The Ministry of Culture on Saturday evening promoted a photo-monograph dedicated to the triumphal arch Porta Macedonia, which is part of the project on erecting 35 sculptures in the downtown area of Skopje.

Porta Macedonia in the photo-monograph is presented with all of its reliefs through photographs and drawings. The gallery spans on an area of 200 square meters on two levels, where exhibitions, poetry readings, conferences, seminars, etc. are planned to be organised. Its observation point has an area of 180 square meters, where visitors will be able to observe the beauties of Skopje through two telescopes.

"Nine months after its formal inauguration, we are here to put into service the full capacity of Porta Macedonia. The citizens of Macedonia have already felt the positive energy of this facility. It has served as a symbol for unity when celebrating victory, success and other achievements as a nation and as a state," Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said in his welcoming speech.

The process of constructing this facility, he added, was one of the most difficult, not only because of the complexity of the project, but also because of the resistance it faced and the fierce media campaign. This facility already has its own history.

"Skopje with the construction of new buildings literally catches up with other capitals across the globe. This is evident with the growing number of tourists visiting Skopje. Changes in the city give birth to new symbols that make Skopje more recognisable. One of them is Porta Macedonia," Gruevski stressed.

Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska said the project of erecting 35 sculptures in the downtown area of Skopje, launched in 2008, had a sole objective of paving the way for Macedonian artists to express their creativity and to present sculpture as an artistic expression to the citizens.

"Porta Macedonia has turned in a facility with a noble mission to promote all artistic and cultural achievements. It has been dedicated not only to artists, but also to all citizens of Macedonia," the minister added.