|
According
to a legend, a Prince Nisa, who built it using the nearby Humska Cuka
stone, founded Niš. There is abundant archaeological evidence
that Niš was inhabited in prehistoric times. Near today's
Tvrdjavski most (Fortress bridge), in 1878, a soldier excavated a 153 mm
long prehistoric axe-hammer made of basalt from Ostrovica, in the Nišava
gorge near Niš. Another similar artifact, roughly hewn and
155mm long, was excavated from the ancient tombs near the Nišava
River, and a Flintstone saw was found near Vrežina. All the
archaeological finds dating from about 4000 BC are exhibited in the
National Museum of Niš.
 The
town was named after the Nišava River, which was named Navissos by
the Celtic inhabitants of the town. Each new conqueror gave the town a new
name: Roman Naissus, Byzantine Nysos, Slovene Niš, or German
Nissa.
In
the zenith of its growth and flourishing, Naissus was one of the most
important crossroads of the Moesian, Trachian and Dardanian road-network,
because it was the point of intersection of the roads from Ljes (at the
Adriatic coast), Thessalonica, Constantinople, and Singidunum (Belgrade).
In ancient times, Naissus was an important stronghold and an invincible
castrum. Its extraordinary geographic position made Naissus an important
strategic spot, mentioned in many records on military affairs in the
Balkans from the 2nd century on. It was near Niš
that Claudius II gained a victory over the Goths in 269 AD, and saved the
Roman Empire from a great danger. Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
(306-337), Diocletianus' successor to the throne born in Naissus in 274,
richly endowed his birthplace. He built majestic edifices here, and made Niš
an important economic, military and administrative centre.
Niš
was besieged, raided, sacked, ravaged and burned to the ground several
times in its long and turbulent history. The Huns captured it in 441,
devastated again in 448, and again in 480, when the Barbarians demolished
the partly rebuilt town. Byzantine Emperor Iustinian restored the town but
the Avars destroyed it once again. The Slavs, in their campaign against
the Byzantium, conquered Niš and settled here in 540. About
987, the town was taken by the Bulgarian Emperor Simeon. In the 11th
century Byzantium took control over Niš and the surrounding
area again. In 1072, the town was raided by the Hungarians (Ugri). Manojlo
I fortified the town, but his successor, Andronik, could not hold it, so Niš
was seized by the Hungarian king Bela III. The town was in Greek hands for
some time, and then, in 1185, it was under Serbian control, but not for
long. In 1196, Isak Angelos defeated Stefan Nemanja and it was not until
1241 that Niš was in Serbian hands again.
 The
gates of Niš saw in several well-known dignitaries of Europe.
In 1096. the Crusade leader Walter visited Niš,
and in 1189. Niš welcomed Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in
his campaign against Byzantium. His ally, Serbian Despot Stefan Nemanja,
greeted him here.
Although situated on the
borderline between the East and the West, Niš has always been
Orthodox - the seat of the large Niš bishopric, which, at the
beginning of the 13th century included the areas around the Nišava
River, the Toplica river, Mokro and Svrljig. In the period of the
Patriarchate of Pec, Niš bishopric stretched as far as
Leskovac and Paraćin.
|
4000
- 3000 BC
|
Archaeological
findings from the prehistoric sites of Bubanj and Humska Cuka testify
that Niš was inhabited as early as in the New Stone Age
(Neolithic) and the Early Bronze Age.
|
|
2000
BC
|
Several
Archaeological sites in the immediate vicinity of Nis reveal
prehistoric settlements on Bubanj, in Hum, Gornja and Donja Vrezina,
Trupale and Gornja Toponica.
|
|
8th
century BC
|
Nis
area represented the border-zone between the Illyrians and the
Thracians.
|
|
3rd
century BC
|
The
Illyrians were defeated by the Celts, who conquered the whole region,
and gave Nis its first recorded name: Naissus (The City of Fairies).
|
|
75
BC
|
The
Romans conquered the Nis area during the Dardanian war.
|
|
161
AD
|
The
first surviving records, by Claudius Ptolomei, in which Nis was
mentioned as one of the four biggest cities of Dardania.
|
|
2nd
century
|
Naissus
was an important Roman military centre - a Municipium.
|
|
274
|
Constantine
Flavius Valerius was born in Nis.
|
|
306
|
Constantine
Flavius Valerius was proclaimed Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
|
|
4th
century
|
Ancient
Nis, with Constantine's residence at Mediana, flourished in prosperity,
as a military and administrative centre of the Roman Empire.
|
|
441
|
Nis
was devastated by the Huns, as were many other cities in the Balkans.
|
|
1185
|
Serbian
Zupan Stefan Nemanja took over the city of Nis.
|
|
1189
|
In
Nis, Stefan Nemanja met Frederick I Barbarossa, the leader of the
Crusaders, to discuss the strategy against the Byzantium.
|
|
1385
|
The
Turks seized Nis for the first time. The siege lasted for 25 days.
|
|
1443
|
 In
the so-called Long Campaign, Christian armies, led by the Hungarian
military leader
Janos Hunyadi (known as Sibinjanin Janko in Serbian folk poetry)
together with Serbian Despot Djuradj Brankovic, defeated the Turks and
repelled them to Sofia. An important battle was fought near Nis, which
remained a free city for a whole year after that.
