Abstract

The author's first visit to Macedonia took place during the study trip Serbia-Kosovo-Macedonia, in connection with the preparation of his doctoral dissertation on the topic of oriental-type townhouses in (then) Yugoslavia. The Author had already met most of these examples in the 'cabinet phase' of the dissertation work, so their in situ tour should complete the Author's image of them, through getting to know them in a real natural and social environment. A large number of drawings made by the Author on that occasion were included in the content of the dissertation (1988) and in the later published book „Architecture in Drawings and Pictures“ (2018). Three more visits to Macedonia followed. During the visit (2007), which was arranged as part of the cooperation of several architecture faculties through the „Tempus“ project, the author visited Skopje in detail, and during the visit (2008), which was arranged on the same occasion, the author visited several cities along the Skopje – Tetovo – Gostivar – Ohrid - Prespa lake – Resen – Bitola – Prilep – Veles - Skopje route. The reason for the author's fourth visit to Macedonia was to participate in the international scientific conference „Fourth International Congress on Islamic Civilization in the Balkans“ organized jointly by the OIC Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture, (IRCICA, Istanbul), and the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU, Skopje, October 13-17, 2010). During the conference, a tour of some Macedonian cities was arranged: Skopje-Veles-Prilep-Bitola-Resan-Ohrid-Gostivar-Tetovo-Skopje. Each new visit to Macedonia was experienced by the author as a meeting with an 'old friend', that is, a meeting with himself.