Even today, there is a living legend in Mariovo about Princess Marija, also known as Mara Sultanija, who was the daughter of some Christian ruler.
Marija was known afar by her beauty and in an arranged marriage she was given to be the sultan’s wife. She was educated and intelligent, the sultan immediately fell in love with her and she was his favourite in the harem. When Maria grew older, she wished to return back to her previous religion.
Because the sultan loved her a lot, he approved that, yet as a Christian she could not stay in his harem. He allowed her to choose where she would want to continue living her life. Maria first went to the monastery Treskavec near Prilep, where she was rudely rejected from the abbotof the monastery. She ran away, but soon returned back with an army and ordered them to kill all the monks and burn down the monastery. Then she headed towards the village Vitolishte, which she chose to be her new home and built the monastery Chebren on Crna River.
The sultan signed an edict and gave the whole region to Marija, and since then the region becomes Marija’s land or “Mariovo”. This is just one of the legends connected to Princess Marija, as there is some historical overlapping which makes the story true to believe.