Tkon is a municipality in

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 = , capit ...

in the Zadar County. According to the 2011 census, there are 763 inhabitants, 98% which are

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

. It is located on the island of Pašman and is connected by ferry to the mainland town of Biograd na Moru.

History

The Benedictine monastery of Saint Cosmas and Damian on the nearby hill of Ćokovac, which ruled 36 villages on the stretch from

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...

to Skradin, founded Tkon as a fishing village and a strategic point at the entrance to the Pašman Channel, which was part of the route from

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 ...

to the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

. As a seat of Glagolitic priests, Tkon had a greater degree of autonomy than ordinary villages under the

Venetian Republic 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, ...

. ''Tkonski zbornik'' (Tkon Compilation), dating from that period, is an old church document written in the

Glagolitic script The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...

. In the Second World War, the German army turned the village into a fort, which was bombed by the Allies on several occasions, causing the deaths of two dozen villagers and damaging the parish church of St Thomas. Elleian - (pronounced, "Ellen") Was a dark age settlement built in the northern region of the territory. Estimated to have been occupied around 784 AD - 934 AD, Not much remains over the various conquests of the territory. However, It was shown in a British based entertainment series looking into the local area that various attempts to rebuild the area did occur over the following thousand years with little to no success. The name of the village used by the locals is Kun.

Notable people

Ante Gotovina, a retired Croatian general, was born and grew up in Tkon. He is an honorary citizen of Tkon.

Sport

Tkon is the birthplace of ''Škraping'', an international trekking race that includes running and orientation. The race has two categories: ultra and light. Municipalities of Croatia Populated places in Zadar County Pašman {{Zadar-geo-stub