Niš
Encyclopedia
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city 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...
(after Belgrade
Belgrade
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 Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
). 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, Niš spa town
Niška Banja
Niška Banja is a spa town in southern Serbia, located east of its third largest city, Niš. The municipality of Niška Banja is one of the five urban municipalities of the City of Niš...
and 68 suburbs. Niš is the administrative center of the Nišava District
Nišava District
The Nišava District expands in the south-eastern parts of Serbia. It has a population of 373,404...
.
It is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and Europe, and has from ancient times been considered a gateway between the East
Eastern world
__FORCETOC__The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures or social structures and philosophical systems of Eastern Asia or geographically the Eastern Culture...
and the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. The Paleo-Balkan Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
were formed in the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, the Triballi tribe would dwell here prior to the Celtic invasion in 279 BC
Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a south-eastern movement into the Balkan peninsula from the 4th century BC. Although Celtic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notable incursions, and settlements, within the...
which established the Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
as masters of the region. Naissus was among the cities taken in the Roman conquest in 75 BC. The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
built the Via Militaris
Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
in the 1st century, with Naissus being one of the key towns. Niš is also notable as the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
and the founder of 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:...
, as well as two other Roman emperors, Constantius III
Constantius III
Flavius Constantius , commonly known as Constantius III, was Western Roman Emperor for seven months in 421. A prominent general and politician, he was the power behind the throne for much of the 410s, and in 421 briefly became co-emperor of the Western Empire with Honorius.- Early life and rise to...
and Justin I
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
. It is home to one of Serbia's oldest Christian church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
es dating to the 4th century in the suburb of Mediana
Mediana
Mediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organized economy. Excavatations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence...
.
There are about 30,000 students at the University of Niš
University of Niš
The University of Niš is a university located in Niš, Serbia. It was founded in 1965 and it consists of 13 faculties with 1500 teachers, 630 staff and extracurricular staff, and around 30,000 students...
, which comprises 13 faculties. Niš is also one of the most important industrial centres in Serbia, a center of electronics industry (see Elektronska Industrija Niš), industry of mechanical engineering, textile- and tobacco industry. Constantine the Great Airport is its international airport. In 2013 the city will host the Ecumenical Assembly of Christian Churches, to mark 1700 years of Constantine's Edict of Milan
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine I and Licinius that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire...
.
Geography
Niš is situated at the 43°19' latitude north and 21°54' longitude east in the NišavaNišava
The Nišava or Nishava is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of 218 km also the longest one, of the Južna Morava.- Bulgaria :...
valley, near the spot where it joins the South Morava. The central city area is at 194m altitude above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
(the Main City Square). The highest point in the city area is Sokolov kamen (Falcon's rock) on Suva Planina
Suva Planina
Suva Planina is the mountain range in Southern Serbia. It extends in a horseshoe-shaped curve from Niška Banja spa to Bela Palanka....
(1523m) while the lowest spot is at Trupale
Trupale
Trupale is a village situated in Niš municipality in Serbia....
, near the mouth of the Nišava (173m). The city covers 596.71 km².
The trunk road running from the north down the Morava River valley forks into two major lines at Niš: southern, leading to Thessalonica and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and eastern leading towards Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
Climate
The climate of the Niš area is moderate continental, with an average temperature of 11.2 °C (52 °F). July is the warmest month of the year, with the average of 21.2 °C (70 °F). The coldest month is January, averaging at 0.2 °C (32 °F). The average of the annual rainfall is 567.25 mm. The average barometerBarometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather...
value is 992.74 mb. There are 123 days with rain and 43 days with snow. On the average, the wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
force is just below 3 Beaufort.
Etymology
The city's early name under the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
remained Naissus, which is the Latin name derived from its original name Naissos.
The etymology of the original name Naissos ("city of the nymphs") was derived from a mythical creature of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
- Naiad
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the Naiads or Naiades were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks....
(from the Greek νάειν, "to flow," and νᾶμα, "running water") which was the nymph of freshwater streams rivers and lakes. Niš is a possible location of Nysa
Nysa (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the mountainous district of Nysa, variously associated with Ethiopia, Libya, Tribalia, India or Arabia by Greek mythographers, was the traditional place where the rain nymphs, the Hyades, raised the infant god Dionysus, the "Zeus of Nysa"...
, a mythical place in Greek mythology where the young god Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
was raised.
Navissos was the name during the Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic settlement in the 3rd century BC.
Prehistoric and ancient times
Archaeological evidence shows neolithic settlements in the city and area dating from 5,000 to 2,000 BCE, notable archeological site is Humska Čuka.The ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis is the process by which a group of human beings comes to be understood or to understand themselves as ethnically distinct from the wider social landscape from which their grouping emerges...
of the Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
started in the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, one of the chief towns were Aiadava
Aiadava
Aiadava was a Dacian town in the Remesiana region, present day Bela Palanka, Serbia.After the Romans conquered Moesia in the 75 BC, the new castrum and municipium was known initially as Ulpianorum and then Remesiana and laid on the Via Militaris road, between Naissus and Serdica.Emperor...
, the future Roman Remesiana
Remesiana
Remesiana was an ancient Roman city built after the Roman conquest of Moesia, in the area of the Dacian town Aiadava. It is located all around and under modern day city of Bela Palanka, Serbia....
. The Triballi dwelled in this region, mentioned as early as 424 BC. In 279 BC, during the Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a south-eastern movement into the Balkan peninsula from the 4th century BC. Although Celtic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notable incursions, and settlements, within the...
, the Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
tribe defeats the Triballi and settles the lands.
Roman times
At the time of the conquest of the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
by Rome in 168-75 BC, Naissos was used as a base for operations. Naissus was first mentioned in Roman documents near the beginning of 2nd century CE, and was considered a place worthy of note in the Geography of Ptolemy of Alexandria
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
.
The Romans occupied the town in the period of the "Dardanian War" (75-73 BC), and set up a legionary camp. The city (called refugia and vici in pre-Roman relation), because of its strategic position (Thracians were based to the south) developed as an important garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
and market town of the province of Moesia Superior
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
.
The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
built the Via Militaris
Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
in the early 1st century AD, with Naissus being one of the key towns. Five roads met at Naissus, from Lissus, Serdica, Singidunum
Singidunum
Singidunum is the name for the ancient city in Serbia which became Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was recorded that a Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in the 3rd century BC following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 75 BC and later garrisoned...
, Ratiaria
Ratiaria
Ratiaria was a city founded by Moesi, a Daco-Thracian tribe, in 4th century BC, along the river Danube. The city had a gold mine in the vicinity, which was exploited by the Thracians.It is located 2 km west of present village Archar in Vidin Province, northwestern Bulgaria...
and Thessalonica (through Scupi
Scupi
Scupi is an archaeological site located between Zajčev Rid and the Vardar River, several kilometers from the center of Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia. A Roman military camp was founded here in the second decade BC on the site of an older Dardanian settlement...
).
A tombstone of a Cretan soldier under either Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
(41-54) or Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
(54-68) stands in Naissus, pointing that auxiliary units were stationed here at that time. Legia IIII Scythica and VII Claudia may have briefly been stationed here. An auxiliary fort was based to the north, at present-day Ravna
Ravna
Ravna may refer:* in Bosnia and Herzegovina:** Ravna, Jablanica - a city in Jablanica municipality, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, called Timacum minus
Timacum Minus
Timacum Minus is archeological site located in Ravna, Serbia. Site was declared Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1979, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia.- History :...
