Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ;
names in other languages) is the
third largest city in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
and the administrative center of the
Nišava District
The Nišava District ( sr, Нишавски округ, Nišavski okrug, ) is one of nine administrative districts of Southern and Eastern Serbia. It expands to the south-eastern parts of Serbia. According to the 2011 census results, it has a ...
. It is located in
southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while its administrative area (City of Niš) has a population of 260,237 inhabitants.
[
Several Roman emperors were born in Niš or used it as a residence: ]Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, the first Christian emperor and the founder of Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, Constantius III
Constantius III was briefly Western Roman emperor of the West in 421. He earned his position as Emperor due to his capability as a general under Honorius, achieving the rank of ''magister militum'' by 411. That same year, he suppressed the r ...
, Constans
Flavius Julius Constans ( 323 – 350), sometimes called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of ''caesar'' from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great.
After his father's death, he was made ...
, Vetranio
Vetranio (died c. 356) was a Roman soldier, statesman and co-Emperor, a native of the province of Moesia (in modern Serbia).
Life and career Early life
Vetranio was born in the Roman province of Moesia to low-born parents, sometime in the ...
, Julian, Valentinian I
Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Vale ...
, Valens
Valens ( grc-gre, Ουάλης, Ouálēs; 328 – 9 August 378) was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the eastern half of ...
; and Justin I
Justin I ( la, Iustinus; grc-gre, Ἰουστῖνος, ''Ioustînos''; 450 – 1 August 527) was the Eastern Roman emperor from 518 to 527. Born to a peasant family, he rose through the ranks of the army to become commander of the imperial ...
. Emperor Claudius Gothicus
Marcus Aurelius Claudius "Gothicus" (10 May 214 – January/April 270), also known as Claudius II, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alemanni and decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle ...
decisively defeated the Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
at the Battle of Naissus
The Battle of Naissus (268 or 269 AD) was the defeat of a Gothic coalition by the Roman Empire under Emperor Gallienus (or Claudius II) and Aurelian near Naissus (Niš in present-day Serbia). The events around the invasion and the battle are an ...
(present-day Niš). Later playing a prominent role in the history of the Byzantine Empire, the city's past would earn it the nickname ''Imperial City.''
After about 400 years of Ottoman rule, the city was liberated in 1878 and became part of the Principality of Serbia
The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...
, though not without great bloodshed—remnants of which can be found throughout the city. Today, Niš is one of the most important economic centers in Serbia, especially in the electronics, mechanical engineering, textile, and tobacco industries. Constantine the Great Airport
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
*Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
is Niš's international airport. The city is also the seat of the University of Niš
The University of Niš ( sr, Универзитет у Нишу, Univerzitet u Nišu) is a public university in Serbia. It was founded in 1965 and consists of 13 faculties with 1,492 academic staff and around 20,500 students (as of 2018–19 sch ...
, the Eparchy of Niš
The Eparchy of Niš ( sr, Епархија нишка) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church with its seat in Niš, in Serbia. It has jurisdiction over the south-eastern regions of Serbia. Since 2017, Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Ni ...
and the Command of Serbian Army
The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.
History
Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
.
In 2013, the city was host to the celebration of 1700 years of Constantine's Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan ( la, Edictum Mediolanense; el, Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων, ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. ( ...
.
Name
The town was named after the Nišava River
The Nišava or Nishava (Bulgarian and sr-Cyrl, Нишава, ) is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of also the longest one, of the South Morava.
Course Bulgaria
The Nišava originates in western Bulgar ...
, which flows through the city. It was first named ''Navissos'' by Celtic tribes
This is a list of Celtic tribes, organized in order of the likely ethnolinguistic kinship of the peoples and tribes.
In Classical antiquity, Celts were a large number and a significant part of the population in many regions of Western Europe, ...
in the 3rd century BC. From this term comes the Latin ''Naissus'', the Greek ''Nysos'' and the Slavic ''Niš''. Other variations include: Νάϊσσος, Ναϊσσός (Naissos), Naessus, urbs Naisitana, Navissus, Navissum, Ναϊσσούπολις (Naissoupolis). In Old Serbian, the town was known as ''Niš'' (written Нишь and Ньшь). The name is historically rendered as ''Nish'' or ''Nissa'' in English.
''Niš'' evolved from the toponym attested in Ancient Greek as ''ΝΑΙΣΣΟΣ'' (Naissos), which achieved its present form via phonetic changes in Proto-Albanian
The Proto-Albanian language is the unattested language from which Albanian later developed. Albanian evolved from an ancient Paleo-Balkan language, traditionally thought to be Illyrian, or otherwise a totally unattested Balkan Indo-European la ...
and thereafter the placename entered Slavic. ''Nish'' might indicate that Proto-Albanian was spoken in the region in pre-Slavic antiquity. Per Eric P. Hamp
Eric Pratt Hamp (November 16, 1920 – February 17, 2019) was an American linguist widely respected as a leading authority on Indo-European linguistics, with particular interests in Celtic languages and Albanian. Unlike many Indo-Europeanists, wh ...
the name of Niš is clearly Albanian in shape. According to Ismajli (2015), when this settlement happened is a matter of debate, as Proto-Albanians might have moved relatively late in antiquity in the area which might have been an eastern expansion of Proto-Albanian settlement as no other toponyms known in antiquity in the area presuppose an Albanian development. The development of ''Nish'' < ''Naiss-'' may also represent a regional development in late antiquity Balkans which while related may not be identical with Albanian.
History
Early history
Niš may have been first founded as a Celtic settlement in the pre-Roman era. There is very little archaeological evidence however which can be used to reconstruct a pre-Roman history of Niš . The city became known in the Roman as one large urban centers of the central Balkans. During the Roman conquest of the Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
between 168 and 75 BC, the city, known as ''Naissus'' in Latin, was used as a base of operations. Naissus was first mentioned in Roman documents near the beginning of the 2nd century CE, and was considered a place worthy of note in the ''Geography'' of Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
of Alexandria.
The Romans occupied the town during the Dardanian campaign (75–73 BC), and set up a legionary camp in the city. The city, called ''refugia'' and ''vici'' in pre-Roman relation, as a result of its strategic position (the Thracians were based to the south[) developed as an important ]garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
and market town in the province of Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...
Superior. In 272 AD, the future Emperor Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
was born in Naissus. Constantine created the Dacia Mediterranea
Dacia Mediterranea (Mid-land Dacia; ) was a late antique Roman province, whose capital city was Serdica (or Sardica; later Sradetz or Sredets, now Sofia).
The date for the establishment of Dacia Mediterranea is uncertain. It was traditionally he ...
province, of which Naissus was the capital, which also included Remesiana
Remesiana ( Byzantine Greek: Ρεμεσιανισία) was an ancient Roman city and former bishopric, which remains an Eastern Orthodox and also a Latin Catholic titular see, located around and under the modern city of Bela Palanka in Serbia.
...
on the Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum (today the Serbian capital Belgrade), passing by Danube coast to Viminacium (modern Požarevac), through Naissus (modern Niš), Serdica (modern Sofia), Philippopo ...
and the towns of Pautalia
Pautalia is one of the great ancient cities of Thrace, now located in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. It was a settlement of the Dentheletae, a Thracian tribe, and had been occupied since at least the Iron Age. It is noted for its temple of Asclepius on th ...
and Germania. He lived in Naissus briefly from 316 to 322.
