Gopeš (, ) is a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Bitola
Bitola (; ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki border crossing ...
,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
. It used to be part of the former municipality of
Capari.
History
Gopeš is an old
Aromanian settlement in the region and its establishment dates possibly prior to the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans.
During the first World War, Gopeš was occupied by the
Bulgarian military who evacuated most of the Aromanian villagers and sent them into the interior of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
and
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
.
The relocation of local Aromanians was due to Bulgarian forces being concerned that pro-Greek and pro-Serbian sympathies existed among them resulting in possible cooperation with the
Entente Allies.
While in exile, some villagers had to fend for themselves whereas others for the Bulgarians did forced labour.
In 1919 only 110 families returned to Gopeš from a previous 300 families that inhabited the village prior to the war.
[ p. 420. "Pisoderi, Gopeš and Malovište are probably the oldest of the Vlach settlements in this group, and they most likely predated the Ottoman conquest."; pp. 468-469. "The Bulgarians evacuated the inhabitants of... Gopeš... and all these displaced persons (or hostages, one might call them) were relocated to the interior of Bulgaria and Serbia. Some were left to fend for themselves until the end of the war, while others did forced labour for the Bulgarians. The Bulgarians did not relocate all these people for their own safety; their basic motive was to clear the area of the pro-Greek and pro Serbian population groups which might have been inclined to co-operate with the Entente Allies."; p. 470. "Ultimately the destruction and deportations during the fighting along the Macedonian Front proved to be the coup de grace for most of the Vlach villages and settlements in Pelagonia. Gopeš is a typical example: it had some 300 families before the war, but only 110 returned by 1919."]
Demographics
As of the
2021 census, Gopeš had 1 resident with the following ethnic composition:
Total resident population of the Republic of North Macedonia by ethnic affiliation, by settlement, Census 2021
/ref>
*Vlachs 1
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 0 inhabitants.[Macedonian Census (2002)]
''Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion''
The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 187.
Notable people
* Naum Torbov (1880–1952), Bulgarian Aromanian architect
References
External links
Visit Macedonia
Villages in Bitola Municipality
Aromanian settlements in North Macedonia
{{Bitola-geo-stub