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174-666: Great War Island is located at the mouth of the Sava river into the Danube, in the Danube's widening between the Kalemegdan fortress as the ending section of the Terazije ridge of northernmost part of Šumadija on the west and the low, easternmost section of the Syrmia plain, the modern Ušće neighborhood of New Belgrade , on the south. The island is relatively close to the banks, at

348-489: A bridge to the island was abandoned in 1972. Since the early 2000s, a military pontoon bridge has been placed each summer during the swimming season on the Lido Beach. It connects the beach and the neighborhood of Zemunski Kej, across an arm of the Danube. As the beach was almost wiped out during the disastrous 2006 European floods , the bridge wasn't laid in 2006–08. In general, the bridge is laid from July to September. It

522-566: A dozen people live in small shacks in the island's interior. They are mostly retirees who move to the island during the warm season and maintain their vegetable gardens, while in the winter they return to Belgrade. In 2005, the island was protected by the state as a landscape of outstanding features. The protected area of 2.11 ha (5.2 acres) includes both the Great War and the Little War islands. The official city idea of constructing

696-461: A grand amusement park , possible relocation spot for the Belgrade Zoo or that sections of the island should be leased to the cultural representatives of the different countries which would turn each section into ethno-park of their native culture, in which case the island would be renamed to Dunavsko ostrvo (Danube Island). The analysis has been done for the zoo to be built on the island, but

870-414: A group of Belgrade University professors protested and urged the city government not to adopt the plan, with professors calling the study faulty. On 30 December 2020, amidst protests and minor physical confrontation with the security guards, city assembly adopted the plan for the urbanization of Makiš. On 25 January 2021, vice-president of the "BK Group" Dragomir Karić said they are withdrawing from

1044-519: A large dome. As Belgrade was generally neglected in the second half of the 14th century, the church also deteriorated a lot. When the Hungarians handed over the city to Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević, he began massive reconstruction of the fortress, including the church, which was restored and expanded. Chronicler Constantine the Philosopher described the church, including the famed icon of

1218-574: A major trade and cultural center, Belgrade became a significant immigration town, with immigrants settling from other parts of Serbia, Dubrovnik, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Italy and Venetia. Population blossomed, so the lower city of the fortress, which was the busiest part of the city, had to be significantly expanded. Belgrade remained in Serbian hands for almost a century. After the Despot's death in 1427, it had to be returned to Hungary. An attempt by

1392-471: A major urban project on this location, beside the danger to the water sources, will also affect the micro climate of New Belgrade and Sava amphitheater and will cause the shutting off of the natural ventilation along the valleys of the rivers Topčiderska Reka , Železnička Reka and Ostružnička Reka. In September 2017 it was announced that the National Stadium will probably not be built within

1566-463: A quarantine hospital is not mentioned in the documents, but it is safe to presume that it had to be formed during the viral outbreaks, as was usual in the time. The procedure in case of outbreaks was probably analog to the existing procedure in Buda , the capital of Hungary . Today unidentified disease ravaged Belgrade in 1730. Viral epidemic killed a lot of people. During the course of only two weeks, just

1740-591: A total of 27 pillars, it would be 5 km (3.1 mi) long which would be travelled in 15 minutes by 2,000 commuters per hour. Despite the project being publicly revived by the mayors Dragan Đilas (2008–2013) and Siniša Mali (2013–2018), it remained on hold. The idea was included in the Belgrade's General Regulatory Plan again in December 2021, including two phases: New Belgrade-Ada Ciganlija-Makiš, and Makiš-Banovo Brdo-Košutnjak. After announcing relocation of

1914-534: Is 375 m (1,230 ft) long and placed by the engineering units of the Serbian Armed Forces . Placing of the bridge regularly sparks protest from the boatmen, either those who work as a ferrymen when there is no bridge, or those who are simply blocked in the Danube's arm between the island and the bank across it. In time, there were several propositions of building a proper bridge to the island, though environmentalists are against it. A project for

