Voskopojë is a small town on the site of the once mighty Aromanian city of Moscopole. To this day, from the 50 thousand. Only a few churches and ruins reminiscent of their former glory remain.
The Moscopole was probably founded in the 13th or 14th century in a place where a settlement had already existed in Roman times. It was a city inhabited by the Aromanians, that is, the Romance-speaking population. In the 18th century, it became one of the largest cities in the Balkans and a leading commercial center. The merchants here controlled the trade routes from Dubrovnik to Constantinople, and their caravans even reached Germany.
The golden age in the development of Moskopola was associated not only with wealth, but also with the development of culture and art. The Greek Academy operated here, referring to the intellectual achievements of antiquity. Back then, the city was often referred to as "the second Athens". There were also banks, printing houses and schools of icon writing. In 1770, the first modern dictionary of Balkan languages was published. At that time, more than 70 Orthodox churches and monasteries were counted in Moscopole.
The end of Moscopole's power came at the end of the 18th century. The invasions of the Ottoman and Albanian armies led to its fall. The final end of its existence took place during the First World War. Only seven Orthodox monasteries and churches have survived to this day: the Monastery of John the Baptist, the Church of St. Athanasius, Orthodox Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Church of St. Elijah, Church of St. Nicholas, Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the monastery of St. George. Most of them are distinguished by partially preserved interior polychromes. The Moscopole was commemorated with the Lapidar monument in Voskopojë.