. Marcus Aurelius (161–180) promoted the city to municipia. Overall, several family tombstones point that this was an important military region and by the 3rd century a social class of peasants and soldiers emerged.
Cohort I Aurelia Dardanorum was based in the city.
At the latest, a praetorium (road-station) was established under Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
(193-211) for Imperial officials business traveling, administered by stratores of Upper Moesia.
Crisis of the Third Century
The Crisis of the Third Century was a period in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression...
" when the Empire almost collapsed, the greatest Gothic
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
invasion seen to date came pouring into the Balkans. The Goths' seaborne allies, the Heruli
Heruli
The Heruli were an East Germanic tribe who are famous for their naval exploits. Migrating from Northern Europe to the Black Sea in the third century They were part of the...
, supplied a fleet, carrying vast armies down the coast of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
where they ravaged coastal territories in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
. Other huge forces crossed the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
. An invasion of Goths into the province of Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
was leading to disaster. In 268, Emperor Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
won some important initial victories at land and sea, but it was his successor Claudius II
Claudius II
Claudius II , commonly known as Claudius Gothicus, was Roman Emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alamanni and scored a crushing victory against the Goths at the Battle of Naissus. He died after succumbing to a smallpox plague that ravaged the provinces of...
who finally defeated the invaders at the Battle of Naissus
Battle of Naissus
The Battle of Naissus was the defeat of a Gothic coalition by the Roman Empire under Emperor Gallienus near Naissus...
in 268, one of the bloodiest battles of the 3rd century. Invaders allegedly left thirty to fifty thousand dead on the field.
Four years later in 272, the son of military commander Constantius Chlorus
Constantius Chlorus
Constantius I , commonly known as Constantius Chlorus, was Roman Emperor from 293 to 306. He was the father of Constantine the Great and founder of the Constantinian dynasty. As Caesar he defeated the usurper Allectus in Britain and campaigned extensively along the Rhine frontier, defeating the...
and an innkeeper's daughter called Flavia Iulia Helena
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
was born in Naissus and destined to rule as Emperor Constantine the Great.
Constantine created the Dacia mediterranea province of which Naissus was capital, which also had Naissus and Remesiana of the Via militaris and the towns of Pautalia and Germania. He lived at Naissus in short periods from 316-322.
Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
(360-363) resided in Naissus briefly in 361, prior to becoming the sole Augustus.
A fabricae that produced ingots (Gold bars) was active in Naissus at the time of Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
(378-395) as findings with the marking of NAISI at the order of the Emperor have been found in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, dating to 379.
Mediana
Mediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organized economy. Excavatations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence...
is an important archaeological site located close to Niš. Mosaic floors and other traces of luxury are preserved in the archaeological museum on the site. Other aristocratic suburban villas are clustered nearby.Historians think that city of Naissus
could have 150,000 citizens.
Here in Mediana, in 364, emperors Valentinian
Valentinian
Valentinian was the name of several Roman emperors:* Valentinian I , Roman Emperor from 364 to 375, son of Gratian the Elder, commonly known as Valentinian the Great* Valentinian II , Roman Emperor from 375 to 392...
and Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
divided the Roman empire and ruled as co-emperors.
In the castle, or palace, of Mediana, only three miles from Naissus, they executed the solemn and final division of the Roman empire. Valentinian bestowed on his brother the rich praefecture of the East, from the Lower Danube to the confines of Persia; whilst he reserved for his immediate government the warlike praefectures of Illyricum, Italy, and Gaul, from the extremity of Greece to the Caledonian rampart, and from the rampart of Caledonia to the foot of Mount Atlas.
(Edward Gibbon, "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" , Vol. 2,Chapter XXV)
The 4th century Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in Niš is one of the oldest Christian monuments. The Roman Emperor Constantius III
Constantius III
Flavius Constantius , commonly known as Constantius III, was Western Roman Emperor for seven months in 421. A prominent general and politician, he was the power behind the throne for much of the 410s, and in 421 briefly became co-emperor of the Western Empire with Honorius.- Early life and rise to...
(421) who was the power behind the throne during much of the 410's was born in Naissus.
Though the emperor Julian
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
strengthened the walls, the very prosperity of Naissus made it a target and it was destroyed by Attila in 443. Attila the Hun conquered Naissus with battering rams and rolling towers—military sophistication that was new in the Hun repertory. After the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
captured the city of Naissus they massacred the inhabitants of the city. Years later, river banks outside the city were still covered with human bones as a reminder of the devastation the Huns had inflicted. The founder of the Justinian Dynasty
Justinian Dynasty
The Justinian Dynasty is a family who ruled over the Byzantine Empire from 518 to 602. It originated with Justin I and ended with Maurice. Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople , whose father was named Justinian, might have been a descendant of the dynasty...
, Justin I
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
, was born in Naissus in 450, and his nephew Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
did his best to restore the city, but Naissus never recovered its 4th century urbanity. The Roman fort at Balajnac with a well-preserved cistern produced coins to Justinian I.
Justinian establishes the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima
Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima
Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima was an Eastern Christian archbishopric established in 535 AD by Emperor Justinian I, in his home-town of Justiniana Prima ....
which the town and its bishopric (Bishopric of Niš) becomes part of, Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
mentions it as Naissopolis.
Middle Ages
The latter half of the 6th century AD saw the first major migrationHuman migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
s of Slavs and Avars
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
. During the 6th and 7th century, Slavic tribes made eight attempts to take Niš. In 551, the Slavs crossed Niš initially headed for Thessalonica, but ended up in Dalmatia. By the 580s the Slavs had conquered Serbia to much of northern Greece. During the final attack in 615 the invaders took the city, and most of the Roman and Romanized Daco-Thracian population fled, perished, or became assimilated.
The Slavs in the Sclaviniae remain independent for some while; in 785, Macedonia is conquered by Constantine VI, and in 842, with the death of Theophilos
Theophilos (emperor)
Theophilos was the Byzantine emperor from 829 until his death in 842. He was the second emperor of the Phrygian dynasty, and the last emperor supporting iconoclasm...
, the region is conquered by the Bulgars.
In 1018, the Theme of Sirmium is established by Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
, who had conquered Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and 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...
. Niš is one of three official cities.
Prince Constantine Bodin was crowned Emperor of Bulgaria in 1072, amid the Bulgarian revolts in Macedonia against the Byzantine Empire. Bodin conquered Niš, but was later captured. During the People's Crusade
People's Crusade
The People's Crusade is part of the First Crusade and lasted roughly six months from April 1096 to October. It is also known as the Peasants' Crusade or the Paupers' Crusade...
, on July 3, 1096, Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit was a priest of Amiens and a key figure during the First Crusade.-Before 1096:According to Anna Comnena, he had attempted to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096, but was prevented by the Seljuk Turks from reaching his goal and was tortured.Sources differ as to whether he...
clashes with Byzantine forces at Niš, losing a quarter of his men, but manages to march on to 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:...
.
In 1155, Prince Desa receives Dendra (Niš) as an appanage. In 1162, Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
meets with 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...
at Niš, he is also given the region of Dubočica (Leskovac
Leskovac
Leskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
and Niš). By 1188, Niš had become Nemanja's capital. On 27 July 1189, Nemanja receives German emperor Frederick Barbarossa and his 100,000 crusaders at Niš. When describing Serbia during the rule of Vukan II in 1202, the mentioning of Niš shows its special status. In 1203, Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan the Romanslayer , Ivan II , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1197-1207. He is the third and youngest brother of Peter IV and Ivan Asen I who managed to restore the Bulgarian Empire...
annexes Niš. Stefan Nemanjić later regains the region.
