Heraclea Lyncestis (map) was founded by Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, but like Stobi, it is justly famous for its late antique mosaics, and that it is that phase of the city that is primarily on view. The main Roman road from the Adriatic to the Bosphorus, the Via Egnatia, ran through Heraclea, and contributed to its prosperity through into the sixth century, when it fades from the historical and archaeological record.
Details of the mosaic in the Large Basilica
Tragic Mask, 2nd c AD
Philip's wisdom in his choice of location is also reflected in the bustling nature of the modern town, Bitola (map), known as ' the city of the consuls', as it had no fewer than twelve at one point under the Ottomans. It has a glorious centre of wide streets and well-restored houses, as well as some very find mosques and churches; especially worthwhile is the Church of Sveti Dimitrija, - where photography is, alas, again forbidden.
Bitola
Church of Sveti Dimitrija
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