Natural and Cultural Heritage of Ohrid Region, World Heritage Site in North Macedonia and Albania

Lake Ohrid is located between North Macedonia and Albania. It is famous as an “ancient lake” and is rich in diverse ecosystems.The town that stretches along the lake is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Churches and monasteries built between the 7th and 19th centuries, including the oldest monastery in the Slavic region, are scattered along the lake.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains in simple terms why the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region is a World Heritage Site. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Ohrid!

What is the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Ohrid Region? Explanation of the ancient lakes and Ohrid Lake included.

Straddling North Macedonia and Albania, Lake Ohrid is a composite heritage site, not only for its natural heritage value as an ancient lake, but also for its cultural heritage, including the ruins and churches that remain around it.

Lake Ohrid is one of the most famous ancient lakes in the world, with a history dating back to about 5 million years ago, and is rich in nutrients and a diverse ecosystem. Many of the organisms that live here derive from the prehistoric biota, with more than 200 species of plants and animals, including algae, snails, crustaceans, and 17 endemic fish species.

Ohrid was settled by Illyrians who lived in the western Balkan Peninsula in the 12th-4th centuries B.C., and was then called “Lychnitis”. Eventually it became part of the Roman Empire, and in the 7th century Slavs began to settle here; in the 9th century it was ruled by the First Bulgarian Empire and became the capital of the empire, where the Patriarchate was also located. Although the city flourished as a Christian holy city at the time, the number of Christians declined sharply after the Ottoman Empire took control of the city in the 14th century.

The town of Ohrid, located northeast of the lake, is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. The town has buildings built between the 7th and 19th centuries, including the oldest monastery in the Slavic region and a total of more than 800 Byzantine icons dating from the 11th to 14th centuries.

Seven cathedral ruins remain in the Old Town, which were built between the 4th and the beginning of the 6th century. Mosaic floors have been found here, and early Christian features remain.And today, the Old Town is a town with many late Ottoman mansions built between the 18th and 19th centuries.

The town of Struga, on the northern shore of Lake Ohrid, also retains traces of prehistoric habitation, and is dotted with Neolithic, Bronze Age, Macedonian, Roman, and medieval ruins. 2019 saw the addition of the Albanian side, with the western and southern sides of the lake being Albanian territory. On the Linn Peninsula on the western shore of the lake, the ruins of an early Christian church founded in the 6th century also remain, and the mosaic floor is well preserved.

Main registered properties

Monastery of St. Panteleimon

Located in the city of Ohrid, this monastery was built in the 9th century by Clement of Ohrid. It flourished as an educational institution and cultural center at that time.It is also known as the place where the Cyrillic alphabet, now widely used in Eastern Europe, was first taught. The current monastery was rebuilt, and a basilica baptistery dating from the 4th to 6th century was discovered in the surrounding area.

St. Naum Monastery

The main cathedral, rebuilt in the 17th century, is located on the southern shore of Lake Ohrid. A monastery was built on this site from the 10th century, which was visited by many pilgrims.

Cathedral of St. Jovan Caneo

This cathedral, located near the Monastery of St. Panteleimon, is believed to have been built in the 13th century.The cathedral has stood for quite a long time, and during restoration work in 1964, frescoes were discovered in the dome.It is located on a hill overlooking Ohrid Lake, and the view from here is one of the most representative landscapes of Ohrid Lake.

For what reasons is the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Ohrid Region inscribed on the World Heritage List?

Ohrid was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (i)
The fact that Ohrid preserves prehistoric ruins, religious architecture from the 7th to 19th centuries and urban structures from the 18th to 19th centuries, which indicate its historical and cultural value.

Registration Criteria (iii)
The religious architecture, frescoes, and icons along the lake are the point where the area reigned as a religious center for centuries.

Registration Criteria (iv)
The area around the lake is a place where the remains of an early Christian church from the 4th to 6th century remain, and many buildings built between the 9th and 14th centuries.

Registration Criteria (vii)
Lake Ohrid, which boasts 5 million years of history as an ancient lake, is home to many endemic species, etc., which means that it has high value as a natural heritage site.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Thoughts

Anyway, it is a heritage site for all kinds of things, including the culture associated with the lake and its natural environment. The value of Lake Ohrid as a lake is quite high, but the fact that it is possible to see the development of early Christianity to the ripening period of the Middle Ages, all in the vicinity of the lake, is also an object of appreciation.

Incidentally, there are few combined heritage sites in Europe, and the fact that the heritage site straddles two countries is a very rare pattern.

*The contents here are considerations derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.