The city was of great importance for the Constantinian dynasty
The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus (died 306) to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole rule ...
. It is the birthplace of Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
who turned it from a middle-sized town to a large city with many public buildings. The city flourished greatly in the Constantinian period. A bronze bust of Constantine decorated city. It was his temporary residence and the city where he promulgated many laws, preserved in the Theodosian code
The ''Codex Theodosianus'' (Eng. Theodosian Code) was a compilation of the laws of the Roman Empire under the Christian emperors since 312. A commission was established by Emperor Theodosius II and his co-emperor Valentinian III on 26 March 429 a ...
. In Constantinian narratives, Naissus was the city where the usurper Vetranio
Vetranio (died c. 356) was a Roman soldier, statesman and co-Emperor, a native of the province of Moesia (in modern Serbia).
Life and career Early life
Vetranio was born in the Roman province of Moesia to low-born parents, sometime in the ...
abdicated to Constantius II
Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germani ...
after a powerful speech he gave to the rebel armies. Julian, the last Constantinian emperor, used Naissus, which had arms factories, as his base in the civil war and recruited Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo ...
and others as soldiers for his campaign.
In 364 AD, the imperial Villa 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 organised economy. Excavations have revealed a villa with peristyl ...
was the site where emperors Valentinian and Valens met and divided the Roman Empire into halves which they would rule as co-emperors.
It was besieged by the Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
in 441 and devastated in 448, and again in 480 when the partially-rebuilt town was demolished by the Barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...
. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...
restored the town but it was destroyed by the Avars once again. The Slavs
Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
, in their campaign against Byzantium, conquered Niš and settled here in 540.
Middle Ages
In 805, the town and its surroundings were taken by Bulgarian Emperor Krum
Krum ( bg, Крум, el, Κροῦμος/Kroumos), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome ( bg, Крум Страшни) was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territor ...
. In the 11th century Byzantium reclaimed control over Naissus and the surrounding area.
King Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
of Hungary and Prince Géza Géza is a Hungarian given name and may refer to any of the following:
* Benjamin Géza Affleck
* Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians
* Géza I of Hungary, King of Hungary
* Géza II of Hungary, King of Hungary
* Géza, son of Géza II of Hungar ...
marched along the valley of the river Great Morava
The Great Morava ( sr, Велика Морава, Velika Morava, ) is the final section of the Morava ( sr-Cyrl, Морава), a major river system in Serbia.
Etymology
According to Predrag Komatina from the Institute for Byzantine Studies ...
as far as Niš. The Hungarians seized the Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
city without any resistance in 1072. During the People's Crusade
The People's Crusade was the beginning phase of the First Crusade whose objective was to retake the Holy Land, and Jerusalem in particular, from Islamic rule. After in 1095 the head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Urban II started to urge faith ...
, on 3 July 1096, Peter the Hermit
Peter the Hermit ( 1050 – 8 July 1115 or 1131), also known as Little Peter, Peter of Amiens ( fr. ''Pierre d'Amiens'') or Peter of Achères ( fr. ''Pierre d'Achères''), was a Roman Catholic priest of Amiens and a key figure during the militar ...
clashed with Byzantine forces at Naissus. Manuel I Manuel I may refer to:
*Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (1143–1180)
*Manuel I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (1228–1263)
*Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was ...
fortified the town, but under his successor Andronikos I it was seized by the Hungarian king Béla III
Béla may refer to:
* Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater
* Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name
See also
* Bela (disambiguation)
* Belá (disambiguation)
* Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...
. Byzantine control was eventually reestablished, but in 1185 it fell under Serbian control. By 1188, Niš became the capital of Serbian king Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanji ...
. On 27 July 1189, Nemanja received German emperor Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
and his 100,000 crusaders at Niš. Niš is mentioned in descriptions of Serbia under Vukan in 1202, highlighting its special status. In 1203, Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan or Kalojan, also known as Ioannitsa or Johannitsa ( bg, Калоян, Йоаница; 1170 – October 1207), was emperor or tsar of Bulgaria from 1196 to 1207. He was the younger brother of Theodor and Asen, who led the anti-Byzant ...
annexed Niš. Stefan Nemanjić
Stefan Nemanja II ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немања II, ), or Stephen the First-Crowned ( sr, / , ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the firs ...
later regained the region.
Ottoman period
The fall of the Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state.
Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...
, which was conquered by Ottoman Sultan Murad I
Murad I ( ota, مراد اول; tr, I. Murad, Murad-ı Hüdavendigâr (nicknamed ''Hüdavendigâr'', from fa, خداوندگار, translit=Khodāvandgār, lit=the devotee of God – meaning "sovereign" in this context); 29 June 1326 – 15 Jun ...
in 1385, decided the fate of Niš as well. After a 25-day-long siege the city fell to the Ottomans. It was returned to Serbian rule in 1443. Niš again fell under Ottoman rule in 1448, and remained thusly for 241 years. During Ottoman rule Niš was a seat of the empire's military and civil administration. A Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
n traveler stated in 1596 that the route from Sofia to Niš was littered with corpses and described the gates of Niš as bedecked with the freshly-severed heads of poor Bulgarian peasants. In 1689, Niš was seized by the Austrian army during the Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
, but the Ottomans regained it in 1690. In 1737, Niš was again seized by the Austrians, who attempted to rebuild the fortifications around the city. The same year, the Ottomans reclaimed the city without resistance.
During the First Serbian uprising
The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
in 1809, Serbian revolutionaries attempted to liberate Niš in the Battle of Čegar
The Battle of Čegar ( sr, Битка на Чегру/Bitka na Čegru), also known as the Battle of Kamenica (Бој на Каменици/Boj na Kamenici) was a battle of the First Serbian Uprising between the Serbian Revolutionaries and Ottoman ...
. After the defeat of the Serbian forces, the Ottoman commander of Niš ordered the heads of the slain Serbs mounted on a tower to serve as a warning. The structure became known as Skull Tower
Skull Tower ( sr-cyr, Ћеле кула, Ćele kula, ) is a stone structure embedded with human skulls located in Niš, Serbia. It was constructed by the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Čegar of May 1809, during the First Serbian Uprisin ...
( sr, Ćele Kula, italics=yes). In 1821, the Ottomans arrested the Bishop of Niš, Milentija, as well as 200 Serbian patriots, on charges of preparing an uprising in the Niš area in support of the Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
. On June 13 of that year, Bishop Milentija and other Serbian leaders were hanged in public.
