Tetovo

Overview

Tetovo (Albanian: Tetova) is located at the foothills of the Shar Mountain in north-western Macedonia, 468 m above the sea level, on the edge of the Polog Valley. The city is separated by the river Pena, which flows from the Shar mountain.

Although there is evidence of settlements in the area as early as the bronze age, the town is first mentioned under a name resembling its modern name in the 17th century under the toponym Htetovo. The legend is that Tetovo got its name after the legendary hero Teto, who cleared the town from snakes; not surprisingly, Tetovo means Teto's place.

In the middle ages Tetovo was an important trade center for the local farmers and craftsmen, as well as an important military fortification for the Ottomans. In the 19th century, the Russian Consul I. Yastrebov spoke highly of Tetovo's climate - mild snowy winters, sunny and comfortably warm summers. The traveler Ami Bue described Tetovo as a very clean city. Today, Tetovo has a well-developed textile and clothing industry. The great plant growth conditions of the Polog valley have been well used for the development of agriculture. The well-known ski resort Popova Shapka (Kodra e Diellit in albanian) lies above Tetovo in the Shara Mountain. An 18 km long asphalt road is takes you from Tetovo to Popova Shapka skiing center. While in winter Tetovo is a popular destination for the skiing fanatics, in the summer Tetovo is the beloved resort for paragliders. Some of the mosques in...more

History