Tour 13. The city and magical lake Dojran

There was a settlement in prehistoric times on the location of Dojran. The first written record of the city was in the 5th century BC, about the Paeonians who founded and expanded the city. They lived in settlements accessible only by boats, from which traces still exist today on the west and north shores of Lake Dojran, in between the cane zones and the lake itself. The lake is famous for its magical colors and algae which flourish in August and are very helpful for the skin. It is rich with fish, prepared deliciously in many restaurants in the city.
Dojran was the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, when many monuments were built in the upper part of the city. There are located the Turkish Hamam (bath) and Shaykh Fountain.
The Church of St. Ilija was built in 1874 in the northern part of the city. The current fragments of paintings suggest that the church walls were originally covered with frescoes. There are numerous discoveries of of reliefs, marble plates with inscriptions, remainders of walls, coins and tombs with epitaphs in Dojran.