In the 19th century Niš was an important town, but populated by Bulgarians in the 19th century, when the Niš rebellion broke out in 1841. According to Ottoman statistics during the Tanzimat
The Tanzimat (; ota, تنظيمات, translit=Tanzimāt, lit=Reorganization, ''see'' nizām) was a period of reform in the Ottoman Empire that began with the Gülhane Hatt-ı Şerif in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. ...
the population of Sanjak of Niš
The Sanjak of Niš ( Turkish: Niş Sancağı; Serbian: Нишки санџак, romanized: ''Niški Sandžak''; Albanian: Sanxhaku i Nishit; Bulgarian: Нишки санджак, romanized: ''Nishki sandzhak'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ott ...
was treated as Bulgarian, and according to French travelers such as Jérôme-Adolphe Blanqui
Jérôme-Adolphe Blanqui (; November 21, 1798 – January 28, 1854) was a French economist. His most important contributions were made in labour economics, economic history and especially the history of economic thought, in which field his 1837 tr ...
and Ami Boue
AMI or Ami may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
*AMI-tv, a Canadian TV channel
**AMI-télé, the French-language version
* AMI-audio, a Canadian audio broadcast TV service
*''Ami Magazine'', an Orthodox Jewish news magazine
Businesses ...
in 1837/1841. According to all authors between 1840-72 the delineation between Bulgarians and Serbs is undisputed and ran north of Nis, although one author Cyprien Robert claims that half of the population of the town was made up by Serbians. Serbian cartographers of the time (such as Dimitrije Davidović
Dimitrije "Mita" Davidović (Zemun, Habsburg monarchy, 12 October 1789 – Smederevo, Principality of Serbia, 24 March 1838) was a Serbs, Serbian politician serving as the List of Prime Ministers of Serbia, Prime Minister of Serbia, Minister o ...
in 1828 and Milan Savić Milan Savić may refer to:
* Milan Savić (footballer, born 1994), Serbian football defender
* Milan Savić (footballer, born 2000), Bosnian football winger
* Milan Savić (author)
Milan Savić ( sr, Милан Савић german: Emil Szavitz; ...
in 1878) also accepted South Morava
The South Morava ( Macedonian and Serbian: Јужна Морава, ''Južna Morava'', ; sq, Lumi Morava) is a river in eastern Kosovo and in southern Serbia, which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava. Today, it is 295 km lon ...
river as such delineation and added Niš outside the borders of the Serbian people.[ The urban population of Niš consisted of 17,107 Christian and 4,291 Muslim males, with total number of 3,500 Serbian houses and 2,000 Muslim houses. Muslim population of Niš consisted mainly of ]Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
, of which a part were of Albanian origin, and the rest were Muslim Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
and Muslim Romani.[
]
In 1870, Niš was included in the Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
. Before the area had been under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
and the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephaly, a ...
. The city was also stipulated the area to be ceded to Bulgaria according to the Constantinople Conference
The 1876–77 Constantinople Conference ( tr, Tersane Konferansı "Shipyard Conference", after the venue ''Tersane Sarayı'' "Shipyard Palace") of the Great Powers (Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia) was held in Constan ...
in 1876. Niš was finally liberated during the Serbo–Ottoman War of 1876–1878. The battle for the liberation of Niš started on December 29, 1877, and the Serbian Army entered Niš on January 11, 1878, and it became a part of Serbia. The Albanian quarter was burned and some of the town's Muslim population fled
''Fled'' is a 1996 American buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Hooks. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as two prisoners chained together who flee during an escape attempt gone bad.
Plot
An interrogator prepares a man to ...
to the Ottoman vilayet of Kosovo, resettling in Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, while others went to Skopje.[ para. 6. "According to the information about the language spoken among the Muslims in the cities, we can see of which nationality they were. So, the Muslim population of Niš and Pirot consisted mostly of Turks; para. 11. "The Turks have been mostly city dwellers. It is certain, however, that part of them was of Albanian origin, because of the well-known fact that the Albanians have been very easily assimilated with Turks in the cities."; para. 23, 30, 49.][ "This was the year that saw Serbia expanding southward and taking Nis. The Albanian quarter was burned and Albanians from the surrounding villages forced to flee."][ The number of remaining Muslims counted were 1,168, with many being Muslim Romani, out of the pre-war ca. 8,500.][ "that the Muslim Albanians of Nish were forced to leave in 1878, and that at that time most of these Nishan Albanians migrated south into Kosovo, although some went to Skopje in Macedonia."] The demographics of Niš underwent change whereby Serbs who formed half the urban population prior to 1878 became 80 percent in 1884.[ "Prior to 1878, the Serbs comprised not more than one half of the population of Nis, the largest city in the region; by 1884 the Serbian share rose to 80 per cent."]
Independent Serbia
In the following years, the city saw rapid development. The city library was founded in 1879 and the famous Serbian writer Stevan Sremac
Stevan Sremac ( sr-cyr, Стеван Сремац, ; 11 November 1855 – 13 August 1906) was a Serbian realist and comedy writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.
Biography
Stevan Sremac was born in Senta in B ...
, a native of Niš, was its first clerk. The first hotel, ''Europe'', was built in 1879; shortly after the first district hospital and the first bank started operating in 1881. In 1878, the first Grammar School (Gimnazija), in 1882 the Teacher Training College, and in 1894, the Girls' College were founded in Niš. The City Hall was built from 1882 to 1887.
In 1883, Kosta Čendaš established the first printing house. In 1884, the first newspaper in the city ''Niški Vesnik'' was started. In 1884, Jovan Apel built a brewery. A railway line to Niš was built in 1884, as well as the city's railway station; on August 8, 1884, the first train arrived from Belgrade. In 1885, Niš became the last station of the Orient Express
The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe and int ...
, until the railroad was built between Niš and Sofia in 1888. In 1887, the Niš Theatre Sinđelić was built.
In 1897 Mita Ristić founded the Nitex textile factory. In 1905 the female painter Nadežda Petrović
Nadežda Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Надежда Петровић; 11/12 October 1873 – 3 April 1915) was a Serbian painter and one of the women war photography pioneers in the region. Considered Serbia's most famous expressionist and fauvist, ...
established the Sićevo art colony
An art colony, also known as an artists' colony, can be defined two ways. Its most liberal description refers to the organic congregation of artists in towns, villages and rural areas, often drawn by areas of natural beauty, the prior existence o ...
. The first film was screened in 1897, and the first permanent cinema started operating in 1906. The hydroelectric dam in Sićevo Gorge
The Sićevo Gorge ( sr, Sićevačka klisura; sr-cyr, Сићевачка клисура, ), a river gorge and archaeological site in southeastern Serbia, is the locally most prominent geological and topographic feature formed by the Nišava River. ...
on the Nišava was built in 1908; at the time, it was the largest in Serbia. The airfield was built in 1912 on the Trupale field, and the first aeroplane arrived on December 29, 1912. The city's museum was founded in 1913.
During the First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
, Niš was the seat of The Main Headquarters of the Serbian Army, which led military operations against the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. In World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Niš was the wartime capital of Serbia, hosting the Government and the National Assembly, until Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
conquered Serbia in November 1915, when the city was ceded to Bulgaria. After the breakthrough of the Salonika front
The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...
, the First Serbian Army commanded by general Petar Bojović
Petar Bojović (, ; 16 July 1858 – 19 January 1945) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balkan War, World War I and World War II. Following the brea ...
liberated Niš on October 12, 1918.
During the age and breakup of Yugoslavia
In the first few years after the war, Niš was recovering from the damage. In 1921, Niš became the centre of the Region (oblast), governed by a grand-župan, appointed by royal decree. From 1929 to 1941, Niš was the capital of the Morava Banovina
The Morava Banovina or Morava Banate ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Моравска бановина, Moravska banovina), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of parts of prese ...
of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
. The tram system in Niš started to run in November 1930. The national airline Aeroput
Aeroput () was an airline and flag carrier of Yugoslavia from 1927 until 1948.
