kitchen ceramics, tools, jewelry, Byzantine coins, period: X-XIV century). All the archaeological material forms a compact cultural layer and proof that this area was active in the period from the 10th to the 14th century.
dating: from the 10th to the 14th century
* comment: the exceptional strategic advantage, the abundance of building materials and the found infrastructure of ancient Heraclea offered numerous advantages for the use of this site during the Middle Ages; the existence of a medieval necropolis indicates that the population that lived nearby (Kale, Bitola) or in the area of Heraclea itself was buried here.
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