Edition 25 0 March 2016 Gazanfer Bayram The Hotel Enjoying an outstanding location at the heart The resort offers the highest level of elegance of the city – the antique Old Bazaar- this and comfort combined with traditional unique 5 star resort in Skopje elements, and creates a “Bushi Resort & SPA” is located welcoming environment where next to the most famous city you can feel at home. attractions like the Old Bazaar, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Saint Bushi Resort & SPA has 48 hotel Spas Church, National Museum rooms of different typologies: and just few steps away from the Standard Rooms, Superior main embassies, state institutions Rooms, Duplex Suites , Junior and business buildings. Suites and Presidential Suite . The hotel is less than a half All the hotel rooms are equipped kilometer from the Stone Bridge, with luxury and contemporary 293m from the Kale Fortress and a half kilometer furniture, seating area, work desk, free Wi-Fi, smart from the Macedonia Square. The Skopje TV, free satellite TV channels-, minibar, safe box, International Airport is 16.1 km away. telephone, coffee/tea maker machine etc. SPA Center The SPA Center of Bushi Resort is the only of its kind in the whole region. It offers an indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, 5 massage rooms, seats for foot massage, Sauna, Salt Room Sauna, very professional and well equipped Turkish bath, changing rooms, showers, reception area and Bar. At Bushi Resort & SPA you will enjoy the tradition of the art of relax from the Asian Countries. The variety of massages, the professionalism of the local and international physiotherapists- from Thailand – makes it unique in Skopje. e-mail: [email protected] , tel: +389 2 3125 130 “Stara Çarshia” Terrace Bar- Restaurant is the main restaurant with an amazing view over Old Bazaar Our terrace bar-restaurant is opened during the day for the public as well. Everyone can enjoy the culinary art of our chefs by trying any traditional food or the Mediterranean and international specialties. It is very frequent for the special day events such as: a special birthday, wedding, cocktails, receptions, company party etc. Conference Rooms Bushi Resort & SPA houses 2 Conference Rooms - Vardar Conference Room and Çarshia Restaurant. The hotel’s main conference room has a maximum capacity of 150 participants in theater style. It has a natural day light and an exceptional style in Skopje with brand new and very comfortable cinema seats and aside lodge on the second floor. Each cinema seat has a personal plug in and a personal mini-worktable that gives the opportunity to participants to place their personal items such as laptop, notebook, pens, agenda etc. It is equipped with 2 incorporated translation cabins with very hi-tech translation equipment, microphones, headphones, screen, podium, flip chart, registration table, projector etc. e-mail: [email protected] , tel: +389 2 3125 130 Recommendations DMWC Recommends In this issue we introduce a new section: a yellow-pages-type directory of services which we can recommend to our readers. Please feel free to share your experiences and opinions with us via the web site http// www.dmwc.org.mk/contact. We will be in touch with the providers of all the published ads and will share your feedback with them. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE SAUNA • JACUZZI • TURKISH BATH GARDEN MASSAGE • WINE THERAPY SPA BOUTIQUE HOTEL : +389 (2) 609 21 91 GARDEN SPA www.gardenspa.mk PHONE 6 March 2016•www.dmwc.org.mk www.dmwc.org.mk In this issue: Published by Remembering the Great War “Dobredojde” It is not a very well known fact that Macedonia Welcome Centre Macedonia, although not a state Ul. Alzirska bb at the time, took a great part, or UZ Vlado Tasevski rather, suffered a lot in World War One. p.11 1000 Skopje Vardar Gemija - Republic of Macedonia Memories of the [email protected] Times Past Editor-in-Chief Since Macedonia is a Emilija Miladinova Avramcheva landlocked country, all [email protected] the terms, customs and experiences connected to the naval or maritime life evoke a strange feeling and Contributors curiosity amongst its population. p.14 Robert Alagjozovski Ladino – the [email protected] Enigmatic Nadica Janeva [email protected] Language of Zaneta Gelevska-Veljanovska Macedonian [email protected] Jews Lyubov Gurjeva The big expulsion of the Jewish population from Spain [email protected] (1492) and Portugal (1498) is well known. p.18 Jasmina A. Casule graphic design Crown on the Ceiling [email protected] As one of the most important towns ISSN 1857- 9213 in Macedonia, Tetovo competes with Bitola for the status of the second only to the capital administrative, educational, economical and trade centre. p.20 Macedonia Welcome Centre Magazine is a non-profit publication that is financed by advertising and donations. Donations can be remitted to our bank account: NGO: “Dobredojde” Macedonia Welcome Centre, Skopje Bank Account: 200002723446003 ; Bank: Stopanska Banka ; VAT number: EDB 4058009503130 We welcome donations of any amount. Thank