Society for Air traffic AD Aeroput was the first Serbian company for civil air traffic, which was founded on 17 June 1927 as ''Društvo za Vazdušni Saobraćaj "Aero ...
included Niš as a regular destination for the route Belgrade—Niš—Skopje—Thessaloniki in 1930. During the time of German occupation in World War II, the first Nazi Crveni Krst concentration camp
The Crveni Krst concentration camp (lit. Red Cross concentration camp; german: KZ Crveni Krst; sr, Логор Црвени крст, Logor Crveni krst), also known as the Niš concentration camp (german: Lager Nich), located in Crveni Krst, Niš, ...
in Yugoslavia was in Niš. About 30,000 people passed through this camp, of whom over 10,000 were shot on nearby Bubanj hill. On February 12, 1942, 147 prisoners staged a mass escape. In 1944, the city was heavily bombed by the Allies.
On October 14, 1944, after a long and exhausting battle, the 7th German SS Division ' Prinz Eugen' was defeated and Niš was liberated by Bulgarian Army
The Bulgarian Land Forces ( bg, Сухопътни войски на България, Sukhopŭtni voĭski na Bŭlgariya, lit=Ground Forces of Bulgaria) are the ground warfare branch of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. The Land Forces were established ...
, and Partisans. The city was also the site of a unique and accidental friendly fire
In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while eng ...
air war on November 7, 1944 between the air forces of the United States and Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. On June 23, 1948, Niš was the site of a catastrophic flood during which the Nišava
The Nišava or Nishava (Bulgarian and sr-Cyrl, Нишава, ) is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of also the longest one, of the South Morava.
Course Bulgaria
The Nišava originates in western Bulgar ...
river's water level raised by an unprecedented 5.5 meters.
After World War II, the University of Niš
The University of Niš ( sr, Универзитет у Нишу, Univerzitet u Nišu) is a public university in Serbia. It was founded in 1965 and consists of 13 faculties with 1,492 academic staff and around 20,500 students (as of 2018–19 sch ...
was founded on June 15, 1965.
Over the course of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
, Niš was subject to airstrikes on 40 occasions. On May 7, 1999, the city was the site of a NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
cluster bomb raid which killed up to 16 civilians. By the end of the NATO bombing campaign, a total of 56 people in Niš had been killed from airstrikes.
2000–present
In April 2012, the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center
The Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center ( sr, Руско-српски хуманитарни центар, Rusko-srpski humanitarni centar; russian: Российско-сербский гуманитарный центр; abbr. RSHC) is an interg ...
was established in the city of Niš. In December 2017, a new building of Clinical Centre of Niš
The Clinical Centre of Niš ( sr, Клинички Центар у Нишу; abbr. КЦН / KCN) is a medical centre located in Niš, Serbia. It serves as the main medical centre for both Niš and Southern and Southeastern Serbia.
History
The C ...
spreading over 45,000 square meters was opened.
Geography
The road running from the North, from Western and Central Europe and Belgrade down to the Morava River valley, forks into two major lines at Niš: the southern line, leading to Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
and Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, and the eastern one leading towards Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
and Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
.
Niš is situated at the 43°19' latitude north and 21°54' longitude east, in the Nišava
The Nišava or Nishava (Bulgarian and sr-Cyrl, Нишава, ) is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of also the longest one, of the South Morava.
Course Bulgaria
The Nišava originates in western Bulgar ...
valley, near the spot where it joins the South Morava
The South Morava ( Macedonian and Serbian: Јужна Морава, ''Južna Morava'', ; sq, Lumi Morava) is a river in eastern Kosovo and in southern Serbia, which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava. Today, it is 295 km lon ...
. The main city square, the city's central part, is at above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. The highest point in the city area is "Sokolov kamen" (Falcon's rock) on the Suva Planina (''Dry Mountain'') () while the lowest spot is at Trupale
Trupale is a village situated in Niš municipality in Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pann ...
, near the mouth of the Nišava (). The city covers of five municipalities. Below Niska Banja and Nis, under the ground is a natural source of hot water, unique potential of clean and renewable geothermal energy at the surface of up to 65 square kilometers. The natural reservoir is at a depth of 500 to 800 meters, and the estimated capacity is about 400 million cubic meters of thermal mineral water.
Climate
Niš has a humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, but with continental influences. Average annual temperature in the area of Niš is . July is the warmest month of the year, with an average of . The coldest month is January, averaging at . The average of the annual rainfall is . The average barometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a certain environment. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather. Many measurements of air pressure are used within surface weather analysis ...
value is 992.74 mb. On average, there are 134 days with rain and snow cover lasts for 41 days.
Demographics
According to the final results from the 2011 census, the population of city proper of Niš was 183,164,[ while its ]administrative area
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
had a population of 260,237.[
]
The city of Niš has 87,975 households with 2,96 members on average, while the number of homes is 119,196.
Religion structure in the city of Niš is predominantly Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the population in ...
(240,765), with minorities like Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s (2,486), Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
s (809), Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
s (258), Atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
s (109) and others. Most of the population speaks Serbian language
Serbian (, ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-official in Montenegro and Kos ...
(249,949).
The composition of population by sex and average age:
* Male – 126,645 (40.90 years) and
* Female – 133,592 (42.81 years).
A total of 120,562 citizens (older than 15 years) have secondary education (53.81%), while the 51,471 citizens have higher education (23.0%). Of those with higher education, 34,409 (15.4%) have university education.
Ethnic composition
The ethnic composition of the city of Niš:
Administrative divisions
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, at the intersection of European highway and railway networks connecting Europe with Asia. Niš is easily accessible, having an airport – Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport ( sr, Аеродром Константин Велики Ниш, Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš) , located northwest of downtown Niš, in the suburbs of Medoševac and Popovac. It is the second-largest an ...
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 may refer to:
Rivers
* Great Morava (''Velika Morava''; or only Morava), a river in central Serbia, and its tributaries:
** South Morava (''Južna Morava'')
*** Binač Morava (''Binačka Morava'')
** West Morava (''Zapadna Morava'')
* Mor ...
valley forks into two major lines:
* the south one, leading to Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
and Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, along the Vardar
The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . Th ...
River valley,
* and the east one, running along the Nišava
The Nišava or Nishava (Bulgarian and sr-Cyrl, Нишава, ) is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of also the longest one, of the South Morava.
Course Bulgaria
The Nišava originates in western Bulgar ...
and the Marica, 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 or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
and Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
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
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
to the Mediterranean. Nis had been a relatively developed city in the former Yugoslavia. In 1981, its GDP per capita was 110% of the Yugoslav average.
As of September 2017, Niš has one of 14 free economic zone
Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which co ...
s established in Serbia.
;Economic preview
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2019):
Companies
Niš is one of the most important industrial centers in Serbia, well known for its tobacco, electronics, construction, mechanical-engineering, textile, nonferrous-metal, food-processing and rubber-goods industries.
Among the manufacturing companies which had a huge impact during the second half of the 20th century on Niš's development are: EI Niš (electronics industry), Mechanical Industry Niš, "Građevinar" (construction company), Niš Tobacco Factory, "Nitex – Niš" (textile industry), "Niš Brewery" (beverages) and "Žitopek" (bakery). Other prominent companies which went bankrupt during the 1990s and 2000s are: "Vulkan" (rubber-goods manufacturer), "NISSAL" (nonferrous-metal industry).
