Ilinden

Ilinden refers to the Ilinden Uprising of 1903, organized by the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO), aiming to achieve independence for Macedonia and Thrace from Ottoman rule. The uprising was a coordinated effort involving guerrilla warfare, village resistance, and efforts to establish a liberated Macedonian state. It coincided with St. Elijah’s Day (Ilinden), a Bulgarian national holiday. Although it was suppressed by the Ottoman authorities, the uprising became a symbol of national aspiration and resistance for Macedonian and Bulgarian communities, influencing later regional independence movements.