Prilep is the fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. According to 2021 census results, it has a population of 63,308 and is known as “the city under Marko’s Towers” because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.
The name of Prilep appeared first as Πρίλαπος. The old fortress was attached to the rocky hilltop, and its name means “stuck” on the rocks in Old Church Slavonic. It was mentioned by John Skylitzes in relation to Samuel of Bulgaria, who died here in 1014.
Prilep is a centre for high-quality tobacco and cigarettes, as well as metal processing, electronics, timber, textiles, and food industries. The city also produces a large quantity of Macedonian Bianco Sivec (pure white marble).
The overwhelming majority of the city population is Macedonian; the Macedonian population at the last census counted 64,527. There is also a Romani minority, counting some 4,420 inhabitants, most of them living in the neighbourhood of Trizla, also Serbs (310) and Turks (260).