The new government-funded Boris Trajkovski Aqua Park in Skopje, Macedonia, celebrated its opening with a special ceremony on July 21, 2013.

Home to about one third of the Balkan country's population, Skopje is the largest city in Macedonia, as well as its capital.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony in January, was joined by Skopje's mayor, Koce Trajanovski, at the opening ceremony for the city's first aqua park.

The investment, named after former president Boris Trajkovski, whose presidency ended when he died in a 2004 plane crash on his way to an economic summit, is estimated to be around €4.2m ($5.6m), and was built by Polin Waterparks and Pool Systems of Turkey.

Boris Trajkovski Aqua Park complements the city's 'Skopje 2014' operation, a project with the focus of building on the area's historic roots. Along with the new aqua park, the project has included the erection of new statues, fountains, bridges and museums.