Robevci House – City Museum of Ohrid

The Robevci House is considered one of the finest examples of urban architecture in Macedonia and one of Ohrid’s most important historic residences.

The original Robevci family house was completed on April 15, 1827. The well-known merchant family lived here for about 35 years, until 1861–1862, when the house was burned to the ground by Ustref Bey, a notorious figure from Ohrid.

The present-day house was rebuilt in 1863–1864. The left half became the home of Konstantin Robev, and the right half belonged to Atanas Robev. The master builder was Todor Petkov from the village of Gari, who also supervised the creation of the richly decorated interior. The carved wooden ceilings, cupboards, and ornamental details you see today are his work.

The Robevci family lived here until 1900, after which they moved to Bitola and visited Ohrid only during the summer months.

Between 1913 and 1919, during the Balkan Wars and the First World War, the house was used to accommodate Serbian soldiers. After they left, the building was badly damaged, and some of its carved decorations were taken to Niš, in Serbia. In 1945, after the Second World War, the house was officially protected as a cultural and historical monument.

In 1950, the National Museum of Ohrid was opened here. Three years later, the building was nationalized and permanently assigned to the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the National Museum of Ohrid. The last major restoration was completed in 1990, when the house reopened as a museum.

The Robevci House has three main floors and a distinctive top level known as the širvan.

On the ground floor, you can see epigraphic monuments from Ohrid and the surrounding area, along with valuable archaeological finds, including a Roman milestone from the ancient road Via Egnatia, and two stone torsos of the goddess Isis.

The second and third floors display archaeological objects ranging from prehistory to the medieval period.

At the very top, in the širvan, the museum presents fine examples of traditional Ohrid woodcarving, created by master craftsmen from the city and its surroundings. In the eastern section, you will find an ethnological display with original household items from the Robevci family—wooden chests, the family genealogy, a preserved fresco painted in 1862 by Dicho Zograf, and the doctor’s bag of Konstantin Robev.

Elegant on the outside and richly detailed within, the Robevci House offers a vivid glimpse into the life, art, and culture of Ohrid in the 19th century.

Read more:

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• Monument of Saint Naum of Ohrid
• Ohrid - Hospital Churches of St. Nicholas and St. Mary
• House of Urania, Ohrid
• Robevci House – City Museum of Ohrid
• Memorial House of Hristo Uzunov, Ohrid
• Saint Sophia Church – Ohrid (11th century)
• Manchevci Archaeological Site, Ohrid
• Ancient Theatre of Ohrid
• Church of St. Mary Perivleptos – Ohrid (1295)
• Icon Gallery of Ohrid
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• Plaoshnik and the Church of Saint Panteleimon, Ohrid, Macedonia
• Church of St. John at Kaneo - Ohrid
• Ohrid Lake