To celebrate the International Day of Archaeology 2016, the UNESCO Club HAEMUS within the Center for Scientific Research and Promotion of Culture “HAEMUS” – Skopje organized the “Game of Thrones – an educational tour to Kokino”, a full day excursion starting at 08:00, on October 16, 2016 (Sunday).
The event was of promotional character and its primary goal is to popularize Macedonian archaeology and cultural heritage in general. The International Day of Archaeology is a world event that celebrates archaeology and raises awareness of archaeology as a science, at the same time providing an opportunity for public participation in different archaeological activities.
Itinerary: The focus of this tour was Kokino, an archaeological site from Bronze Age period and a prehistoric archaeo-astronomical observatory which gain the attention of scientists and media since the moment it was discovered in 2001. Archaeologically tested and astronomically proved, this advanced community which settled Kokino around 1800 BC, used very complicated mathematical equations for observing the sky and the celestial phenomena. We are very lucky they left marks around the stones and rock in shape of markers while observing the rising of the sun during the summer and winter solstice, spring and fall equinox and many other celestial phenomena in the time when they lived.
On our way back driving thought the Northeast region of Macedonia, just along the road we stopped at the “Holly Oaks”, small resting area with benches used by locals as picnic place and considered as sacred for many centuries. The tour proceeded toward the village of Staro Nagoricane where participants will be spellbound by the picturesque and original Byzantine church dedicated to the St. George, commissioned by Serbian king Milutin and erected in 1313 above the older remains. Next-door to the church is the monk cell of Prohor Pchinjski, a monk from 11 century which lived in this area and one of the 4 originally rooted Orthodox saints from the territory of the Republic of Macedonia.
The event was organized by the UNESCO Club HAEMUS, under UNESCO motto of the “Open Educational Resources” (OER), in cooperation with the City Museum of Kumanovo, and supported by the program “Go2Macedonia” of the tourist agency Arbotravel-Macedonia.