you for your support! Yours Gratefully, Macedonia Welcome Centre Magazine Editorial Board DMWC Coffee Mornings Embassies, international communities and organizations introduce their countries, cultures and activities. A monthly event open to everybody. Russian Coffee Morning Dutch Coffee Morning Thursday, April 14 at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 12, at 11 a.m. at TCC Grand Plaza Hotel at TCC Grand Plaza Hotel “Making Connections” is the motto of the Netherlands Presidency of the EU Council (January-June 2016). On 12th May, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Macedonia, H. E. Mr. Wouter Plomp and Ms. Henriette Winkler will host a Dutch Coffee Morning, dedicated to the connections DMWC Russian Tea/Coffee Morning between Macedonia and the will take place at TCC Grand Plaza Netherlands. After the opening Hotel on April 14, 2016 at 11 a.m. word, Dutch specialties H. E. Mr. Oleg Scherbak, Ambassador and coffee will be served. Welkom! of the Russian Federation, will address the guests with a brief talk on the history of and present-day international cooperation in space, and present a photo exhibition “The milestones in Space exploration”. To commemorate the 55th anniversary of the first manned space flight and the International Day of Human Space Flight, all guests are welcome to lay flowers (provided by the Russian Embassy) to the monument to Jury Gagarin in Karpos Municipality. Executive Committee Emilija Miladinova Avramcheva President and MWC Magazine Editor Robert Alagjozovski Culture and Literature Coordinator Zaneta (Zani) Gelevska Veljanovska Painter and Art Teacher Irina Georgieva Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator and Yoga Instructor Dr. Biljana Ancevska PR and Training Coordinator Lyubov Gurjeva MWC Magazine and Membership Coordinator 8 March 2016•www.dmwc.org.mk Editorial Spring Agenda his spring we that aims to promote Macedonian intangible will continue cultural heritage in the media and among Tto work on our the expat community in Macedonia. The annual charitable second grant supports the international project for the benefit mosaic fair that will bring together mosaic of vulnerable children. artists from many countries and promote 2016 DMWC International this traditional art form in Macedonia as Charity Bazaar well as give an impetus to the development will take place on of the appreciation of mosaic and stimulate Saturday, June 4 an interest towards this somewhat forgotten by Emilija Miladinova at the ground level of art among artists, craftsmen and the public. Avramcheva GTC shopping centre These two projects will give our readers President of in the centre of Skopje. many opportunities to learn more about “Dobredojde” Macedonia It is already a tradition filigree, traditional jewellery making, wood Welcome Centre that the host of carving, weaving, pottery and mosaic. I this event will be would also like to appeal to our friends the Municipality from the countries with a long established of Skopje. It gives me great pleasure to tradition of mosaic to consider taking part in announce that the Honorary President the International Mosaics Fair. of 2016 DMWC International Charity We have been working on this issue during Bazaar is H.E. Charles Garrett, the the Western Lent, which overlaps with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Orthodox Lent only by two weeks this year, Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Orthodox Easter falling on the1st of May. the Republic of Macedonia. Easter is the most important religious holiday This is the fifth time that DMWC for the majority of Macedonians, and just as will celebrate the International in the Western churches, it is preceded by a Children’s Day, June 1, together with six week Lent. The last Sunday before Lent the international community and the is known as Procka, the day of forgiveness. school children of Skopje. There will be This year it falls on 13 March. The rituals performances by various schools, an art connected to this day have incorporated workshop, and stands where embassies a long pre-christian tradition of marking will sell their national products and the transition between winter and spring promote their countries, a lottery and other by dressing up and wearing masks. There fun activities. Our beneficiary this year will are also ceremonial fires and divination. be the Centre for Street Children in Strumica and Prilep carnivals have become Shuto Orizari in Skopje. The Bazaar is international cultural events. After Procka a unique opportunity for the embassies, starts the Lent fast that includes the first six the local government, schools, artists and days of the Holy Week known in Macedonian NGOs to work together for a great cause. as the “Week of Passion” and ends in the Apart from a grant from City of Skopje that very early morning of Easter Sunday. will fund the organisation of the Bazaar, this With this issue we also mark the transition year DMWC has competed for and won two from winter to spring, introduce our new grants from the Ministry of Culture.