In 1375, the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
captured Niš for the first time. After a 25-day long siege, the city fell to the Turks. The fall of the Serbian state decided the fate of Niš as well. After the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
in 1389, even though Serbia existed much weakened as a semi-independent state for another 70 years, the Constantinople-Vienna road grew deserted.
In 1443, Niš fell into the hands of Ludanjin. The town itself was given back to the Serbs, while Branković gave it over to Đorđe Mrnjavčević. In the so-called Long Campaign, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
armies, led by the Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
military leader Janos Hunyadi (known as Sibinjanin Janko in Serbian folk poetry) together with Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković, defeated the Turks and repelled them to Sofia. An important battle
Battle of Nish
At the Battle of Niš , crusaders led by John Hunyadi, captured Ottoman stronghold Niš and defeated three armies of the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Niš was part of Hunyadi's expedition known as the long campaign...
was fought near Niš, which remained a free city for a whole year after that. It was during this battle that an Ottoman commander named Gjerg Kastrioti
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
, aka Skanderbeg, deserted the Ottoman ranks with a strong following. Escaping to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, he mounted a semi-successful guerilla war against the Ottomans that lasted his remaining lifetime.
Early Modern and Modern periods
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...
rule again in 1448 and remained thus for the following 241 years. In the period of Ottoman rule, Niš was a seat of the Sanjak of Niš
Sanjak of Niš
The Sanjak of Niš or Sanjak of Nish was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire and its county town was Niš. It was composed of the kazas of Niš, Pirot, Leskovac, Vranje, Kuršumlija, Prokuplje and Tran ....
and Niš Eyalet. Niš Fortress
Niš Fortress
Niš Fortress is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, and is over two millennia old....
, built in that period, still represents one of the most beautiful and best preserved edifices in the Balkans.
The extant fortification is of Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century (1719–1723). It is well known as one of the most significant and best preserved monuments of this kind in the Mid-Balkans. The Fortress was erected on the site of earlier fortifications - the ancient Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, and later yet Medieval forts. The Fortress has a polygonal ground plan, eight bastion terraces and four massive gates. It stretches over 22 ha of land. The rampart walls are 2,100 m long, 8 m high and 3 m thick on the average. The building stone, brought from the nearby quarries, was hewn into rather evenly-shaped blocks. The inside of the rampart wall was additionally fortified by a wooden construction, 'santrač', and an additional bulwark, 'trpanac'. On the outside, the Fortress was surrounded by a wide moat, whose northern part has been preserved to our days. Beside the massive stone rampart walls, the southern Stambol gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
and the western Belgrade gate are pretty well preserved. Partly preserved are the water gates, while the northern Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
gate and the south-east Jagodina
Jagodina
Jagodina is a city and municipality located in central Serbia, 136 km south of Belgrade, on the banks of Belica River. Its name stems from the word for strawberry in Serbian. It is the administrative centre of the Pomoravlje District of Serbia...
gate are preserved only in remains. With a complete reconstruction of all the gates, Niš Fortress would once again become, architecturally and functionally, a closed fortification system. On September 24, 1689, the Austrian army took the city after defeating the Turks at the Battle of Niš
Battle of Niš (1689)
The Battle of Niš was fought on September 24 of 1689, near the city of Niš in southern Serbia, between the forces of the Ottoman Empire, and the forces of the Holy Roman Empire as part of the Great Turkish War....
, but the Ottomans retook it the next year. In 1737, it was seized again by the Austrian army, in their campaign against the Turks. The war ended in 1739.
Latin Church
The Latin Church is the largest particular church within the Catholic Church. It is a particular church not on the level of the local particular churches known as dioceses or eparchies, but on the level of autonomous ritual churches, of which there are 23, the remaining 22 of which are Eastern...
) with Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac was a Serbian Vojvoda in the First Serbian Uprising. He was born in the Požarevac nahia, in the village of Dobrinji, Petrovac...
as the commander. The third trench was north-east to Kamenica, with voivoda Ilija Barjaktarević. The fourth trench was in Kamenica with Miloje Petrović as the chief commander. The fifth trench was in the mountain above Kamenica and under the control of voivoda Pauljo Matejić, while the sixth one was made in Donji Matejevac. Miloje Petrović's request to attack Niš directly was not accepted. The demand was to wait and to besiege the town.
Meanwhile, the Turkish army was reinforced with 20,000 soldiers from Adrianople, Thessalonica, Vranje
Vranje
Vranje is a city and municipality located in southern Serbia. In 2011 the city has total population of 82,782, while the urban area has 54,456...
and Leskovac
Leskovac
Leskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
. The Turks attacked the trench of Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac
Petar Dobrnjac was a Serbian Vojvoda in the First Serbian Uprising. He was born in the Požarevac nahia, in the village of Dobrinji, Petrovac...
on 30 May The following day, on May 31, 1809, the most prominent trench on Čegar Hill, under the command of Stevan Sinđelić, was attacked. The battle lasted all day. As Milovan Kukić witnessed, "the Turks attacked five times, and the Serbs managed to repulse them five times. Each time their losses were great. Some of the Turks attacked, and some of them went ahead, and thus when they attacked for the sixth time they filled the trenches with their dead so that the alive went over their dead bodies and they began to fight against the Serbs with their rifles, cutting and sticking in their enemies with their sabers and knives. The Serbian soldiers from other trenches cried out to help Stevan. But there was no help, either because they could not help without their cavalry, or because Miloje Petrović did not allow it.
When Stevan Sinđelić saw that the Turks had taken over the trench, he ran to the powder cave, took out his gun and fired at the powder magazine. The explosion was so strong that all the surrounding was shaken, and the whole trench caught in a cloud of dense smoke. Stevan Sinđelić, who up to that moment had reached everywhere, helping and encouraging everybody, went into the air." Three thousand Serbian soldiers and more than twice as many on the Turkish side were killed on Čegar Hill. An important monument from early 19th century Serbian uprisings against Turkish reign is the Skull Tower
Skull Tower
The Skull Tower is a monument to 19th century Serbian rebels. It is situated in Niš, on the old Constantinople Road leading to Sofia. The monument was built using the skulls of the Serbs killed by order of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II during the 1809 Battle of Čegar.-History:On May 31, 1809 on Čegar...
(Ćele kula), a tower which incorporates human skulls (those of dead Serbian "rebels") in its construction, a monument likely unique in its design.
Niš was finally released during the Serbian-Turkish War (1876-1878). Struggle for the liberation of Niš are started on December 29, 1877 and the Serbian Army entered in Niš on 11 January 1878. In 1879 was founded the City Library and its first clerk was Stevan Sremac
Stevan Sremac
Stevan Sremac was a Serbian realist and comedy writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.-Biography:...
. Also, in 1879th was built the first city hotel named "Europe". In 1881 was founded Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and first Bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
in town. During the 1882-1887 was built а City Hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. In 1883 Kosta Čendaš established the first printing. In 1884th begins with the release of the "Niški vesnik, Nish News", a first newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in town. In 1884 Jovan Apel built brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
on steam-powered. A railway line to Niš was built in 1884, as and railway station in town. On August 8, 1884 a first train was arrived from Belgrade in Niš. 1885 in Niš a first time is arrived train Orient Express
Orient Express
The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
via Belgrade
Belgrade
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...
