BITOLA • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Bitola

Bitola n. The second largest city of the Republic of Macedonia (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), population 84,002 (2000). It is also known as city of consuls. The city of Bitola is situated in Pelagonian flat, at the foot of Baba mountain. It was established by Slavs and it was given the slavic name Obitel - Bitola. It is assumed that the city got this name because of the many monasteries being built there. Later, during the rule of Turks, the Turks called it Monastir and it was a significant administrative and military center with 12 consulates. It managed to preserve the primacy of a leading city, especially in the XIX century when it rapidly grew to about 40.000 inhabitants. Bitola developed trading relations with Vienna, Paris, Leipzig, London and Thessalonika to the south. In that time Bitola exceeded Skopje, both in wealth and beauty. During World War II it was destroyed by heavy bombing. Bitola started to grow and develop economically only after liberation in 1945. See also Macedonia (2).