Religious emblematics in Macedonian civic heraldry

Macedonia is a country in the heart of the Balkans. It has traditionally been in the grind of events between the East and West. The country has been a center of Christianity for two millennia and is abundant in Christian relicts and emblems. Though heraldry in various forms is known in Macedonia from the middle ages it is in the late 20c. that a somewhat systematic attempts have been made at studying and developing new heraldic practices. This has led to the relatively wide use of religious emblems in the process.   This paper covers the religious emblems in Macedonian civic heraldry. Crosses, churches and church bell towers are used in multiple occasions in civic coat of arms. The crosses used are quite specific and some have been described by the Macedonian heraldic terminology dictionary of the Macedonian Heraldry Society. The churches and church bell towers are to some degree stylizations of particular Macedonian sacral objects.