Pirot

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**Пирот**
Pirot
Location in Serbia
Image:Pirot coa.gif
Image:Serbia Pirot.png
General Information
District	Pirot
Land area	1232 km²
Population (2002 census)	40,678 (town) 63,791 (municipality)
Settlements	72
Coordinates	43°10′N 22°36′E
Area code	+381 10
Car plates	PI
Time zone	CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2)
Website	http://www.pirot.org.yu

Politics
Mayor	Vladan Vasić (SDP)

Pirot (Serbian Cyrillic: Пирот) is a city located in Serbia at 43.17° N 22.60° E. In 2003, the city had a total population of 40,800. The city is the administrative center of the Pirot District.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Urban architecture
- 3.1 Sports Arena
4 Monuments and churches
5 Industry
6 Media
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Geography

If you are looking for only two words as to fully describe Pirot, those would definitively be “road” and “border”. A road, an everlasting tie between Central Europe and the Orient, was connecting the town to a peaceful valley. The roads through the Balkan Ranges were stipulated by the ground configuration, mountain direction, river basins cutting through the mountain and the peninsula itself, but a position of the fertile valley in these uplands of Europe as well. The town of Pirot is situated on the most important road in southeastern Europe. To be more specific, it is located in the foot of the biggest mountain range in this part of the Old Continent, and on a river connecting the eastern and the western side of the Balkan Peninsula, in a valley surrounded by the woodlands. In contrast to the road passing through the same route from the very beginning, the borders were frequently changed. Despite the military politics and the economy interests of the nations inhabiting the central part of the Balkans or passing through it as conquerors or migrates, the town remained on this very spot at all times. Although being changed frequently, the borders always marked this very place, which was enduring the features of a specific time within. As a final point, the town of Pirot is positioned almost in the very centre of The Balkans, halfway between Niš and Sofia, mid-road between The Pannonian Lowlands, the Thracian Lowlands. This is also the shortest route when heading for Asia.

[edit] History

The first reliable written accounts on the Central Balkans’ history are dating as back as the old Greeks times. The ancient Greeks were interested in these areas only intermediately, for the reason that Macedonia, their greatest opponent, was commonly in war with the Dardanians and the Thracians, whose settlings were partly bordering each other in these areas. As far as the political system was concerned, Dardanians had the least developed system. The Illyrians, their cognates in the West, the Thracians, and eastern neighbours were more progressive than the Dardanians. Moreover, Dardanians stated the tribal community, and just about the time when the community transformations were inducted, a Roman Conquest happened. At the very beginning of the reigning of the Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus, the vanishing of Dardania took place, and an administrative annexation was conducted in the year of 14 A.D, after establishing the provinces of Mesia and Thrace. Consequently, the territory of Pirot and its vicinity were bordering with the two provinces.

