Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges. Bitola, known during the Ottoman Empire as Monastir, is one of the oldest cities in North Macedonia. It was founded as Heraclea Lyncestis in the middle of the 4th century BC by Philip II of Macedon.

The symbol of the city is the clock tower, a 30-meter-high square tower, the age of which is unknown: 16th-century sources mention such a tower, but whether it is the current one is uncertain. The Ottoman period is also reminiscent of the bezisten (a covered market) and a number of mosques, of which the Ajdar Kadi Mosque was designed by the famous 16th-century architect Sinan.