Tipped off by Thammy Evans’ guidebook, I broke my drive for lunch at the ruined city of Stobi, which is conveniently located just off the main road north of Gradsko (not too far from Štip). An extraordinary and beautiful monument; I was the only tourist there.

 
The emperor Theodosius is supposed to have stayed here:

 
And this house belonged to a prominent Jewish family:

 
Alas, the synagogue, built in the early fourth century, was demolished and replaced with a Christian cathedral. The mosaics of the baptistery are beautifully preserved:

 

 
Peacocks are still a ubiquitous presence in Macedonian art and nature.

The very first thing that catches your eye on the way in is the amphitheatre:

 
Some of Stobi’s citizens had their names carved into (presumably) their favourite seats.