Sivec is the trademark of the dolomitic
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
extracted from the quarries of Mermeren Kombinat A.D., near the town of
Prilep
Prilep ( ) is the List of cities in North Macedonia, fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. According to 2021 census, it had a population of 63,308.
Name
The name of Prilep appeared first as ''Πρίλαπος'' in Greek (''Prilapos'') in 1 ...
in
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 ...
. The fine grain makes it ideal for
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
and
architectural
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
applications.
History
The extraction of Sivec marble can be dated back 500 BCE and earlier. Extraction flourished under the Roman period when the quarries near the ancient city of
Stibera (today
Prilep
Prilep ( ) is the List of cities in North Macedonia, fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. According to 2021 census, it had a population of 63,308.
Name
The name of Prilep appeared first as ''Πρίλαπος'' in Greek (''Prilapos'') in 1 ...
) produced stone for the production of Roman sculptures, as well as replicas of Greek original bronzes. These replicas went to Rome or to other parts of the empire.
Sivec is a renowned material that was extensively utilized in southeastern Europe from the 3rd century BCE until the 5th century CE, giving rise to some of the most visually breathtaking creations of the ancient world. It is estimated that approximately 1.2 million cubic meters of Sivec White Marble were extracted from the Prilep area during this period.
Through the centuries, Sivec was used for many building and reconstruction sites throughout the world. It was used for the reconstruction of Roman emperor
Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace (, ; ) is an ancient Roman palace and fortress complex built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence. About half of the complex was for Diocletian's personal use, with th ...
in
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
,
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. It has been also used by
Edvard Ravnikar
Edvard Ravnikar (4 December 1907 – 23 August 1993) was a Slovenian architect.
Ravnikar was born in Novo Mesto and was a student of architect Jože Plečnik. Later, he led the new generation of Slovene architects, notable for developing ...
for lines at
Prešeren Square in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Also, all of the marble used in the external cladding of the
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque ( ) is a mosque located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of mosques in the United Arab Emirates, country's largest mosque, and is the key place of worship for Salah, daily I ...
was sourced from Sivec.
Today
The marble-bearing deposits in the area are widely known and are among the largest in the world. The whiteness of the marble, its homogeneous form, and the micro-granular structure generate a high demand for Sivec marble on the international market.
Sivec®, or Bianco Sivec, is the registered name for this fine-grained white dolomitic marble.
Nowadays, Sivec has been selected to give the characteristic, exclusive white appearance in many large well-known projects including hotels, palaces, commercial buildings, etc.
Company
A quarry was established in 1946. In 2009, NBGI Private Equity and Ethemba Capital acquired 88.4% of the shares of the company through Stone Works Holdings, a Dutch company co-owned by private equity funds managed by NBGI Private Equity and Ethemba Capital. In 2017 Pavlidis Marble Granite, one of the largest sellers of white marble, purchased the Stone Works Holdings, which owns 89.25% of Mermeren Kombinat A.D.
See also
*
List of types of marble
External links
''Sivec'' at ''natursteinonline.de'' (German)
commercial link
References
{{reflist
Types of marble
Economy of North Macedonia
Prilep Municipality