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2088-471: Is bounded by 3 streets: Boulevard of Vojvoda Bojović , Tadeuša Košćuška , Pariska , plus the railway along the riverside. Belgrade Fortress is the core and the oldest section of the urban area of Belgrade. For centuries, the city population was concentrated only within the walls of the fortress, and thus the history of the fortress, until most recent times, reflects the history of Belgrade itself (see: Timeline of Belgrade history ). The first mention of

2262-436: Is feasible, and that Ranney collectors, or other types of wells, can be built. However, the studies also showed that the yield would be negligible regarding the total water consumption in the city and that construction of the collectors and wells would be too expensive for the amount of water which will be produced. When flooded, the island can be buried under up to 4 m (13 ft) of water, which would damage to wells. Also,

2436-540: Is generally divided into four sections. The four sections, two of which make the fortress itself (Donji and Gornji Grad) and two make Kalemegdan park today, were divided by the Tsarigrad Road , on the location of modern pedestrian path next to the Cvijeta Zuzorić Art Pavilion. Donji Grad (Доњи Град); occupies the slope towards the riversides, from the top spot (ridge where "The Victor" is). Between

2610-400: Is low, for the most part marshy and often flooded by the Danube. The main physical feature on the island is the canal of Veliki Galijaš . It is a remnant of the canal around which the sediments formed the opriginall barrier island which later joined into one. In time, the canal was cut off from the Danube and effectively turned into a lake, with an area of 0.24 km (0.09 sq mi) and

2784-754: Is no set time frame for the project. Already in April 1941, professor and major Johann von Reiswitz  [ sr ] was appointed to the Referat for the Protection of the Cultural Values in Serbia. He saved numerous cultural objects in Serbia, which won him praise even from some Serbian historians after the war. On 20 October 1941 the Lower Town was fenced on his orders of keeping and protecting

2958-639: Is not known for sure where the Celtic fort was; some historians suggest that it was rather close to the necropolises in Karaburma and Rospi Ćuprija. Celtic settlements belonged to the La Tène culture . The original military camp was probably occupied by the soldiers from the Legio VIII Augusta from 46 AD to 69. Early Singidunum reached its height with the arrival of Legio IV Flavia Felix which

3132-562: Is the Belgrade Planetarium . The modern church of Sveta Petka was projected by architect Momir Korunović . Construction began in the first half of the 1930s, on the location of an old chapel. It was consecrated on 27 October 1937, the feast day of Parascheva of the Balkans , called Petka in Serbian. During the tenure of mayor Dragan Đilas (2008–13), the idea of expanding the zoo to Donji Grad, which it occupied prior to

3306-470: The Belgrade Metro since the 1960s, a new plan was announced on 3 July 2017, which envisions first two lines as the 22 km (14 mi) long Makiš- Mirijevo (via Sava Amphitheatre and Karaburma ) and the 19.8 km (12.3 mi) long Zemun-Ustanička. The construction should start in the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020 and should be finished in 3 to 4 years. The project differs from all

3480-571: The Jesuits buried 220 people and themselves lost 3 missionaries. The extremely massive plague outbreak hit the city in October 1738. As the Austrian army retreated in front of the advancing Turks, numerous civilians fled to the fortress, many of them being contagious. Having so many people in a cramped space, triage was not possible so the plague spread quickly. There are reports of the dead lying in

3654-475: The Marevica . Northern part is known as Jedek , western as Aščinica and central as Veliko Okno . Part of the Sava's alluvial plane, the main section of the area, which covers several hundreds of hectares, is covered with gravel and sand which are 10,000 years old. In time, a plentiful water source formed. As the Sava river reaches the bend at Makiš, some water continues in the straight direction, penetrating

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3828-643: The Miocene period, and the oldest stages of the ancient Pannonian Sea . The cliff-like ridge overlooks the Great War Island ( Serbian : Veliko ratno ostrvo ) and the confluence of the Sava river into the Danube , and makes one of the most beautiful natural lookouts in Belgrade. It borders the neighborhoods of Dorćol (north and north-east), Stari Grad (east) and Kosančićev Venac ( Savamala ; south). It

