15th century it fell under Turkish rule. The travel chronicler Evliya Çelebi, who visited it in 1662, recorded that it had 600 households, a mosque, a mezjid, an inn and 15 handicraft stores. During the 18th and in the early 19th century, the town growth rate stagnated. It was only around 1878 that the population began to rise, at which time it had about 450 - 500 households. The town has two feudal residences in the shape of towers believed to date from the 16th - 17th century. Monuments Numerous cultural and historical monuments, from ancient times to the Middle Ages, can be found in the vicinity of Kočani. One of them is an archeological site of Dolno Gradishte from the late antic period, and two medieval towers at the city center. Monastery complexes in the nearby villages Morodvis and Panteley are world-famous both for their architecture and unique frescoes. Features The town green, especially along the river bed and banks of the Kočani river, is the pride of the local people. The town is very clean and neat, for which it has proudly held the prestigious title of the cleanest town in North Macedonia. Today Kočani is a modern town with planned infrastructure, avenues, many modern buildings and blocks of flats, a hospital, a shopping centre, a park and a newly built industrial zone. All this is carefully planned and structured, according to modern standards of living and esthetics. New suburbs are mainly built to the east where the town almost reaches the first houses of Orizari and to the West spreading over the industrial zone. Education The City of Kočani is served by four primary schools: Nikola Karev Primary School Saints Cyril and Methodius Primary School Rade Kratovče Primary School Malina Popivanova Primary School There are also two secondary schools: Ljupčo Santov Gymnasium (specializing in economics) Gjošo Vikentev (specializing in electronics and machining) There is also a primary school specializing in music: Risto Jurukov Primary School for Music The city also maintains a municipal library "Iskra" ("spark"). Sports Local football club FK Osogovo has played several seasons in the Macedonian First Football League. Town partnerships Kočani maintains partnership links with the following places: Kazanlak, Bulgaria Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary Yenifoça, Turkey Križevci, Croatia Pereyaslav, Ukraine Kranj, Slovenia Novi Kneževac, Serbia Gosport, England Notable people Kočani Orkestar, musicians Kiril F. Dzmbov, nuclear physicist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and