Shirok Sokak

Shirok Sokak

In the year of 1851, the Austrian-Hungariam Emire opened the first consulate in Bitola, exactly in Shirok Sokak. Later on, the British and the French would follow this example, and afterwards the consuls of Russia, Italy, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania came.
The first lights on Shirok Sokak, that moved the darkness from the Clock Tower to the Officers’ Centre were lit at 5 pm of 24th of December 1924. At that time, both the consul s and the inhabitants went on the first promenade under the lights.
Even then, many branch offices of the world famous and foreign companies, the prestigious taverns, tea-shops, the branch of Franco-Serbian Bank were situated on Shirok Sokak.
The artists were especially inspired during this period of consul – they were singing about them, about the carriages, the famous soup the Vlach settlement and the yellow houses. There is a record that over 600 songs were composed for Bitola, like no other city in the world.