. Niš has been three years the last station this glorious train until he was built railroad between Niš and Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the capital of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, in 1888. In 1887 Mihailo Dimić was founded the theater in town named "Niš Theatre Sinđelić
National Theatre in Niš
The National Theatre is a theater in Serbia. It is located on Sinđelić Square, in Niš, Serbia. It was founded in 1887 as "Sinđelić" Theatre, and reorganized in 1906 as National Theatre, following the completion of new theatre building....
." In 1897 Mita Ristić founded the textile factory Nitex. Also, in 1897 was showing the first film in Niš. In 1905 was started working Sićevo art colony
Art colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
, founded by painter Nadežda Petrović
Nadežda Petrovic
Nadežda Petrović is considered the most important Serbian female painter from the late 19th and early 20th century...
. In 1906 began to work for the first permanent movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
in town. In 1908 it was built hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
on Nišava River in Sićevo Gorge. At the time, was the largest in Serbia. Electricity for the industry began to deliver in 1911. In 1912 on the Trupale field near Niš is completed the first airfield. The first airplanes are arrived in Niš on December 29, 1912. In 1913 was founded City Museum which is composed of collections of archaeological, ethnographic collections, and collections of paintings.
In Niš, was located the Main Headquarters of Serbian Army, who led the military operations against 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...
during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Niš was the wartime capital of Serbia, in which was placed Government and the National Assembly. On November 1915, a Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
are conquered Serbia. Niš was occupied from 1915 to 1918. After the breakthrough of the Thessaloniki Front, a First Serbian Army commanded of General Petar Bojović
Petar Bojovic
Petar Bojović OKS GCMG was one of four Serbian vojvodas in Balkan Wars and World War I.-Early:Petar was born on July 16, 1858 in Miševići, Nova Varoš. He had distant ancestry from the Vasojevići....
liberated is Niš on October 12, 1918.
In the first few years after the war Niš was rebuilt from the damage caused by the war.The tram system in Niš was started to runs on November 1930. The national airline Aeroput
Aeroput
Aeroput was the national airline of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which was founded on 17 June 1927 in the palace of the Adriatic and the Danube bank in Belgrade as Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput ...
is included Niš as a regular destination for route Belgrade
Belgrade
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...
—Niš—Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
—Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
on 1930.
During the time of German occupation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the first Nazi concentration camp in Yugoslavia was located near Niš. In 1942 an armed revolt led to an escape. The escapees were guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
from Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's movement who was captured by German forces during the Battle of Kozara
Battle of Kozara
The Battle of Kozara, also known as Operation West-Bosnien by the Axis, was fought in 1942 on and around the mountain of Kozara in northwestern Bosnia. It was an important battle of the Yugoslav Partisan resistance movement in World War II...
. This escape is featured in Miomir Stamenković's film Lager Niš, 1987. The city was heavily bombed by the Allies in 1944 along with other cities in Axis Serbia
Nedic's Serbia
Serbia under German occupation refers to an administrative area in occupied Yugoslavia established by Nazi Germany following the invasion and dismantling of Yugoslavia in April of 1941...
. In 1996, Niš was the first city in Serbia to stand against the government of Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
. A coalition of democratic opposition parties called Zajedno (Together) won the local elections in Niš in 1996. The first democratic mayor of City of Niš was Zoran Živković
Zoran Živkovic (politician)
Zoran Živković is a former Prime Minister of Serbia who replaced assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in March 2003. He was born on December 22, 1960 in Niš where he finished high-school Bora Stanković. Živković received a community college diploma in Economics in Belgrade and worked as...
, who later became the Prime Minister of 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...
in 2003. On May 7, 1999 it was the site of the NATO Cluster bombing of Niš
Cluster bombing of Niš
The Cluster bombing of Niš was an event that occurred on May 7, 1999 during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. It was the most serious incident involving civilian deaths and the use of cluster bombs. The cluster bombs had been dropped by Dutch F-16s. After the incident the Dutch stopped using cluster...
that resulted in many civilian casualties and no military losses. During the local elections held in September 2004, Smiljko Kostic of Nova Srbija won the mayor office. The democratic party provoked referendum to recall Kostic in November 2005. The majority voted against recall. In the local elections held in May 2008, the Democratic Party, G17+ and coalition assembled around the Socialist Party of Serbia won and Miloš Simonović from the Democratic party became elected mayor.
Historical Sites
- Skull TowerSkull TowerThe Skull Tower is a monument to 19th century Serbian rebels. It is situated in Niš, on the old Constantinople Road leading to Sofia. The monument was built using the skulls of the Serbs killed by order of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II during the 1809 Battle of Čegar.-History:On May 31, 1809 on Čegar...
- A tower made out of Serb skulls decapitated by Turks in 19th century. - Niš FortressNiš FortressNiš Fortress is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, and is over two millennia old....
- Turkish fortress in the city center. - MedianaMedianaMediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organized economy. Excavatations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence...
- Archaeological site, Roman imperial villa. - Tinkers AlleyTinkers AlleyTinkers Alley also known as Coppersmith alley is an old urban downtown which was built in the first half of 18th century. It was a street full of tinkers and other crafts, together with craftsmen houses deriving from Turkish period....
- Example of original architecture from Ottoman period. - Crveni Krst concentration campCrveni Krst concentration campCrveni Krst concentration camp , also known as logor Crveni Krst or Lager Niš , was a concentration camp located in Crveni Krst, in the industrial zone of the Serbian city of Niš, and operated by the Nazis during the Second World War.It is estimated that around 30,000 persons went through this...
- Built by occupying German forces during WWII. - BubanjBubanjBubanj is located in Palilula, Niš, Serbia. According to the 2002 census was 516 inhabitants . It is famous for its World War II Bubanj Memorial Park, Historic Landmark of Exceptional Importance.-History:...
- Monument to the fallen Yugoslav WWII fighters.
Roman emperors
Three Roman emperors were born in this city- Constantine IConstantine IConstantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
, the great, (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus) – ruled 306 to 337 - Constantius IIIConstantius IIIFlavius Constantius , commonly known as Constantius III, was Western Roman Emperor for seven months in 421. A prominent general and politician, he was the power behind the throne for much of the 410s, and in 421 briefly became co-emperor of the Western Empire with Honorius.- Early life and rise to...
