Bitola
Bitola,
formerly known as
Monastir, is a city in the present day
Republic
of Macedonia. As Heraclea Lyncestis, founded by
Philip
II of Macedon, it was a major city during the
Roman
Empire, lying on the
Via
Egnatia. Later it was settled by
Slavs
and in
1395 it was conquered by
Ottoman Empire,
which made the city a major
military
and commercial center. The
Serbs
took the city from the Ottoman Empire during the
Balkan
Wars.