Stobi was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and later turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris (now near Gradsko in the Republic of Macedonia). It is located on the main road that leads from the Danube to the Aegean Sea and is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in the Republic of Macedonia. Stobi was built where the Erigón River (mod. Crna) joins the Axiós River (mod. Vardar), making it strategically important as a centre for both trade and warfare.
The first excavations in the ancient city of Stobi were started in the 19th century. During World War I, the German officer Hald had began the first systematic excavations of the site.
For a number of years, close contacts with the Stobi archaeological site in Macedonia have been established, especially with the group of archaeologists and conservators and their extensive work in the ancient ruins of Stobi, with its impressive basilica and the impressive theater.