Mokroluški Creek
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The Mokroluški Creek ( / ''Mokroluški potok'', "Mokri Lug Creek") is a stream in north-central
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, which forms a former right tributary to the
Sava The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...
river. During its entire course, it runs through the urban section of
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. It is one of the 40 rivers, streams and creeks that flow or used to flow through Belgrade, but the majority of them are conducted underground into the city sewage system which is also the case with Mokroluški potok.


Course

The Mokroluški potok originates in Belgrade's eastern neighborhood of
Veliki Mokri Lug Veliki Mokri Lug ( sr-cyr, Велики Мокри Луг) is an urban neighbourhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara. Location Veliki Mokri Lug is the southernmost neighborhood of the municipality of Zv ...
, in the municipality of
Zvezdara Zvezdara ( sr-cyr, Звездара, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. The municipality is geographically hilly and with many forests. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has a population of 172,625 inhabitants. The ...
, which also gives the name to the stream (''Mokri Lug stream''). The Mokroluški potok flows generally in a north-west direction and its valley is used as a route for the Belgrade-
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
highway (constructed 1967-74). After it passes the cemetery of the neighboring
Mali Mokri Lug Mali Mokri Lug ( sr-cyr, Мали Мокри Луг) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the south-eastern section of Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara. It marks the border with the municipality of Grocka. It mostly ...
, it reaches the neighborhood of
Medaković III Medaković ( sr-Cyrl, Медаковић, ), or colloquially Medak (), is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Voždovac, with the easternmost part of Medaković III being in the mu ...
where the stream is conducted underground for the first time. The channeled mouth of the stream is still visible under the
Gazela Bridge The Gazela Bridge () is the most important bridge over the Sava river in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a part of the city highway, and it lies on the local M11 expressway, on the expressway passing through the wider city center, conne ...
. After an underground flow of about one kilometer, the stream resurfaces in the neighborhood of
Medaković II Medaković ( sr-Cyrl, Медаковић, ), or colloquially Medak (), is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Voždovac, with the easternmost part of Medaković III being in the mu ...
, but one kilometer later, in the neighborhood of
Marinkova Bara Marinkova Bara () is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Voždovac. Location Marinkova Bara (Serbian for "Marinko's bog") is located in the northern section of the municipality, alon ...
, it goes underground again. Formerly, it used to flow through the neighborhoods of Dušanovac,
Autokomanda Autokomanda ( sr-cyr, Аутокоманда, ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located on the tripoint of the Belgrade's municipalities of Voždovac, Savski Venac and Vračar. Location Autokomanda is located ...
and Jatagan Mala. The area in the lower valley of the now underground stream was used for digging earth and gravel which were used to cover and drain the swamps on the Sava's right bank, so that neighborhoods of
Savamala Savamala ( sr-Cyrl, Савамала) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac and Stari Grad. Location Savamala is located south of the Kalemegdan fortress and t ...
and Bara Venecija could be constructed, and for the building of Belgrade's central railway station. After the works were completed, the area around Mokroluški potok was left as a steep, elongated cut in the ground and so was given its present name (
Prokop Prokop may mean either of two Hussite generals, both of whom died in the 1434 battle of Lipan: * Prokop the Great * Prokop the Lesser Other people who bore the name Prokop: * Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ...
). The stream was mostly conducted underground in the 1970s. Before it was channeled, the stream often flooded the area of Dušanovac and Marinkova Bara during the heavy rains, as it was where it received two tributaries, Duboki potok from the north and Kumodraški potok, from the south.


Characteristics

The valley of the creek was a route for the
Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported min ...
, which conducted the waters from the Mokri Lug area to the Singidunum castrum. At some point, it received waters from another aqueduct, from the left, which originated in the modern neighborhood of Kumodraž. Both Mokri Lug and Kumodraž are located on the hills, so the natural inclination allowed for the water to flow downhill to Singidunum. At Mostar, before flowing into the Sava, northern slopes of
Senjak Senjak ( sr-Cyrl, Сењак, ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Located in Savski Venac, one of the three municipalities that constitute the very center of the city, it is an affluent neighborhood containing emba ...
hill descended to the streams left bank. Up to the 19th century, the slope was known as Zamastir. Czech émigré Heinrich Smutek, arranged a large estate (with a
brickyard A brickyard or brickfield is a place or Yard (land), yard where bricks are made, pottery firing, fired, and stored, or sometimes Commerce, sold or otherwise distributed from. Brick makers work in a brick yard. A brick yard may be constructed ...
) and a garden in the area, and opened a ''
kafana Kafana is a type of local coffeehouse, bistro or tavern, common in the countries of Southeast Europe, which originally served coffee and other warm drinks while today usually also offer alcoholic beverages and food. Many kafanas feature live mus ...
'' "Smutekovac". As it became highly popular with the Belgraders, the name Zamastir was in time replaced with Smutekovac. The slope above the stream became one of the main excursion areas for the citizens. In the 1870s the area was purchased and parceled by
Đorđe Vajfert Đorđe Vajfert ( sr-cyr, Ђорђе Вајферт, ; 15 July 185012 January 1937) was a Serbs, Serbian industrialist, List of governors of national banks of Serbia and Yugoslavia, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia and after 1920 the Natio ...
who opened the brewery in 1872. Though undistinguished in terms of hydrology, the stream was important in Belgrade geography, while in architecture it has been described as the "key topology character of Belgrade's history". Its valley serves as the route for the highway. A small bridge (''most'') over the stream, near its mouth into the Sava, gave name to the local kafana "Mostar" after which, in turn, the entire neighborhood was named
Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
. In architecture, "the narrative of the Belgrade's terrain ended steeply at the (stream's) line, finalizing the development of Sava amphitheater and marking the edge of the city in its next spreading to the south, further from the
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava, Hungarian: Nándorfehérvár), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of th ...
and the Trench (which surrounded it)".


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mokroluski Potok Rivers of Serbia Geography of Belgrade Šumadija Voždovac Zvezdara