Prominent tobacco manufacturer "Niš Tobacco Factory" was sold to Philip Morris in August 2003 for 518 million euros, while Nitex was sold to Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.r.l. () is a global fashion brand based in Ponzano Veneto, Italy, founded in 1965. Benetton Group has a network of about 5,000 stores worldwide. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Benetton family's holding company Edizio ...
. In recent years, Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc.
Integrated Micro-electronics, Inc. (abbreviated as IMI, ) provides electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and power semiconductor assembly and test services (SATS) with manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. Its headquarters ...
, Yura Corporation
Yura may refer to:
Place
* Yura, Wakayama, a town in Japan
* Yura District, a district in Peru
* Yura Station, a railway station in Japan
Ethnic groups and languages
*Yura, or Adnyamathanha, an indigenous group of South Australia
*Yura, or ...
, Zumtobel Group
The Zumtobel Group is an Austrian company specialising in lighting headquartered in Dornbirn. Zumtobel engages in the development, production and sales of lighting, luminaires, lighting management and lighting components for indoor and outdoor ap ...
, Johnson Electric
Johnson Electric (德昌電機控股有限公司) () is a provider of motors, actuators, motion subsystems and related electro-mechanical components for automotive, industrial and medical applications. Johnson Electric has manufacturing facili ...
and Shinwon opened their plants in Niš. Currently, Chinese manufacturer, Xingyu automotive systems, is building its factory.
In former Electronic and Mechanical Industry complexes, many smaller manufacturers opened their plants.
In 2019, companies with highest operating income were Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. The most recognized and best selling product of the company is Marlboro. Philip Morris I ...
, with over 190,000,000 Euros and Johnson Electric
Johnson Electric (德昌電機控股有限公司) () is a provider of motors, actuators, motion subsystems and related electro-mechanical components for automotive, industrial and medical applications. Johnson Electric has manufacturing facili ...
with over 140,000,000 Euros.
Transportation
Niš is strategically between the Morava river valley in North and the Vardar
The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . Th ...
river valley in the south, on the main route between Greece and Central Europe. In the Niš area, this major transportation and communication route is linked with the natural corridor formed by the Nišava
The Nišava or Nishava (Bulgarian and sr-Cyrl, Нишава, ) is a river in Bulgaria and Serbia, a right tributary, and with a length of also the longest one, of the South Morava.
Course Bulgaria
The Nišava originates in western Bulgar ...
river valley, which runs Eastwards in the direction of Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
and Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
. The city has been a passing station for the Orient Express
The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe and int ...
.
The first highways date back to the 1950s when Niš was linked with capital Belgrade through the Brotherhood and Unity Highway
The Brotherhood and Unity Highway (; ; or , ), officially classed as the M-1 highway, was a highway that stretched over across Yugoslavia, from the Austrian border at Jesenice in the northwest via Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje to Gevgel ...
, the first in Southeastern Europe.
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
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
that built the important road Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum (today the Serbian capital Belgrade), passing by Danube coast to Viminacium (modern Požarevac), through Naissus (modern Niš), Serdica (modern Sofia), Philippopo ...
, linking the city with ''Singidunum'' (current Belgrade) to the North and ''Constantinople'' (current Istanbul) to the southeast. Nowadays, the city is connected by the highway E75 with Belgrade and Central Europe in north, and Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
and Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
in the south. The road E80 connects Niš with Sofia, Istanbul towards the Middle East, and Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
and the Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
to the West. The road E771 connects the city with Zaječar
Zaječar ( sr-Cyrl, Зајечар, ; ro, Zaicear or ) is a city and the administrative center of the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the city administrative area has a population of 59,461 inhabitants.
Zaječar ...
, Kladovo
Kladovo ( sr-Cyrl, Кладово, ; ro, Cladova or ) is a town and municipality located in the Bor District of Southern and Eastern Serbia, eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube river. The population of the town is 8,91 ...
and Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta-Turnu Severin (), colloquially Severin, is a city in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania, on the northern bank of the Danube, close to the Iron Gates. "Drobeta" is the name of the ancient Dacian and Roman towns at the site, and the modern ...
in Romania.
The city is also a major regional railway junction linking Serbia to Sofia and Istanbul.
The Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport ( sr, Аеродром Константин Велики Ниш, Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš) , located northwest of downtown Niš, in the suburbs of Medoševac and Popovac. It is the second-largest an ...
is the second most important airport in Serbia. The first airfield serving the city of Niš was established in 1910, near the village of Donje Međurovo. In the 1930s then-national airline company Aeroput
Aeroput () was an airline and flag carrier of Yugoslavia from 1927 until 1948.
Society for Air traffic AD Aeroput was the first Serbian company for civil air traffic, which was founded on 17 June 1927 as ''Društvo za Vazdušni Saobraćaj "Aero ...
used the airport for civil service. In 1935 Aeroput included a stop in Niš in its route linking Belgrade with Skoplje.
The city public transportation consists nowadays of 13 bus lines. A tram system existed in Niš between 1930 and 1958. Niš Bus Station is the city's largest and main bus station which offers both local urban and intercity transport to international destinations. The largest intercity bus carrier based in the city is Niš-Ekspres
Niš-Ekspres (full legal name: ''Akcionarsko društvo za saobraćajnu delatnost Niš-Ekspres Niš'') is a bus company based in Niš, Serbia. Established in 1951, the company is today the largest and most-used public intercity transportation from Ni ...
, which operates to various cities and villages in Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
.
File:Niš – Airport.jpg, Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Niš Constantine the Great Airport ( sr, Аеродром Константин Велики Ниш, Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš) , located northwest of downtown Niš, in the suburbs of Medoševac and Popovac. It is the second-largest an ...
File:Nis Express buses in Nish Serbia.jpg, Central Bus Station
File:Niš railway station 2.JPG, Main Railway Station
Culture
Theatre
Niš is a home of the National Theatre in Niš
The National Theatre ( sr, Народно позориште у Нишу, Narodno Pozorište u Nišu) is a theater located in Sinđelić Square, Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serb ...
, that was founded as "Sinđelić" Theatre in 1889.
Music
From 1981 Niš is the host of Nišville
Nišville ( Serbian: Нишвил, Nišvil) is an annual summer music festival held in the Ancient Fortress of Niš, Serbia.
From the festival's very beginning, its concept has been based on presenting the ‘traditional’ jazz forms togethe ...
International Jazz music festival which begins in mid-August and lasts for 4 days. Galija
Galija ( sr-cyr, Галија; ) is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1977.
The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Predrag Milosavljević (vocals). A larg ...
, Kerber
Kerber ( sr-cyr, Кербер, lit=Cerberus) is a Serbian and Yugoslav hard rock band formed in Niš in 1981.
The mainstay members of Kerber are vocalist Goran Šepa "Gale", guitarist Tomislav "Tomica" Nikolić and keyboardist Branislav "Bane ...
and Eyot
An ait (, like ''eight'') or eyot () is a small island. It is especially used to refer to river islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England.
Aits are typically formed by the deposit of sediment in the water, which accumu ...
are considered the most notable music bands to have originated from Niš. Other notable Niš music acts include Daltoni
Daltoni (Serbian Cyrillic: ; translation: '' The Daltons'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1963. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene.
