Bitola
[key], formerly Monastir, city, S North Macedonia. It is a
commercial and industrial center for the surrounding agricultural area.
Bitola was a major agricultural center in Roman times. Later settled by
Slavs, it became a bishopric in the 11th cent. In 1395 the Turks conquered
Bitola, which became an important military and commercial center in the 15th
and 16th cent. The city suffered much damage during the Balkan Wars (during
which the Serbs took it from the Turks) and in World War I. Bitola is noted
for its numerous mosques, churches, and a former Turkish market.
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