Mentioned in documents from the 15th century, Krusevo is a living museum, famous for its traditional architecture, cultural sites, and legacy as the site of the great 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman domination. The rebellion failed, but its memory is cherished in Macedonia even today, as a symbol of the national struggle for freedom and democracy; while it lasted only 10 days, the Krusevo Republic of revolutionary leader Nikola Karev represented a desire for self-rule under a modern European political system. Today an enormous monument on the hill above Krusevo marks the elusive dream of the Ilinden revolutionaries.