Formed by high school students, Daltoni initially performed beat music. In t ...
, Dobri Isak
Dobri Isak (Serbian Cyrillic: Добри Исак; trans. ''Kind Isaac'') was a Yugoslav post-punk/darkwave band formed in Niš in 1983.
Dobri Isak existed for only several years, releasing only one studio album, '' Mi plačemo iza tamnih naoča ...
, Lutajuća Srca
Lutajuća Srca (Serbian Cyrillic: Лутајућа Срца, trans. ''Wandering Hearts'') was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1970. They were one of the most notable representatives of the Yugoslav 1970s acoustic rock scene.
D ...
, Mama Rock
Mama Rock is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band, best known for their hit ballad "Eva".
History
1977 - 1992
History of Mama Rock begins with band Viktorija (not to be confused with Serbian rock singer Viktorija and her support band) whose m ...
, Hazari, Novembar
Novembar (Serbian Cyrillic: Новембар; trans. ''November'') is a Serbian punk rock band from Niš.
History
Studeni Studeni, band formation (1986–1991)
During the late 1980s, one of the most promising former Yugoslav bands from Zagreb ...
, Trivalia and others.
Tourism
Tourist sites
*Čegar
Čegar ( sr-Cyrl, Чегар) 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:
:"To voivoda Stevan Sinđelić and his undying heroes who lost their lives on M ...
– The place where the Battle of Čegar
The Battle of Čegar ( sr, Битка на Чегру/Bitka na Čegru), also known as the Battle of Kamenica (Бој на Каменици/Boj na Kamenici) was a battle of the First Serbian Uprising between the Serbian Revolutionaries and Ottoman ...
took place on May 19, 1809.
*Crveni Krst concentration camp
The Crveni Krst concentration camp (lit. Red Cross concentration camp; german: KZ Crveni Krst; sr, Логор Црвени крст, Logor Crveni krst), also known as the Niš concentration camp (german: Lager Nich), located in Crveni Krst, Niš, ...
– One of the few preserved Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
concentration camps in Europe. It is on February 12 Boulevard.
* Memorial to Constantine the Great – built in the city centre in 2013, in commemoration to Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
who was born in the city, on the anniversary of the Edict of Milan.
*Bubanj
Bubanj ( sr-Cyrl, Бубањ; or as it is often called ''Bubanj Selo'' (), because the city district of the city of Niš called ''Bubanj'') is a village in the municipality of Palilula, City of Niš, Serbia. According to the 2002 census its popul ...
– Monument to fallen Yugoslav World War II fighters, forming the shape of three clenched fists. The place where 10,000 civilian hostages from Niš and south Serbia were brutally murdered by German Nazis.
*Kalča
Kalča 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
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ...
, City passage and Gorča – Trade centers situated in Milana Obrenovića Street.
* Memorial Chapel in the memory of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
bombing
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...
victims – The chapel was built by local authorities while the monument was built by the State government in 1999. They are situated in Sumatovacka street near Niš Fortress
Niš Fortress ( sr, Нишка тврђава / Niška tvrđava) is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, overlooking the area inh ...
.
*Niš Fortress
Niš Fortress ( sr, Нишка тврђава / Niška tvrđava) is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, overlooking the area inh ...
– The remaining fortification was built by the Turks, and dates from the first decades of the 18th century (1719–23). It is situated in the city center.
*The fortress-cafes – They are situated near Stambol gate (the main gate of the fortress).
*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 organised economy. Excavations have revealed a villa with peristyl ...
– Archeological site, an Imperial villa, from the late Roman period
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
on the road leading to Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
, near EI Nis.
*Niška Banja
Niška Banja ( sr-cyr, Нишка Бања) is a town and one of five city municipalities which constitute the city of Niš. It is also one of the spa resorts in Serbia. It is located east of Niš.
According to the 2011 census, the population ...
(Niš spa) – A very popular spa during the summer season. It is from city center on the road leading to Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
, in the bottom of Suva Planina
Suva Planina (Serbian Cyrillic: Сува планина, meaning "dry mountain") is a List of mountains of Serbia, mountain in Southern Serbia (geographical region), southeastern Serbia. It lies between the towns of Niška Banja to the northwest a ...
Mountain.
*Tinkers Alley
Tinkers Alley also known as Coppersmith alley ( sr, Kazandžijsko sokače, script=Latn, ') 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 ...
– An old urban downtown zone in today's Kopitareva Street, built in the first half of the 18th century. It was a street full of tinkers and other craftsmen, but today it is packed with cafes and restaurants.
*Skull Tower
Skull Tower ( sr-cyr, Ћеле кула, Ćele kula, ) is a stone structure embedded with human skulls located in Niš, Serbia. It was constructed by the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Čegar of May 1809, during the First Serbian Uprisin ...
(''Ćele Kula'') – A monument to the Serbian revolutionaries (1804–13); a tower made out of skulls of Serbian uprisers, killed and decapitated by the Ottomans. It is situated on Zoran Đinđić
Zoran Đinđić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Ђинђић, ; 1 August 1952 – 12 March 2003) was a Serbian politician who served as the prime minister of Serbia from 2001 until his assassination in 2003. He was the mayor of Belgrade in 1997. Đinđić ...
Boulevard, on the old Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
road leading to Sofia.
*Sultans Trail
The Sultans Trail is a long-distance footpath from Vienna to Istanbul. It is long. The path passes through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, East Macedonia and Thrace in northern Greece, and Turkey.
History
Sultans ...
Long distance hiking and biking route from Vienna to İstanbul runs through Niš.
Architecture and monuments
Buildings in Niš are constantly being built. Niš is the second city in Serbia after Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
by number of high-rises. The Ambassador Hotel is one of the tallest buildings in Niš, but there are also other buildings like TV5 Tower.
Sport
The city of Niš is home to numerous sport clubs including Radnički Niš, RK Železničar 1949
RK Železničar 1949 () is a Serbian handball club based in Niš. They compete in the Serbian Handball Super League.
History
The club was formed as RK Naissus on 7 September 2009 by the amalgamation of RK Železničar and ORK Niš. They immedi ...
, Mašinac, ŽRK Naisa, OK Niš
Volleyball club Niš (Serbian: Odbojkaški klub Niš), is a professional volleyball team based in Niš, Serbia. It plays in the Serbian volley league.
History
Volleyball club Niš (OK Niš) is a successor team of a former volleyball club Student ...
, Mašinac, Sinđelić Niš etc.
The biggest stadium in Niš is the Stadion Čair
Stadion (Greek , Latin ''stadium'', nominative plural ''stadia'' in both Greek and Latin) may refer to:
People
* Christoph von Stadion (1478–1543), Prince-Bishop of Augsburg
* Johann Philipp Stadion, Count von Warthausen (1763–1824), Austrian ...
, with a total seating-capacity of 18,151 after renovations. The stadium is part of the Čair Sports Complex that also includes an indoor swimming pool and an indoor arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
. Niš was one of four towns which hosting the 2012 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2012 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was the tenth edition of the men's continental handball tournament, which was held in Serbia between 15 and 29 January 2012. Sixteen teams qualified for the event, including host nation Serbia, ...
.
Notable residents
The people listed below were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Niš, and its surrounding metropolitan area.
