Cuprija
Encyclopedia
ĆuprijaĆuprija (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћуприја, tɕǔprija, Romanian
: Ciupria or Podu Nou, Greek
: Κυπριαι, Kypriai, Bulgarian
: Равън, Ravan, or Кюприя, Kyupriya) is a town and administrative district in Serbia
, at 43.93° North, 21.38° East. The population of the town is 19,380, while municipality has 30,020 inhabitants.
) on the road from Constantinople
to Rome
, where it crosses the river now known as Velika Morava
. It served as a Roman military base, had a shield factory and gained the status of municipium before 224AD. In 505, the Romans were defeated by Goths and Huns under Mundo, a descendant of Attila the Hun
.
Under Slavic rule, it became known as Ravno ("flat"), since it is in a flat river valley. Some local names (of the villages Paljane and Isakovo, of the river Mirosava) recall the major clash in autumn 1191 between the Serbs (under Stefan Nemanja
) and the Byzantines (under Emperor Isaac II Angelos
).
The name Ćuprija which derives from the word "köprü" of Turkish
and means "bridge" was adopted when it came under the control of the Ottoman Empire
.
The centre was heavily damaged during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 and some buildings remain in ruins. In 2002 the population was 20,411.
All settlements in municipality have Serb ethnic majority except two villages,Bigrenica and Isakovo with Vlach ethnic majority.
and 90 km north of Niš
. The main source of income is the College of Nursing and Agriculture. Ravanica Monastery
, built in 1381 by Lazar of Serbia
, is 8 km to the east.
with: Celje
, Slovenia
Gradiška, Republika Srpska
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
: Ciupria or Podu Nou, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Κυπριαι, Kypriai, Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
: Равън, Ravan, or Кюприя, Kyupriya) is a town and administrative district in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, at 43.93° North, 21.38° East. The population of the town is 19,380, while municipality has 30,020 inhabitants.
History
The Romans founded the town as a fort Horreum Margi (Horreum: Granary, Margi: MoravaMorava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
) on the road from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where it crosses the river now known as Velika Morava
Velika Morava
The Great Morava is the final section of the Morava , a major river system in Serbia.- Length :...
. It served as a Roman military base, had a shield factory and gained the status of municipium before 224AD. In 505, the Romans were defeated by Goths and Huns under Mundo, a descendant of Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
.
Under Slavic rule, it became known as Ravno ("flat"), since it is in a flat river valley. Some local names (of the villages Paljane and Isakovo, of the river Mirosava) recall the major clash in autumn 1191 between the Serbs (under Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
) and the Byzantines (under Emperor Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
).
The name Ćuprija which derives from the word "köprü" of Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and means "bridge" was adopted when it came under the control of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
The centre was heavily damaged during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 and some buildings remain in ruins. In 2002 the population was 20,411.
Demographics
Ethnic groups in the Ćuprija district (2002 census):- Serbs = 30,549
- Vlachs = 1,356
- others
All settlements in municipality have Serb ethnic majority except two villages,Bigrenica and Isakovo with Vlach ethnic majority.
Features
Ćuprija lies on international road and railway links 150 km south of BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and 90 km north of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
. The main source of income is the College of Nursing and Agriculture. Ravanica Monastery
Ravanica Monastery
Ravanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Kučaj mountains near Ćuprija in Central Serbia. It was built in 1375–1377 as an endowment of prince Lazar of Serbia, who is buried there....
, built in 1381 by Lazar of Serbia
Lazar of Serbia
Lazar Hrebeljanović , was a medieval nobleman that emerged as the most powerful Serbian ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is...
, is 8 km to the east.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Ćuprija is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Celje
Celje
Celje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
Gradiška, Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...