Seline is a village in the Starigrad

Starigrad

Starigrad is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. The total population is 1,875 . According to the 2001 census, 95% of the population are Croats.The list of settlements in the municipality is:* Seline, population 454...

 municipality of Zadar County

Zadar County

Zadar County is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its center is the city of Zadar.- Population :According to the 2001 census, Zadar County has population of 162,045...

, Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

. Seline has a population of 455 (census 2001),. The population is by and large Croatian

Croats

Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...

.

The town's church was recently refurbished and sits proudly on the main square, Trg Zukve, and is called the Church of Sacred Heart.

Jabukovac

Above Seline lies the old town of Jabukovac, where according to legend a Croatian convert to Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 by the name of Jusuf, 800 years ago, offered a native girl a golden apple

Golden apple

The golden apple is an element that appears in various national and ethnic folk legends or fairy tales. Recurring themes depict a hero retrieving the golden apples hidden or stolen by a monstrous antagonist...

 (most likely a tomato

Tomato

The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...

 in today's language) and she took this apple and was wed to him.

Jusuf went on to battle and died, while the child his wife bore became the beginning of the family of Jusuf, which kept their Catholic faith, later Croatianised to Jusup.

Until 200 years ago all of Seline's inhabitants lived in Jabukovac, as it was far from the sea where pirates could not see the light from their fires and was therefore more secure.

Attractions

A long, shingle beach, clear sea, the shade of tamarisk, rich offer of wholesome food, dry figs, brandy, vino, oil, cheese, honey, fish and seafood make Seline a pleasant holiday resort.

Hikers and enthusiasts can find their enjoyment in nearby Paklenica

Paklenica

The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...

 National Park

National park

A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

or in visiting old hamlets at the foot of the hill, Bucici, Jukici, Jurline, which are named after the surnames of its inhabitants in those days, all of which survive today, where traditional culture and hospitality are still cherished.