Voskopoj\u00eb is an important historical, cultural and tourist center. It is noted for its architectural monuments, the picturesque landscape and the excellent climate. It is located on a high slope, about 1200 m above sea level and extends between the mountains of Opari and Ostrovic\u00eb. From the east side, the hills descend smoothly and form a valley, which is the only natural entrance to Voskopoj\u00eb. The place is very rich in forests, pastures and water sources.
\nKnown since the 14th century, Voskopoj\u00eb experienced amazing economic and spiritual prosperity at the beginning of the 18th century. The “New Academy” (1744), its Library and Printing Press, the first in the Balkans, gained a great reputation. This educational institution contributed to the dissemination of education and to the formation of a vibrant intellectual movement. The city was adorned with about twenty-two temples, which were noted for their impressive gilded wood-carved iconostasis, the wood-carved pulpits and despotic thrones, the ornate apartments of the cantors, but also their complex frescoes, elements that gave them unquestionable grandeur and which at the same time reflected the wealth and power of the city.
\nUntil 1670, Voskopoj\u00eb belonged directly to the Archdiocese of Ohrid, while then it came under the jurisdiction of the Holy Metropolis of Kor\u00e7\u00eb. At the beginning of the 18th century, the city had fourteen districts, covering an area of 1800 acres. The spotlight of the districts was the complexes of religious institutions.
\nDespite its flourishing, the society of Voskopoj\u00eb could not react to the successive catastrophes of 1769, 1772 and 1780 and could not, subsequently, reach the level of development it had before them. Hundreds of Voskopoj\u00eb families were forced to migrate to Kor\u00e7\u00eb, Janina, Delvinaqi, Ambelakia, the Monastery, Ohrid, Budapest, Vienna, Kleisoura and other urban centers.<\/p>\n