Nevertheless, an important route-direction had already been in use long before the Romans came. Having a well-organized empire, they initiated construction of a road all the way from Singidunum (Belgrade) over Naisus (Niš), Serdica (Sofia), Adrianople (Jedren), to Constantinople (Istanbul). It was a military road, Via Militaris. The new authorities started to arrange the military troops along the road. In addition, settling of the colonists was commenced, as well, which appeared to be crucial in the romanising procedure of the autochthons, mostly living in larger places. Yet, the Roman authorities had a poor influence upon the villagers. Since the official Roman culture entered very slowly into the local people’s lives, the mother tongue and resident customs barely changed. However, an uncommon and fascinating language feature is still kept in the local speech. Even today, “kvo oratiš” (quo oratish) could be heard, meaning “what do you say?”. During the reigning of Diocletian (284 – 305), great reforms were carried out, even in the Balkan Peninsula. As a result, Pirot was joined with the province of Mediterranean Dacia (Dacia Mediteranea). Image:2279349-Pirot museum-Pirot.jpg The first written account, mentioning Pirot, was an itinerary with a Roman map from the IV century, called Tabula Peuntigeniana. An antique settling in this area was named Tures (Latin for “towers”). Firstly, it was set to enable control and defence of the main road in this part of the empire. Besides, travellers could sleep here over night, as well as get refreshments and new horses or vehicles. In time, the settling advanced because of the important road passing through. Unfortunately, it was also disturbed very persistently by invasions of the Gothic tribes throughout the IV century, as well as the Huns’ in the V century. According to the written accounts “On the Constructions” by Prokopius from Caesarea, who was an official historian, writing during the reigning of the emperor Justinian (527 – 565), the reigning emperor ordered reconstruction of thirty fortresses in the area from Niš to Sofia, probably including the tower of Pirot. He also gave the detailed description of those construction works. In times when the Slavs and Avars were invading the Balkans, the settling was named Quimedava, and was situated on the southern slope of the Sarlah Hill. Corresponding to the archaeological investigations, the town back then, surrounded by forts and fortified walls, also included an early Christian basilica, termas (public bathrooms), a necropolis (graveyard), and other facilities. Beside the military fortress, a civil settlement existed on the site called Majilka. Although Byzantium successfully defended itself from the barbaric tribes’ raids, the Balkans were teeming with the Slavs in the second half of the VI century and at the beginning of the VII century. The Slavs soon became a crucial ethnical element on the peninsula. From the late VIII century, the town was finally incorporated in the First Bulgarian Empire. It remained in Bulgaria almost to the very end of the First Empire at the beginning of the XI century. It once again became part of Bulgaria after the successful uprisal of Asen and Peter. Unfortunately, there are not enough files on the early Middle Age, so the ordinary town’s life remains a mystery. Still, one thing is certain – The Bulgarians undoubtedly changed the history. Consequently, the significance of the towns vanished and the roads were not being used as much. A well-organized country was replaced with the weakly connected tribal communities of the Slavs and the natives, who were pushed back into the woodlands.

[edit] Urban architecture

The architecture of Pirot and its surroundings does not differ from Eastern Serbian architecture. Towns from Byzantine and Roman times were not preserved. The sole stone structure – a fortification, or Kale, was built much later. Only churches and monasteries, and a part of monastery shelters were constructed with stone material. Only these stone buildings outlived arsons and war destruction. There are some signs that walls were surrounding the existing fortress and maybe a settlement. But, no evidence can be found for the fact that the town was built at the same place and it is impossible to do the archaeological researches. In the excavation time, when the town was reconstructed, some remnants of the walls and underground tunnels were found. The City house has no difference than the rural houses. Depending on its position, wealth and occupation of the owners, house can be detached, semi-detached or terrace. It can have several floors and can be placed by the street, in the middle of the garden or deeply in the garden, away from the street. The house next to the street usually had the door in the ground floor earlier. Two urban houses in Pirot are under state protection – The family Hristics’ house, built in 1848, also known as Konak Malog Riste, and the family Panajotovics’ house, built in the sixties of the XIX century, known as White Cat’s House.

[edit] Sports Arena

Sports hall Kej was opened on August 28, 2006. The opening of the hall took place in the presence of all local officials and the representatives of the European Agency for Reconstruction, which, together with the local authorities, financed construction of the hall with 860 seats. The hall is equipped with the best equipment and sports requisites that can be bought on to the market in Serbia.

[edit] Monuments and churches

Image:2282824-Temska monastery-Pirot.jpg Pirot and its vicinity are also known as ”Jerusalem Minor”. In favor to this fact testifies the writing of metropolitan Eustatius. According to the inventory of the churches and monasteries recorded after the liberation from the Ottomans, there were thirteen monasteries and seventy-two churches in this area. In addition, a hundred and thirteen myrtle priests and eleven convent priests were registered within these premises, as well as the following churches and monasteries: Monastery of Our Blessed Lady in Sukovo Village (Sukovo Monastery), Monastery of St. George in Temska Village (Temska Monastery), Monastery of St. Jovan the Divine at Poganovo Village (Poganovo Monastery), Monastery of Our Blessed Lady in Visocka Rzana Village (Rzana Monastery or Vavedenie Monastery), St. Archangel Monastery in Izatovci Village, Monastery of St. Martyr in Divljana Hill (Divljana’s Monastery), Kurdzilovo Monastery, Monastery of St. Nicola in Planinica Village, Monastery of St. Nicola in Sinjac Village, Monastery of Our Blessed Lady’s Vavedenie in Sicevo Village, Monastery of St. Kirk and St. Julita in Smilovci Village, Mislovo Monastery and Trnska Monastery. In conclusion, some of these monasteries are not at the territory of Pirot presently, but they were certainly under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Eustatius at that time.