, (Flavius Constantius) – ruled 421 - Justin IJustin IJustin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
, (Flavius Iustinus) – ruled 518 to 527
Population through history
- 1900: 24,573
- 1905: 21,946
- 1910: 24,949
- 1921: 28,625
- 1931: 35,465
- 1941: 44,800 (estimate)
- 1948: 49,332 (109,280)*
- 1953: 58,656 (122,100)*
- 1961: 81,250 (148,354)*
- 1971: 127,654 (195,362)*
- 1981: 161,376 (232,563)*
- 1991: 173,250 (245,182)*
- 2002: 173,724 (250,518)*
- 2008: 182,209 (252,000)
* - population according to the present-day boundaries of the city
Demographics
According to the last census from 2011, the whole municipal area of the city of Niš (including both, urban and rural parts of municipality) has a population of 257,867, while population of urban Niš was 177,972. It should be noted that territory of urban part of Niš was redefined since 2002, after the formation of new urban municipalities, thus number of 177,972 might not correspond with the current urban area.There is still much dispute about the true number of its population, since there are several thousand Kosovo refugees who officially don't live in the city, but are living there with local family members.
| Ethnic Groups in the Municipal Area (2002 Census) | |
|---|---|
| Ethnic group | Population |
| Serbs | 235,657 |
| Roma | 5,687 |
| Montenegrins | 846 |
| Bulgarians | 799 |
| Yugoslavs | 664 |
| Croats | 417 |
| Others | 5,733 |
| TOTAL | 250,518 |
| Ethnic Groups in the Urban Area (2002 Census) | |
|---|---|
| Ethnic group | Population |
| Serbs | 162,380 |
| Roma | 4,461 |
| Montenegrins | 747 |
| Bulgarians | 679 |
| Yugoslavs | 601 |
| Croats | 379 |
| Others | 3,872 |
| TOTAL | 173,724 |
Economy
The city of Niš is the administrative, industrial, commercial, financial and cultural center of the south-eastern part of Republic of Serbia. The position of Niš is strategically important, located at the intersection of European highway and railway networks connecting Europe with AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Niš is easily accessible, having an airport - Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport , is a Serbian airport that serves southern Serbia and the city of Niš. The airport, which is named for Constantine the Great, is located from the Niš city centre and is Serbia's second international airport.- History :...
and being a point of intersection of numerous railroad and highway lines. It is in Niš that the trunk road running from the north down the Morava River
Morava River (Central Europe)
The Morava is a river in Central Europe. It is the most important river of Moravia, which derives its name from it. The river originates on the Králický Sněžník mountain in the northeastern corner of Pardubice Region, near the border between the Czech Republic and Poland and has a vaguely southern...
valley forks into two major lines:
- the south one, leading to Thessalonica and AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, along the VardarVardarThe Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
River valley, - and the east one, running along the NisavaNišavaThe Nišava or Nishava is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of 218 km also the longest one, of the Južna Morava.- Bulgaria :...
and the MaricaMaricaIn Roman mythology, Marica was a nymph, the mother of Latinus. Latinus was fathered by Faunus, who was also occasionally referred to as the son of Marica. The sacred forest near Minturnae was dedicated to Marica. A lake nearby was also named after her....
, leading towards Sofia and Istanbul, and further on, towards the Near East.
These roads have been widely known from ancient times, because they represented the beaten tracks along which peoples, goods and armies moved. Known as 'Via Militaris' in Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
periods, or 'Constantinople road' in Middle Ages, these roads still represent major European traffic arteries. Niš thus stands at a point of intersection of the roads connecting Asia Minor to Europe, and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to the Mediterranean.
Nis had always been a relatively developed city in the former Yugoslavia. In 1981 its GDP per capita was 110% of the Yugoslav average.
Industry
Niš is one of the most important industrialIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
centers in Serbia, well known for its tobacco industry, industry of electronics, construction industry, industry of mechanical engineering, textile industry, color metal industry, food processing industry, industry of rubber goods.
Tobacco industry
- Niš TobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
Factory - was built and opened in 1930 at the present location at Crveni Krst. Its basic production is that of tobacco, cigarettes, filters, the elements of the tobacco machinery and equipment, adhesives etc. In 1995 a scientific - research institute was built. The Institute selects, produces and protects tobacco, and creates and designs new products. In August 2003, The Philip Morris Corporation purchased the Niš Tobacco Factory (DIN) through the privatization process. Philip MorrisPhilip Morris InternationalPhilip Morris International is an international tobacco company, with products sold in over 160 countries. In 2007, it held a 15.6% share of the international cigarette market outside of the USA and reported revenues net of excise taxes of $22.8 billion and operating income of $8.9 billion.Until...
' total investment of EUR 580 million makes it the single largest foreign investor in Serbia of the Year 2003.
Construction industry
- Gradjevinar, stock company - originated from the construction firm of Niš County called Grapon in 1961. Gradjevinar has built large structural complexes as shopping centers, department buildings, entire campuses, sections of cities which can be found in Niš, Belgrade, East Serbia, Russia, Bulgaria, Israel, Jordan, United Arabic Emirates. The company has built:
- more than 30,000 apartments, of approximately 180,000 square meters,
- clinics, health facilities and hospitals, of approximately 80,000 square meters,
- department stores, malls of approximately 50,000 square meters,
- hotels, tourist sites, banks, schools, theaters, sports facilities of approximately 50,000 square meters,
- various warehouses, factories, farms and cold storage buildings of approximately 150,000 square meters.
Electronics Industry
- ElectronicsElectronicsElectronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
Industry - Holding Corporation, stock corporation - originated from the foundation of the Institute for the Production of Radio Sets and Roentgen Machines, "RR Niš", in 1948. The basic production encompasses acoustic equipment, electronic tubes, specific installations, printed plates, electronic machine elements, hydraulics, pneumatics, appliances, air-conditioners, medical equipment, X-rayX-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
machines.
Industry of rubber goods
- Vulkan, stock company was built and opened in 1937. Its production is large in scope and it comprises various rubberRubberNatural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
-technical articles with numerous applications in mining and construction industry (transporters and cranes).
Colour metal industry
- NISSAL - Stock corporation for aluminum produces tools, metal reproductive materials, metal, wooden and other material constructions, collects and treats for industrial refuse.
Machinery industry
- The Pump Factory "Jastrebac" founded in 1910., produces more than 1,000 of different types and sizes of mechanical pumps.
- MIN (Machinery Industry of Niš) Holding, stock corporation founded in 1884, produces various machines, various types of equipment: chemical, petrol-chemical, mining, metallurgic, railway-transport, diesel-locomotive, pump, hydro-thermo-nuclear, water and gas treatment. In 1993 MIN got transformed into a holding company of 37 joint-stock units, 24 of which deal with the basic production, 6 of which deal with services, and 7 with specialized business.
Textile Industry
- Nitex - Niš TextileTextileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
Industry produces fabrics, knitted material, continuous embroidery, clothes.. The company was founded 1897. by Niš capitalist Mita Ristić with his sons (Dušan and Dragoljub). In 2006. Nitex - Niš was acquired by the businessman of Montenegrin origin - Đorđije Nicović.
Food processing industry
- Žitopek, stock company for the production and trade of bakery goods was established on March 3, 1947 when 14 bakers formally signed a contract by which they were supposed to join their workshops into "Žitopek".
- The Brewery of Niš, stock company produces beer and non-alcohol drinks. The brewery was founded 1884. by Jovan Apel.
Tourist Sites
- Skull TowerSkull TowerThe Skull Tower is a monument to 19th century Serbian rebels. It is situated in Niš, on the old Constantinople Road leading to Sofia. The monument was built using the skulls of the Serbs killed by order of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II during the 1809 Battle of Čegar.-History:On May 31, 1809 on Čegar...
(Serbian: Ћеле Кула, Ćele Kula) - A monument to 19th century Serbian rebels. It is situated on Zoran Đinđić Boulevard, on the old ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople 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:...
road leading to Sofia. - ČegarCegarČegar is a location in Serbia where the Battle of Čegar Hill took place. It was first marked on July 4, 1878 with the following inscription:Today's monument in the shape of a tower - a symbol of the soldiers' fortification - was erected for the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Niš from...
- The place where Battle on Čegar Hill had happened on May 19, 1809. - Concentration camp - One rare saved GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Nazis prisoner camps in Europe. It is situated on 12.February Boulevard. - BubanjBubanjBubanj is located in Palilula, Niš, Serbia. According to the 2002 census was 516 inhabitants . It is famous for its World War II Bubanj Memorial Park, Historic Landmark of Exceptional Importance.-History:...
