Prilep owes its name to the old fortress on 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 the fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. It is known as “the city under Marko’s Towers” due to its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko. Prelep was an important centre during the Middle Ages, and St. Nikola’s Church (1299) boasts valuable frescoes. The Monastery of Archangel Michael and the Church of St. Dimitri date back to the 14th century. This period also saw the construction of the castle by national hero Marko Kraljević. The Prilep Basin, or Pelagonija lowland, is a hub for fruit, tobacco growing, and leatherworking. The city’s populace is predominantly Macedonian, with the latest census indicating a count of 64,527 Macedonian residents. There is also a Romani minority, comprising some residents, mainly residing in the neighbourhood of Trizla , in addition to Serbs and Turks. Today, Prilep is one of the members of the B40 Balkan Cities Network.