|
|
1570
|
German
diplomat Rime in his travelogues mentioned the Dubrovnik colony in Nis.
|
|
1723
|
The
Nis Fortress was built. It is one of the best-preserved and the most
beautiful edifices in the Balkans erected during Turkish rule.
|
|
1737
|
Austrian
armies seized Nis for the second time and held it for 85 days
|
|
1766
|
Metropolitan
Gavrilo published 'Sindjelija', the first book published here.
|
|
1809
|
The
beginning of the Serbian campaign against the Turks. The first battles
were fought near Nis.
|
|
May
31st 1809
|
Stevan
Sindjelic, Karadjordje's voivoda, led the Nis Campaign army, which
fought the Turks at Cegar Hill near Nis, and was eventually defeated.
|
|
January
11th 1878
|
Nis
was liberated from the Turks.
|
|
1878
|
"Project
for the Regulation of Nis", designed by Winter started being
applied in Nis town planning. The first Grammar School (Gimnazija) was
founded.
|
|
1881
|
1881
The first bank was opened in Nis.
|
|
1882
|
1881
The Teachers' Training College was founded in Nis.
|
|
1884.
god.
|
The
Nis - Belgrade railway line was opened to traffic.
The first issue of the local newspapers "Niski vjesnik" was
published.
|
|
1885
|
1884
The first hardware workshop was founded. It later grew into the first
and the biggest enterprise in the town.
|
|
1886.
god.
|
In
Nis, the law was passed by which the Serbian Royal Academy was
constituted.
|
|
1887
|
"Sindjelic",
the first local theatre, was founded in Nis.
|
|
1889
|
The
Public Library was opened; The building of the County Administration (Banovina)
was erected.
|
|
1894
|
The
Girls' College was founded in Nis.
|
|
1897
|
The
citizens of Nis saw the first movie.
|
|
1900
|
1900
The first issue of "Gradina", local literary magazine, was
published.
|
|
1903
|
1903
The first Workers' Culture Club was founded.
|
|
1905
|
Nadezda
Petrovic, well-known Serbian paintress, founded the Fine Arts Colony in
Sicevo, in the vicinity of Nis.
|
|
1906
|
The
first full-time cinema was opened in a pavilion in Sindjelicev Trg (Sindjelic
Square).
|
|
1908
|
The
Sicevo hydroelectric power plant was built on the Nisava River near Nis.
|
|
1914
|
At
the beginning of World War I, Nis became the war seat of the Serbian
Government and the National Assembly.
|
|
December
7th, 1914
|
The
Nis Declaration: the National Assembly issued a declaration, explaining
the aims of the liberation war and announcing the constitution of a new
state, in which all the South-Slav peoples would be united.
|
|
1915-1918
|
During
World War I, the German and Bulgarian armies occupied Nis.
|
|
October
12th, 1918
|
Nis
was liberated from the Germans.
|
|
1941
|
World
War II. The Germans, who set up the Red Cross Concentration Camp in a
Nis suburb, occupied Nis. More than 12 000 prisoners were killed during
the war, most of them shot on Bubanj Hill near Nis.
|
|
February
12th 1842
|
A
successful escape from the Red Cross Concentration Camp was organized.
|
|
October
14th 1944
|
Nis
was liberated from the Germans.
|
|
1965
|
1965
The University of Nis was founded.
|
|
1966
|
An
important cultural festival established in Nis: Filmski susreti, the
Yugoslav Film Festival of Actors' Achievements.
|
|
1969
|
1969
Another cultural event established in Nis: Yugoslav Choral Festival (YCF),
the International Festival of Amateur Choirs.
|
|
1971
|
"Narodne
novine", the first modern local newspaper founded.
|
|
1975
|
Nis
became the administrative centre of Nis Region.
|
|
1992.
god.
|
Nis
became the centre of the Nisava Administrative District.
|
|
November 17th 1996 |
After
the local elections, and the attempted fraud by the supporters of the
ruling party, the citizens of Nis stood up in peaceful protest. It took
the citizens 100 days of protest rallies to force the regime to accept
the election results.
|
|
January
27th 1997
|
On
St Sava's Day, the City Assembly was constituted.
|
|
September 4th 1998
|
 The
Consulate of the Republic of Greece was officially opened in Nis. This
was the first
time in Serbian history that a diplomatic office was opened in a
Serbian town other than the capital. Mr Konstantin Zoros,
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, and Mr
Zoran Živković, mayor of Niš, officially opened the
Consulate of the Republic of Greece. The ceremony was attended by: Mr
Radovan Matković, Secretary-General of the Federal Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia; Mr Panayotis Vlasopulos, the Ambassador
of Greece to Yugoslavia, Mr Dimitros Veriotis, Consul, and many guests.
The Consulate acts in the territory of South and Southeast Serbia.
Different departments will be set up in the Consulate which will cover
different fields of activities. At the moment the Consulate officers
can give you all the valid information on issuing visas to Greece.
|
|