- A place where 10 000 civilian hostages from Niš and south Serbia were brutally murdered by German Nazis during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Monument is in the shape of three clenched fists. - Memorial ChapelMemorial ChapelMemorial Chapel was built in memory of the 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia victims from the city of Niš. The chapel was built by the City government of Niš, and it is situated on Sumatovacka Street near Niš Fortress and Banovina palace, currently seat of the University of...
in the memory of NATO bombing victims - The chapel was built by City government of Niš (led by DS/SPO, two democratic parties) while monument was built by the State government (led by conservative SPS/SRS parties) in 1999. They are situated in Sumatovacka street near Nis FortressNiš FortressNiš Fortress is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, and is over two millennia old....
. - Niš FortressNiš FortressNiš Fortress is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, and is over two millennia old....
- The extant fortification of Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century (1719–1723). It is situated in the city center. - The fortress-cafes - They are situated near Stambol gate (main gate of fortress).
- MedianaMedianaMediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organized economy. Excavatations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence...
- Archeological site from the late RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
period located on the road leading to Sofia near EI Nis. - Tinkers AlleyTinkers AlleyTinkers Alley also known as Coppersmith alley is an old urban downtown which was built in the first half of 18th century. It was a street full of tinkers and other crafts, together with craftsmen houses deriving from Turkish period....
- An old urban downtown in today Kopitareva Street, built in the first half of 18th century. It was a street full of tinkers but today it is full with cafes and restaurants. - KalčaKalcaKalča is a large shopping center in the City of Niš. The Kalča dominates the area and lies within Niš's downtown core. Today's Niš is reflected in these glass surfaces connecting the old town and the new Niš which is to come.-Features:...
, City passage and Gorča - Trade centers situated in Milana Obrenovića Street. - Niška BanjaNiška BanjaNiška Banja is a spa town in southern Serbia, located east of its third largest city, Niš. The municipality of Niška Banja is one of the five urban municipalities of the City of Niš...
- It is a very popular spa in the summer season. It is located at 10 km from city center on the road leading to SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, in the bottom of Suva PlaninaSuva PlaninaSuva Planina is the mountain range in Southern Serbia. It extends in a horseshoe-shaped curve from Niška Banja spa to Bela Palanka....
Mountain. - Spa of TopiloSpa of TopiloTopilo Spa, although not as famous as other Serbian spas, offers healing, better health, recovery, relaxing, refreshing and nice picnics.-Location:...
Architecture
Buildings in Niš are constantly being built. Niš is the second largest city after 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...
for number of high-rises. The Ambassador Hotel
Ambasador Hotel
The Ambassador Hotel is a hotel located in Niš, Serbia.It is located in the middle of the town center, and in front of the hotel is the Monument to the Liberators of Niš. The Niš Fortress can be found just across the river Nišava. Not including the buildings found in Belgrade, this hotel is the...
is one of the tallest buildings in Niš, but there are also other buildings like TV5 Tower.
Tourist information
- Nis Tourist Organization have two tourist information centers available, one in Nis in Vozda Karađorđa 7 street, and the other in Niska Banja whose address is Sinđelićeva 3b.
Transportation
Niš is strategically located between the Morava river valley in North and VardarVardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
river valley in the south, on the main route between Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Central Europe. In the Niš area, this major transportation and communication route is linked with the natural corridor formed by the Nišava
Nišava
The Nišava or Nishava is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of 218 km also the longest one, of the Južna Morava.- Bulgaria :...
river valley, which runs towards East in the direction of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
Historically, because of its location, the city had always great importance in the region. The first to take advantage of it was the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
that built the important road Via Militaris
Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
, linking the city with Singidunum (current Belgrade) to the North and Constantinople (current Istanbul) to the South-East.
Nowadays, the city is connected by the highway E75
E75 in Serbia
The part of the European route E75 in Serbia spans approximately . It crosses the country from north to south, starting at Horgoš border crossing with Hungary and ending with Preševo border crossing with Republic of Macedonia...
with Belgrade and Central Europe in north, and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in south. The road E80
European route E80
European route E 80, also known as Trans-European Motorway or TEM, is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon, Portugal to Gürbulak, Turkey, on the border with Iran...
connects Niš with Sofia, Istanbul towards the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
to the West. The road E771 connects the city with Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
, Kladovo
Kladovo
Kladovo is a town and municipality in the Bor District of eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube river...
and Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a city in Mehedinţi County, Oltenia, Romania, on the left bank of the Danube, below the Iron Gates.The city administers three villages: Dudaşu Schelei, Gura Văii, and Schela Cladovei...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
The city is also the major regional railway junction.
The Niš Constantine the Great
Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport , is a Serbian airport that serves southern Serbia and the city of Niš. The airport, which is named for Constantine the Great, is located from the Niš city centre and is Serbia's second international airport.- History :...
airport is the second most important airport in Serbia. The first airfield was built in 1910.
The city public transportation consists nowadays by 13 bus lines. Tram system existed in Niš between 1930 and 1958.
Administrative divisions
 The city of Niš consists of five municipalities. The first four municipalities are located in the urban area of Niš, while Niška Banja Niška Banja Niška Banja is a spa town in southern Serbia, located east of its third largest city, Niš. The municipality of Niška Banja is one of the five urban municipalities of the City of Niš... is a suburban municipality. Before 2002, the city of Niš had only two municipalities, one of them named "Niš" and another named "Niška Banja". Municipalities of Niš include further neighborhoods: |
||||
| Medijana Medijana Medijana is the central, and most populous, municipality of the City of Niš in Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 88,010.-Geography:... |
Palilula, Niš | Pantelej Pantelej Pantelej is one of the municipalities in the City of Niš, Serbia. The municipality of Pantelej has a population of 52,290 inhabitants... |
Crveni Krst | Niška Banja Niška Banja Niška Banja is a spa town in southern Serbia, located east of its third largest city, Niš. The municipality of Niška Banja is one of the five urban municipalities of the City of Niš... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | Palilula | Pantelej Pantelej Pantelej is one of the municipalities in the City of Niš, Serbia. The municipality of Pantelej has a population of 52,290 inhabitants... |
Crveni Krst | Niška Banja Niška Banja Niška Banja is a spa town in southern Serbia, located east of its third largest city, Niš. The municipality of Niška Banja is one of the five urban municipalities of the City of Niš... |
| Marger Marger Marger is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipality of Medijana.-Location:Marger is in the central part of Niš. It is flat and bordered on the north by the neighborhood of Centar, and on the south by neighborhood of Palilula and Staro Groblje.-History:Marger is... |
Staro Groblje | Jagodin Mala Jagodin Mala Jagodin Mala is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipalities of Crveni Krst and Pantelej.-Location:Jagodin Mala is located in the central part of Niš... (partly) |
Beograd Mala Beograd Mala Beograd Mala is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipality of Crveni Krst.-Location:Beograd Mala is in the central parts of Niš... |
nas. Nikola Tesla (broj 6) |
| Trg Kralja Aleksandra Trg Kralja Aleksandra Trg Kralja Aleksandra is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is in Niš municipality of Medijana. It is named after his majesty, the King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.-Location:... |
Crni Put Crni Put Crni Put is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located within the municipality of Palilula.-Location:Crni Put is in the central-west part of the city of Niš... |
Durlan Durlan Nis Durlan is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located within Niš municipality of Pantelej.- Location :... |
Jagodin Mala Jagodin Mala Jagodin Mala is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipalities of Crveni Krst and Pantelej.-Location:Jagodin Mala is located in the central part of Niš... (partly) |
Jelašnica |
| Kičevo | Bubanj | Komren Komren Komren is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipalities of Crveni Krst and Pantelej.-Location:... (partly) |
Komren Komren Komren is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipalities of Crveni Krst and Pantelej.-Location:... (mostly) |
Sićevo |
| Čair | Ledena Stena | Čalije | Šljaka | Ostrovica |
| Bulevar Nemanjica Bulevar Nemanjica Bulevar Nemanjića commonly known just as Bulevar, is a neighbourhood of Serbian city of Niš.-Location:... |
Suvi Do Suvi Do Suvi Do is a neighborhood of the city of Niš, Serbia. It is located in Niš municipality of Palilula.-Location:Suvi Do is located in the south-east part of Niš. It is bordered on the north by the Car Konstadin Boulevard, and on the west by neighborhood of Trosarina.-History:Suvi Do used to be a... |
Somborska | Medosevac | Prva Kutina |
| Bulevar Djindjica | Apelovac | Vrežina | Radikina Bara | |
| Medijana | Kovanluk | Prosek | ||
| Trošarina | Tutunović Podrum | Čukljenik | ||
| Duvanište | Kalač Brdo | Donja i gornja Studena | ||
| Brzi Brod | Gabrovačka reka | |||
Famous or notable citizens
- Constantine the Great, a Roman EmperorRoman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
, born 272/3 in Naissus. - Justin IJustin IJustin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
, Byzantine emperor, born c. 450 in Naissus. - Stevan Sinđelić, war leader (vojvoda), died in 1809 in the Battle of ČegarBattle of CegarThe Battle of Čegar was an engagement in the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.On May 31, 1809, the most prominent trench on Čegar Hill, under the command of Stevan Sinđelić, was attacked by the Ottoman troops. The battle lasted the whole day. As Milovan Kukić witnessed, the Ottoman...
