Mediana |
Historians, geographers and writers have always called this city "the gate of the East and the West". Niš is one of the oldest towns in this part of Europe, where due to the important geographical position, many roads intersect, and thus link the Central and Western Europe, Vlaška lowlands and Pomoravlje with the Adriatic, Aegean and Black seas. This kind of position has always influenced the fate of Niš.
Discoveries at the localities Bubanj and Humska Čuka suggest that Niš was populated in the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.
The history of this area, by and large marked by wars and destruction, was created by the Romans, Goths, Illyrians, Thracians, Celts, Huns and other peoples.
The hometown of the Great Emperor
With the birth of Flavius Valerius Constantinus (the second half of the third century AD), a great Roman Emperor, protector of Christianity, noble warrior and major statesman, Niš earned a significant place in world history. The same glorious light continued in the 6th century, during the rule of Emperor Justinian I, the restorer of the Empire
Niš Fortress |
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Niš Fortress |
Niš developed significantly in the period of the House of Nemanjić. Stefan Nemanja, the Serbian Grand Prince and father of Saint Sava, attached Niš to Serbia in 1183, intending to make this city the capital. All the way to the fall of the Serbian medieval state to the Turks, Niš had remained an important economic and cultural strategic centre.
The modern development of Niš started in 1878 with the liberation from the Turks after almost five centuries of slavery. By this, Niš stepped into the most significant period of its history – where it became the second modern Serbian capital city.
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Niš also hosted the residence of Kings Milan and Aleksandar Obrenović, the so called Prince’s Castle, where they spent a lot of time especially in the period of Assembly sessions. During World War One Niš was the wartime capital (from late July 1914 until mid October 1915).
A City Rich in Culture and History
Zahvaljujući burnoj istoriji, Niš je, u pravom smislu reči, postao grad - muzej. Vitrine i depoi Narodnog muzeja su prebogati predmetima neprocenjive istorijske vrednosti sa brojnih nalazišta.
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National Museum |
Due to its turbulent history, Niš has literally become a city - museum. The showcases and depots of the National Museum abound in invaluable historical items originating from numerous finds.
The National Theatre has a century odd long tradition. The curtain of the Puppet Theatre was first lifted in 1951. The Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts is the guardian of artistic treasury, but also a promoter of modern currents in fine arts. Several galleries are available for exhibitions ("Serbia", Pavilion", and "Salon 77" in the Fortress).