* Constantius I
Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 t ...
, Roman Emperor, father of Constantine I
* Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, the great, (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus) – ruled 306 to 337
* Constantius III
Constantius III was briefly Western Roman emperor of the West in 421. He earned his position as Emperor due to his capability as a general under Honorius, achieving the rank of ''magister militum'' by 411. That same year, he suppressed the r ...
, (Flavius Constantius) – ruled 421
* Justin I
Justin I ( la, Iustinus; grc-gre, Ἰουστῖνος, ''Ioustînos''; 450 – 1 August 527) was the Eastern Roman emperor from 518 to 527. Born to a peasant family, he rose through the ranks of the army to become commander of the imperial ...
, (Flavius Iustinus) – ruled 518 to 527
* Nikephoros Lykaon
Nikephoros Lykaon or Lalakon ( el, Νικηφόρος Λυκάων or Λαλάκων) was a Byzantine ''protospatharios'' and '' strategos'' of Naissus in ca. 1050. He is known only through his seal.Prosopography of the Byzantine World
The Prosop ...
protospatharios c. 1050
* Stevan Sinđelić
Stevan Sinđelić ( sr-cyr, Стеван Синђелић; 1771 – 19 May 1809) was a Serbian revolutionary commander in Resava, who fought during the First Serbian Uprising (1804-1813) against Ottoman rule. As the commander of the Resava ...
, war leader ( vojvoda), died in 1809 in the Battle of Čegar
The Battle of Čegar ( sr, Битка на Чегру/Bitka na Čegru), also known as the Battle of Kamenica (Бој на Каменици/Boj na Kamenici) was a battle of the First Serbian Uprising between the Serbian Revolutionaries and Ottoman ...
.
* Stevan Sremac
Stevan Sremac ( sr-cyr, Стеван Сремац, ; 11 November 1855 – 13 August 1906) was a Serbian realist and comedy writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.
Biography
Stevan Sremac was born in Senta in B ...
(1855–1906), writer, came to Niš shortly after its liberation from the Turkish rule; wrote about life in old Niš (''Ivkova slava'', ''Zona Zamfirova'').
* Nikola Uzunović
Nikola Uzunović ( sr-cyr, Никола Узуновић; 3 May 1873 – 19 July 1954) was a Serbian politician who served as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia on two occasions.
Early life
Born in the city of Niš, as Nicola Uzun to a family of Aro ...
, (b. 1873), prime minister of Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
from 1926 to 1927.
* Dragiša Cvetković
Dragiša Cvetković ( sr-cyr, Драгиша Цветковић; 15 January 1893 – 18 February 1969) was a Yugoslav politician active in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1939 to 1941. ...
, (1893–1969), prime minister of Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
from 1939 to 1941.
*Svetislav Milosavljević
Svetislav "Tisa" Milosavljević ( sr-cyr, Светислав Тиса Милосављевић; 9 July 1882 – 28 July 1960) was a Serbian military architect and public officer. He was the first ban of the Vrbas Banovina, and during his term betw ...
, (1882–1960), a Yugoslav army general and first Ban of Vrbas Banovina
The Vrbas Banovina or Vrbas Banate ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Vrbaska banovina, Врбаска бановина), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. It was named after the Vrbas River and consist ...
.
* Dušan Radović, (1922–84), journalist and writer.
*Dušan Čkrebić
Dušan Čkrebić (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан Чкребић; 7 August 1927 – 7 April 2022) was a Serbian politician who served as the Prime Minister, President of the Assembly and President of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.
Biography
Č ...
, (b. 1927), President(1984–1986) and Prime Minister(1978–1982) of SR Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
.
* Spiridon, (?–1389), Patriarch of Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephaly, a ...
.
*Irinej
Irinej is the Slavic form of the name Irenaeus.
People bearing this name include:
*Irinej, Serbian Patriarch (1930–2020), the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (2010–2020).
*Irinej Bulović
Irinej Bulović (born Mirko Bulović ...
(1930–2020), Serbian patriarch
This article lists the heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the establishment of the church as an autocephalous archbishopric in 1219 to today's patriarchate. The list includes all the archbishops and patriarchs that led the Serbian Ortho ...
(2010–2020) and Bishop of Niš
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
(1975–2010)
* Nadja Regin
Nadežda "Nađa" Poderegin (2 December 1931 – 6 April 2019), commonly known by her stage name Nadja Regin ( sr-Cyr, Нађа Регин, ), was a Serbian actress. Performing in Yugoslav films from 1949, she developed an international career i ...
, (1931–2019), Serbian and British actress.
* Predrag Antonijević
Predrag "Gaga" Antonijević ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Гага Антонијевић; born 7 February 1959) is a Serbian film director and screenwriter. In 2021, he was awarded the Order of Karađorđe's Star
The Order of Karađorđe's Star ( ...
, (b. 1959), film director.
* Branko Miljković
Branko Miljković (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранко Миљковић; 29 January 1934 – 12 February 1961) was a Serbian poet.
Biography
Miljković was born in Niš to a Serb father Gligorije Miljković, who hails from Gadžin Han, and a Croat mo ...
(1934–61), poet.
* Bratislav Anastasijević
Bratislav "Bata" Anastasijević (April 18, 1936, Niš, Serbia, Yugoslavia – October 12, 1992, Niš) was a university music professor, pianist, composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist, leader of vocal quartets, quintets, sextets, octets. He also ...
(1936–1992), musician, conductor
* Šaban Bajramović
Šaban Bajramović ( sr-Cyrl, Шабан Бајрамовић, ; rom, Shaban Bajramovičh; 16 April 1936 – 8 June 2008), nicknamed Šabi (Шаби), was a Serbian vocalist and recording artist of Arlije Romani ethnicity. He was one of the mos ...
(1936–2008), Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
singer and composer.
* Kornelije Kovač
Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; hu, Kovács Kornél; 1 January 1942 – 13 September 2022) was a Serbian composer.
Early life
Born in Niš during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Serbia to a ...
(b. 1942), rock musician and composer.
* Goran Paskaljević
Goran Paskaljević ( sr-cyr, Горан Паскаљевић; ; 22 April 1947 – 25 September 2020) was a Serbian and former Yugoslav film director.
Biography
Born in Belgrade, he was raised by his grandparents in Niš in southern Serbia, foll ...
(1947–2020), movie director; raised by his grandparents in Niš 1949–63, after the divorce of his parents.
* Dragan Pantelić
Dragan Pantelić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Пантелић; 9 December 1951 – 20 October 2021) was a Yugoslav professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He scored over 20 goals over the course of his career, mainly from pen ...
(b. 1951), former football goalkeeper, president of Radnički Niš.
* Eva Haljecka Petković (1870–1947), doctor.
* Predrag Miletić
Predrag Miletić, ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Милетић; born ), is a Serbian film, television, and theatre actor. Since 1981, Predrag Miletić has been a full-time member of the National Theatre in Belgrade, where he has appeared in more th ...
(b. 1952), actor.
*Miki Manojlović
Predrag "Miki" Manojlović ( sr-cyr, Предраг "Мики" Манојловић; born 5 April 1950) is a Serbian actor, famous for his starring roles in some of the most important films of former Yugoslav cinema. Since the early 1990s, he su ...
(b. 1950), actor.