. - Stevan SremacStevan SremacStevan Sremac was a Serbian realist and comedy writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.-Biography:...
(1855–1906), writer, came to Niš shortly after its liberation from the Turkish rule; wrote about life in old Niš (Ivkova slava, Zona Zamfirova). - Dragiša CvetkovićDragiša CvetkovicDragiša Cvetković was a Yugoslav politician.He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1939 to 1941. He developed the federalization of Yugoslavia through the creation of the Banovina of Croatia by an agreement with Croatian leader Vladko Maček...
(1893–1969), prime minister of Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of YugoslaviaThe Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
from 1939 to 1941. - Dušan Radović (1922–1984), journalist and writer.
- Predrag AntonijevićPredrag AntonijevićPredrag Antonijević is a Serbian film director and screenwriter.-Filmography:*Little Murder *Hard Cash *Savior -External links:...
, (b. 1959), film director. - Branko MiljkovićBranko MiljkovicBranko Miljković was an iconic Serbian poet. He was best known across Yugoslavia and the Soviet bloc for his influential writings. He died prematurely in 1961 at the age of 27, found hanging from a tree in Zagreb, Croatia...
(1934–1961), poet. - Šaban BajramovićŠaban Bajramovic-Biography:He was born in Niš where he attended primary school for only the first four years. On quitting school, he picked up his musical education on the street.When he was 19 he ran away from the army out of love for a girl...
(1936–2008), RomaniRomaniRomani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome...
singer and composer. - Kornelije KovačKornelije KovacKornelije "Bata" Kovač is a famous Serbian composer. He is a father of Aleksandra Kovač and Kristina Kovač, both successful Serbian singers.-Early life:...
(b. 1942), rock musician and composer. - Tanasije Uzunović (b. 1942), actor.
- Goran PaskaljevićGoran PaskaljevicGoran Paskaljević is a Serbian film director. He was raised by his grandparents in Niš, following the divorce of his parents, and 14 years later returned to Belgrade where he worked in his stepfather's cinema....
(b. 1947), movie director; raised by his grandparents in Niš 1949-1963, after the divorce of his parents. - Dragan PantelićDragan PantelicDragan Pantelić is a former Serbian football goalkeeper.-Football career:...
(b. 1951), former football goalkeeper, president of Radnički NišRadnicki NišFK Radnički Niš is a football club based in the city of Niš in Serbia. The team is currently playing in the Serbian First League.-History:...
. - Predrag MiletićPredrag MileticPredrag Miletić, , born in Niš, Serbia, on , is a Serbian actor. He finished the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade in the class of Ognjenka Milićević, professor. He was a full-time member of National Theatre in Niš, since 1972 to 1976, and after that, he entered Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade...
(b. 1952), actor. - Zoran ŽivkovićZoran Živkovic (handball)Zoran "Tuta" Živković is a Serbian handball coach and former handball goalkeeper. He has played 82 times for the Yugoslav handball national team.-Career milestones:...
(b. 1954), handball player and coach. - Aki Rahimovski (b. 1954), rock musician.
- Nenad MilosavljevićNenad MilosavljevicNenad Milosavljević , also known as Neša Galija , is a Serbian singer and songwriter. He is best known as the frontman of the Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija.-Biography:...
(b. 1954), rock musician. - Biljana Krstić (b. 1959), rock and traditional music singer and songwriter.
- Zoran ŽivkovićZoran Živkovic (politician)Zoran Živković is a former Prime Minister of Serbia who replaced assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in March 2003. He was born on December 22, 1960 in Niš where he finished high-school Bora Stanković. Živković received a community college diploma in Economics in Belgrade and worked as...
(b. 1960), politician, a former Prime Minister of Serbia. - Zoran ĆirićZoran CiricZoran Ćirić is a writer from Niš, Serbia. He writes poetry and prose. Nickname is Ćira MagičniĆirić received the NIN award in 2001 for his novel Hobo.- Novels :* Prisluškivanje...
(b. 1962), writer. - Aleksandar ŠoštarAleksandar ŠoštarAleksandar Šoštar is a Serbian water polo goalkeeper who played on the bronze medal squad of FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics and on the gold medal squad for SFR Yugoslavia at the 1988 Summer Olympics....
(b. 1964), water polo goalkeeper. - Dragan StojkovićDragan StojkovicDragan Stojković , also known under the nickname Piksi is a Serbian former footballer and current manager of J...
(b. 1965), football player. - Lidija MihajlovićLidija MihajlovicLidija Mihajlović , is a Serbian sport shooter....
(b. 1968), shooting champion. - Kokan Mladenović (b. 1970), theater director.
- Ivan MiljkovićIvan MiljkovicIvan Miljković is a Serbian volleyball player, whose first club was Student Niš. He started his professional career in Partizan Belgrade in 1997 and currently playing for Fenerbahçe Grundig in Turkey...
(b. 1979), volleyball player. - Nikola KarabatićNikola KarabaticNikola Karabatić ) is a French team handball player, born to a Croatian father and Serbian mother.He was part of the French national handball team that won the bronze medal at the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship. He was top scorer at the championship together with Ivano Balić and Lars...
(b. 1984), handball player. - Nemanja Radulović (b. 1985), violinist.
- Goran ŠepaGoran ŠepaGoran Šepa , also known as Gale, is a Serbian singer. He is best known as the lead singer for the Serbian and former Yugoslav hard rock/heavy metal band Kerber...
