Nin ( it, Nona, la, Aenona or ''Nona'') is a town in the Zadar County of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, population 1,132, total municipality population 2,744 (2011). Nin was historically important as a centre of a medieval Christian Diocese of Nin. Nin was also the seat of the Princes of Dalmatia.

Geography

Nin's historical center is located on an islet only 500 meters in diameter. Nin is situated in a

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons ...

on the eastern shore of 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 th ...

, surrounded by natural sandy beaches and linked with the mainland by two stone bridges from the 16th century.

History

According to historians the area of Nin appears to have been settled 10,000 years ago. The present-day town on the islet developed 3,000 years ago and is one of the older towns on the eastern Adriatic. The area of Nin was first colonized by immemorial people of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

. Since the 9th century B.C. the civilization of the

Illyrian tribe This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greek ...

Liburnian The Liburnians or Liburni ( grc, Λιβυρνοὶ) were an ancient tribe inhabiting the district called Liburnia, a coastal region of the northeastern Adriatic between the rivers ''Arsia'' ( Raša) and ''Titius'' ( Krka) in what is now Croati ...

s was present before the Romans came, who had a strong sea and trade center called Aenona (this morphed in the Middle Ages into Nona). The rich archeological finds prove strong sea links with

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

and the

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

world: recent explorations revealed a rarity, a very well preserved

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 ...

mosaic on the floor of a Roman villa. Kondura, Nin

The Croats arrived in Nin in the 8th century. The first Croatian state community was formed in the 9th century. Nin was the first Croatian royal town, with its period of glory being from the 7th to the 13th centuries. In the 9th century Nin became the seat of the first Croatian bishop. Bishops from Nin played a great role in the country's religious, a cultural and a political sense. Significant rulers connected with the history of Nin include Prince Višeslav, Prince Branimir, King Tomislav, King Petar Krešimir IV, King Zvonimir. Up to the abolition and Latinization imposed by King Tomislav in the first half of the 10th century, Nin was the centre of the autonomous Croatian branch of the Church. The Bishop Gregory of Nin (''Grgur Ninski'') was an important figure in the 10th century ecclesiastical politics of

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...

. At the time of the

Turkish wars A series of military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and various European states took place from the Late Middle Ages up through the early 20th century. The earliest conflicts began during the Byzantine–Ottoman wars, waged in Anatolia ...

, Nin found itself on the battle-field. After the selling of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

(1409), the city came under the control of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

. The town was economically exploited but not protected militarily. Subsequently, the town was destroyed twice. The first destruction was in 1571 and the second in 1646. On both occasions, the Venice government gave an order to burn the town and destroy it systematically before abandoning it, so that the Ottomans could not use it as a stronghold. After the 1646 destruction, Nin was never restored to its former condition, and lost its original importance. The economic development of Nin began after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Since 1969, Nin has been developing as a tourist destination. Nin today is a historical and tourist town which looks for its development in the valorization of its historical heritage. In recent years, many monuments have been restored. Because of the importance of Nin in the history of Croatia, tourists visit from Croatia and elsewhere in Europe. They come especially to visit two symbols of the old town: the church of Holy Cross from the 9th century, called “the smallest cathedral in the world”, and the coronation church. After 1980 near Nin a high power medium wave broadcasting station was built.

Population

According to the 2011 census, there were 2,744 inhabitants in the area of the City of Nin, and 1,132 inhabitants in Nin itself.

References

External links

*
Nin tourist site

St. Nicholas of Nin Chapel, 11th century

Nin sea salt production and museum

Nin photos

Queen Beach Nin
{{Coord, 44, 14, N, 15, 11, E, type:city, display=title Cities and towns in Croatia Populated coastal places in Croatia Former capitals of Croatia Populated places in Zadar County Illyrian Croatia

Geography

History

Population

References

Further reading

External links