Demir Kapija | history & culture

Antiquity period in Demir Kapija

Demir Kapija is a place already mentioned in classical times under the name of Stenae (Greek for gorge).

The settlement Stenae was fortified by walls, and it is considered that it was used to exist in the Neolithic Age. Burial grounds of the Paeonian Empire have been discovered, one of only 3 known places in Macedonia with such ancient artifacts. Demir Kapija is hiding numerous localities and invincible remains.

Middle ages and the medieval rulers in Demir Kapija

It was known as a Slavic settlement, under the name of Prosek, while today's name originates from the Turkish reign, meaning Iron Gate.

The research up to the present has proved that all the pass periods have left their traces: Paeonians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, as well as the medieval rulers like tzar Samoil, Dobromir Hrz and Strez, and the Ottomans.

The town of Prosek was used as a fortress due to its good strategic position. In the 13th century Prosek had become the seat of Dobromir Hrz, and Strez was its well known commander.

Demir Kapija after the 1st World war

The former Yugoslav King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic had his summer home and winery built here. The winery is the oldest on the Balkans and still produces quality wines under the privately owned Agropin name.

The small settlement of Demir Kapija got a status as a town, after the Second World War.