The Despot Stefan Tower ( sr, Деспотова кула; ''Despotova kula'') or Dizdar Tower (Диздарева кула; ''Dizdareva kula'') is a structure in Belgrade,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

, built ca. 1405, a couple of years after the city became the capital of

Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...

under Despot Stefan Lazarević. In May 1963, representatives of the city administration, Institute for the protection of the cultural monuments and members of the astronomical societies, agreed to adapt the Dizdar Tower into an observatory. Works began in May, instruments were to be installed by autumn, and the observatory was to become operational in October 1963. Today, the tower is the seat of the

Astronomical Society Ruđer Bošković Astronomical Society Ruđer Bošković ( sr, Астрономско друштво Руђер Бошковић, Astronomsko društvo Ruđer Bošković) is an astronomical society in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in 1934 by a group of students, it i ...

and houses its Popular Observatory. The Observatory has two instruments: refractor Zeiss (110/2200mm) and reflector Tall 200 K (200/2200mm), both of which are used mainly for observations at night. Four panoramic telescopes are also mounted on the tower, which can be used to observe the panorama of Belgrade.

References

Kalemegdan Buildings and structures in Belgrade 15th-century establishments in Serbia Towers in Serbia Serbian Despotate Lazarević dynasty Stone buildings {{Serbia-stub

See also

References