History of Kavadarci

The establishment of a mint during the Roman period aided in its prosperity and achieving the status of municipium, denars and coins reading “Municipium Stobensium” were also produced in this area. Numerous buildings and monuments of this era such as a theatre have been discovered at this site.

A Jewish community is said to have existed in Stobi during the 3rd century, however its Synagogue was torn down in the 4th century and a Christian Basilica was built in its place.

In the late 5th and early 6th century, the town was devastated in the great Avaro-Slavonic invasions. Stobi which was previously the centre of this region was replaced by the new village of Dukena.

The Ottoman Empire

Much change took place during the occupation of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century, the occupying Turks destroyed all existing villages replacing them with oriental architecture. Villagers from Rashtani and Dukena fleeing from the Turks settled in a new area, bringing with them many families that still exist in Kavadarci today. From this settlement a new village emerged, during the 17th century this growing village attracted much attention and spurred a large migration of people from the surrounding hills and villages, thus establishing the new town called Kavadarci.

Records show at the close of the 19th century 1,330 homes existed in Kavadarci: 620 of these were Slav, 709 Turkish and one