, rock musician.
Theatre
Niš is a home of National Theatre in NišNational Theatre in Niš
The National Theatre is a theater in Serbia. It is located on Sinđelić Square, in Niš, Serbia. It was founded in 1887 as "Sinđelić" Theatre, and reorganized in 1906 as National Theatre, following the completion of new theatre building....
, that was founded as "Sinđelić" Theatre in 1889.
Rock music
GalijaGalija
Galija is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band from Niš. The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević and Predrag Milosavljević...
and Kerber
Kerber
Kerber is a Serbian and former Yugoslav hard rock band from Niš.-1980s:The original members of Kerber were Goran Šepa "Gale" , Tomislav Nikolić , Branislav "Bane" Božinović , Zoran Stamenković and Zoran Madić . In 1981, formerly known as Top Kerber (Serbian Cyrillic: Кербер; trans. Cerberus) is a...
are considered the most notable rock bands to have originated from Niš. Other notable Niš rock acts include Daltoni
Daltoni
Daltoni was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band from Niš, notable for being one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav rock scene.-1963 - 1970:...
, Dobri Isak
Dobri Isak
Dobri Isak was a Serbian and former Yugoslav post-punk/darkwave band from Niš.- History :...
, Lutajuća Srca, Mama Rock, Hazari, Novembar
Novembar
Novembar is a Serbian punk rock band from Niš.- Studeni Studeni, band formation :...
, Trivalia
Trivalia
Trivalia was a Serbian and former Yugoslav gothic rock/industrial/ band from Niš.- 1980s :The band was formed during the summer of 1986 in Niš by vocalist Vladimir Žikić "Vlad-a-Mantis", also the songwriter as well as the rhythm machine sequencer, bass guitarist Boban Stojiljković "Bocko" and...
and others.
Sport
The city of Niš is home to numerous sport clubs including the following:- "Prvi srpski piloti" Aero-Club
- "Železničar" Athletics Club
- "Čair" Automobile And Motor-Racing Club
- "Železničar" Cycling Club
- "Radnički" Boxing Club
- Niš Bridge Club
- "Niš" Gymnastiscs Club
- "Student" University Go Club
- City Recreation Association
- "Niš" Weight-Lifting Club
- "Zoran Radosavljević" Sailing Club
- "Gusar" Kayak-Canoe Club
- "Khi" Karate Club
- "Omladinac" Karate Club
- "Samuraj" Karate Club
- "Čegar" Horse Riding Club
- "Alfa" Youth Basketball Club
- "Gimnazijalac" Ladies' Youth Basketball Club
- "ErgonomKK ErgonomKK Ergonom is a professional basketball club from Niš, Serbia.-Notable former players: Marko Cvetković Raško Katić Nikola Otašević Ivan Žigeranović...
" Basketball Club - "Student" Ladies' University Basketball Club
- "Student" University Basketball Club
- "Niš-Put" Bowling Club
- "Gromig - Puršok" Small-Grounds Football Club
- "Ekonomist" Small-Grounds Football Club
- "Koska" Small-Grounds Football Club
- "Naisus" Small-Grounds Football Club
- "Palilula" Small-Grounds Football Club
- "Niš" Volleyball Club
- "Radnički" Volleyball Club
- "Student" Ladies' Volleyball Club
- "Albatros" Paragliding Club External link
- "Grunf" Paragliding Club
- "Niš" Mountaineers' Association
- "Železničar" Mountaineers' Association
- "Step" Dancing Club
- "Niš" Swimming And Water-Polo Club
- "NaissusRK NaissusRukometni klub Naissus is a handball club from Niš, Serbia. Currently, RK Naissus competes in the Handball League of Serbia....
" Handball Club - "Železničar" Handball Club
- "Niš" Youth Handball Club
- "Niš" Safari Club
- "Niš" Skiing Club
- Niš Sports Association Of The Disabled
- Sports Association "Niški maraton"
- "Niš" Table Tennis Club
- "Niš" Archery Club - External link
- "Niš 1881" Shooting Club
- "Ramin-Niš" Taekwondo Club
- "Gimnazijalac" Tennis Club
- "Kostić" Tennis Club
- "Radnički" Tennis Club
- "Niš" Triathlon Club
- Fishing Sports Association
- "Železničar NišFK Železnicar NišFK Železničar Niš was a football club based in Niš, Serbia.-History:FK Železničar Niš was formed in 1928. It was dissolved on 6 September 2009.The club was for a short period renamed into 14...
" Football Club - "Mašinac" Ladies' Football Club
- "OFK NišOFK NišOFK Niš is a Serbian football club based in Niš, Serbia.-External links:*...
" Football Club - "Jastrebac ProleterFK Jastrebac NišFK Jastrebac Niš also named FK Jastrebac Proleter is a football club based in Niš, Serbia.On the all-time table of FR Yugoslavia 1992-2002 the club is raked on the 35th place....
" Football Club - "PalilulacFK Palilulac NišFK Palilulac is a Serbian football club based in Niš, Serbia....
" Football Club - "Sinđelić Niš" Football Club
- "Radnički NišRadnicki NišFK Radnički Niš is a football club based in the city of Niš in Serbia. The team is currently playing in the Serbian First League.-History:...
" Football Club - "Železničar" Judo Club
- "Kinezis" Judo Club
- "92" Judo club
- "Niš" Judo Club
- "Niš" Chess Club
- "Swing" Dance club
- "Cekica" Rugby League Club
- "Naissus" Archery Club
- Fitness centar 2M http://www.fitnessclub2m.co.rs
- "Niš" Kudo Club
- "Junior" Youth Basketball Club
Local media
Radio stations- Baltazar radio (90.5)
- Banker radio(98.3)
- City radio (104.9) - LIVE(AAC+)
- Radio 5(105.5)
- Radio Nišava(104.0))
- Radio Belle Amie(95.6)
- Radio Belle Amie Folk Kanal (98.7/100.7)
- Radio Seven (88.8)
TV stations:
- Banker TV
- TV 5
- BelleAmie TV
- TV Nais
- Global
- RTV Nišava(in Romany)
- Čair (in Romany)
- NTV
- Art TV
- Puls TV
- Jumbo TV
- Kopernikus
Newspapers:
- Narodne Novine (BUL)
Twin towns — Sister cities
Niš is twinned with the following cities, according to their City Hall website:| Skopje Skopje Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre... , Macedonia Republic of Macedonia Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991... Kassandra, Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... Sparta Sparti (municipality) Sparti is a municipality of Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The population in 2001 was 38,079, of whom 15,828 lived in the town itself.-History:... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Glyfada Glyfada Glyfada is a suburb of Athens, situated in the southern parts of the Athens Metropolitan Area. The area, which is home to many of Greece's millionaires, ministers and celebrities, stretches out from the foot of the Hymettus mountain and reaches out to embrace the Saronic Gulf. It is the largest of... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... Maroussi, Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... Alimos Alimos Alimos is an affluent suburb in the south-southwestern part of Athens, Greece, also known as Kalamaki . Poseidonos Avenue runs in the western part of Alimos, with the Hymettus mountain to the east meeting mainly grassland, while areas to the north of Argyroupoli are forested... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... Košice Košice Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary... , Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south... Kursk Kursk Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Saltdal, Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... Bad Homburg Bad Homburg Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Kraków Kraków Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
Other forms of cooperation and city friendship
ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, USA