The Balkan Heritage Foundation along with their partner the National Institution Stobi, and the financial support of the J.M. Kaplan Fund launches an ambitious new project for designing a Master Conservation Plan for the Archaeological site of Stobi. It is the premier ancient (Roman and Late Antique) site in the Republic of North Macedonia and a complex monumental ensemble with both architectural and archaeological heritage of outstanding historical, cultural and economic significance and has been declared a National Monument of Culture (1950).

Since 1918, 15% of the territory of the archaeological site has been excavated. Twenty three buildings of public and residential character have been completely or partially unearthed and are now on display for site visitors. Among them are a theater, numerous religious temples (pagan, Christian and Jewish, including the oldest Christian church discovered in North Macedonia), lavishly decorated public and residential buildings as well as residential and commercial neighborhoods.

The volume and the significance of the archaeological heritage of Stobi combined with its state of preservation, cultural landscapes, team capacities and potential to contribute to sustainable development turn this site into a first class candidate for a broader global attention, and contemporary conservation treatment and site management. The large-scale excavations that occurred approximately a decade ago, exposed many site elements that along with many other previously unearthed structures, now require conservation  treatment.

The project for the Master Conservation Plan will be implemented in three phases and is expected to provide a general framework for long- and short-term preservation activities for the site, and a solid base for its sustainable development, management and maintenance for the next decade.