* Zoran Živković (b. 1954), handball player and coach, Olympic champion
* Aki Rahimovski
Parni Valjak (; "steamroller") is a Croatian and former Yugoslav rock band. They were one of the top acts of the former Yugoslav rock scene, and one of the top rock bands in Croatia.
Biography
Parni Valjak was founded in 1975 in Zagreb. Unlike ...
(b. 1954), rock musician.
* Nenad Milosavljević
Nenad Milosavljević (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Милосављевић, born February 6, 1954), also known as Neša Galija (Неша Галија), is a Serbian musician and politician, best known as the frontman of the Serbian and former Yu ...
(b. 1954), rock musician.
* Biljana Krstić
Biljana () is a settlement east of Dobrovo in the Municipality of Brda in the Littoral region of Slovenia, very close to the border with Italy.
Name
Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1233 ...
(b. 1959), rock and traditional music singer and songwriter.
* Ana Stanić
Ana Stanić ( sr-cyr, Ана Станић; born 8 December 1975) is a Serbian pop singer, songwriter, composer, and film producer.
Career
Music
In 1994, she became the singer in dance-pop duo Moby Dick. They recorded three albums, which sold i ...
(b.1975), Serbian pop-rock singer
* Zoran Živković (b. 1960), politician, a former Prime Minister of Serbia
The prime minister of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, премијерка Србије, premijerka Srbije; masculine: премијер/premijer), officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, председница Влад ...
.
* Zoran Ćirić
Zoran Ćirić ( sr-cyr, italic=yes, Зоран Ћирић) (born in 1962) is a writer from Niš, Serbia. He writes poetry and prose.
Ćirić received the NIN award in 2001 for his novel ''Hobo''.
Novels
* ''Prisluškivanje'' (2000)
* ''Hobo ...
(b. 1962), writer.
* Aleksandar Šoštar
Aleksandar Šoštar ( sr-cyrl, Александар Шоштар; born 21 January 1964) 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 Yugos ...
(b. 1964), water polo goalkeeper, Olympic, World and European champion.
* Dragan Stojković
Dragan Stojković ( sr-Cyrl, Драган Стојковић, ; born 3 March 1965), also known by the nickname Piksi (Пикси), is a Serbian former footballer who played as a midfielder, and the current manager of the Serbia national team. Wi ...
(b. 1965), football player, Olympic bronze medalist.
* Lidija Mihajlović
Lidija Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Лидија Михајловић; born September 23, 1968) is a Serbian sport shooter.
Mihajlović was born in Niš (SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) and began her shooting career at SK "NIŠ 1881" in her native ci ...
(b. 1968), shooting champion.
* Branislava Ilić
Branislava Ilić (Niš, 1970), is a playwright, dramaturge, screenwriter, actress and prose writer from Serbia.
Biography
Branislava attended the Secondary Acting School in Niš. She obtained her dramaturgy degree at the Faculty of Dramatic Art ...
(b. 1970), playwright, screenwriter, prose writer, essayist.
* Ivan Miljković
Ivan Miljković ( sr-cyrl, Иван Миљковић ; born 13 September 1979) is a Serbian volleyball player, a member of Serbia men's national volleyball team in 1998–2012, 2000 Summer Olympics, Olympic Champion 2000, Men's European Volleyba ...
(b. 1979), volleyball player, Olympic and European champion.
* Bojana Popović
Bojana Popović née Petrović, (born 20 November 1979) is a handball coach and a retired Montenegrin handballer. She is considered by many to be the best female handball player of the past decade, despite not being given any official recogniti ...
(b. 1979), Montenegrin handball player, Olympic silver medalist.
* Nikola Karabatić
Nikola Karabatić (born 11 April 1984) is a French handball player for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team.
With the French national handball team, he has won three Olympic gold medals (Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012 and 2020), four ...
(b. 1984), French handball player, Olympic, World and European champion.
* Nemanja Radulović (b. 1985), violinist.
* Ivan Kostic (b. 1989), footballer.
* Stefan Jović
Stefan Jović ( sr-cyr, Стефан Јовић, born November 3, 1990) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Basket Zaragoza of the Liga ACB. He represents the senior Serbian national basketball team internationally. Standing at , he ...
(b. 1990), basketball player, Olympic, World Cup, and EuroBasket silver medalist.
* Sava Ranđelović
Sava Ranđelović ( sr-cyr, Сава Ранђеловић; born 17 July 1993) is a Serbian water polo player for VasasPlaket and the Serbia men's national water polo team.
Representing Serbia, he won European Championship gold medals in 2014, ...
(b. 1993), water polo player, Olympic, World and European champion.
* Andrija Živković
Andrija Živković ( sr-Cyrl, Андрија Живковић, ; born 11 July 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club PAOK and the Serbia national team.
He is the youngest player ever to m ...
(b. 1996), footballer, U-20 World champion.
* Staša Gejo
Staša Gejo ( sr-cyr, Сташа Гејо; born 25 November 1997 in Niš) is a Serbia, Serbian sport climber. She was the 2015 IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships, World Junior Champion in both Bouldering and Combined. In the senior category ...
(b. 1997), sport climber, World and European champion.
* Nemanja Radonjić
Nemanja Radonjić ( sr-cyr, Немања Радоњић, ; born 15 February 1996) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or Winger (football), winger for Italian club Torino F.C., Torino ...
(b. 1996), footballer, Serbian champion.
Diplomatic missions
The city of Niš, after Belgrade, has the largest diplomatic corps in Serbia. Bulgaria has General Consulate in Niš. Until 2010, there was also a Consulate General of Greece. Diplomatic agreements were given to five prominent citizens of Niš, who acquired the title of honorary consul. The United Kingdom, Hungary, France, Slovakia and Austria have chosen Nis as their honorary consuls, appreciating their commitment and contribution to strengthening ties and cooperation in various fields with these countries.
General Consulates:
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
''(to be opened)''
Honorary Consulates:
Local media
;Online newspaper:
*Narodne novine "Народне новине"
*Južne vesti (Southern news)
;Online radio stations:
*Internet.Radio.Magazin Super radio
;Radio stations:
*Baltazar radio (90.5) (renamed to Radio Jat (90.5))
*Banker radio (98.3)
*City radio (99.9)
*Radio Nišava (104.0)
(in Roma language, Romany)
*Radio Belle Amie (95.6)
*Radio Belle Amie Folk Kanal (98.7/100.7) (closed)
*Radio Seven (88.8)
;TV stations:
*Banker TV
*TV 5 (closed)
*BelleAmie TV
*TV Nais
*RTV Nišava (in Romany)
*Čair (in Romany) (closed)
*NTV Media Niš
*Art TV
*Puls TV (closed)
*Kopernikus Televizija
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Niš is twinned with the following cities, according to their City Hall website:
Other forms of cooperation and city friendship
See also
* Islam-aga's Mosque
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, image = Islam-agina džamija, Niš, Srbija, 14.JPG
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption =
, location = Niš, Serbia
, geo ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
Regional Chamber of Economy Niš official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nis
Municipalities and cities of Southern and Eastern Serbia
Populated places in Nišava District
Illyrian Serbia
Cities in ancient Illyria
Roman towns and cities in Serbia
Former capitals of Serbia
Dacia Mediterranea