4002-569: The Obedska bara region, but this was the first time that the bat was actually seen and caught. There are numerous colonies of various bat species on the island. In October 2008, 21 species of mammals were recorded on the island. They included, in Belgrade rarely seen, otters , nutrias , weasels and European pine martens , but also a roe deer . There is a colony of wild boars on the Great War Island. The population originated from

4176-465: The University of Belgrade 's Faculty of Technical Sciences said how the surveys showed that this direction has a very low number of potential commuters, well below the profitability level. Architect Branislav Jovin, who authored the 1970s subway project, said that he believes Makiš was chosen because of the announced project of Tesla Grad ("Tesla City") by Bogoljub Karić , Karić, a tycoon who fled

4350-563: The Uvac Special Nature Reserve . It is introduced here for the same purpose and survey of the Belgrade's surrounding nesting areas of white-tailed eagles, like the wetlands of Beljarica or Reva . On the 9 October 2008 a species of the pygmy bat, soprano pipistrelle , was discovered on the island. It is a rare mammal, having a wingspan of 17 cm (6.7 in) and weight of only 4 g (0.14 oz). Naturalists suspected that soprano pipistrelle lives in Serbia, in

4524-400: The multistorey car park . Though hunting organizations stated that there is no danger as wild boars avoid people, Ministry of Agriculture issued a warning, stating that people should abstain from night walks in the forested area across the island. Fluctuating number of wild boars grew again by 2020 and they began to completely devastate gardens kept by the people from the mainland. However, as

4698-421: The national stadium might be built in this section, too. The main concern at the moment, is the fact that Makiš is Belgrade's main water source . In order to accommodate such a big project and make it possible, city government actually reduced the buffer zones by half around the water sources. This way, a construction is allowed close to the, and even though city authorities claim it is still enough to preserve

4872-576: The "Exhibition of the new German architecture" in the German pavilion at the Belgrade Fair . In the early 1940, March began the preparatory works, as he also planned the partial remodeling of the fortress outside of the sports complex, too. He incited archaeological survey and invited German architectural historian Daniel Krencker to study the excavations. Within the scopes of the Nazi expansion of

5046-407: The "ideal route". The plan also included construction of commercial areas around the terminuses, which would cover 2,000 m (22,000 sq ft), helping the profitability of the project. Apart from being ecological and an attraction, it was estimated that it would shorten the trip for 45 minutes. City government later included the project into the city's General Urban Plan, which envisioned

5220-450: The "new urban part of the town, which was completely unused so far". A residential-business complex, an "ambitiously envisioned international business center for fun and trade", was announced on 21 July 2017. The project covers an area of 680 m (2,230 ft), with 4,000,000 m (43,000,000 sq ft) of space, though site of the "BK Group" mentions only half of that. It is planned for 31,000 inhabitants. The starting point of

5394-673: The "permit on monopoly" to Ahnenerbe's Secretary General Wolfram Sievers in February 1942. Austrian prehistorian Friedrich Holste  [ de ] was selected to conduct the survey, but he was killed in May 1942 near Kharkiv , Ukraine , before reaching Belgrade. He was replaced with Wilhelm Unverzagt , director of the Berlin's Museum for Prehistory and Early History . Joined by Sievers and Herbert Jankuhn , Heinrich Himmler 's close associate, Unverzagt began targeted digging, searching for

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5568-413: The "political decision was made to handle this", and, if everything goes by the plan, the relocation might be finished in three years. Public and experts' backlash against the project was massive, mostly regarding hastiness, arbitration, irrelevance, legality and selected location. Public speculated that the residents of the newly built affluent K-Distrikt residential complex across the zoo are bothered by

5742-614: The 1960s, it grew by some 0.4 square kilometres (0.15 sq mi), or fifth of its 2020's size. Sediments are being brought even by the underground water. Because of the sedimentation, occasional drainage and removal of the silt from the northern tip of the island is necessary, as otherwise it would make a land connection to the bank of the Danube. Plant life on the island includes the typical marshy flora, like reed , yellow flag or rush , but also trees like black poplar , ash tree , White Elm , elderberry , hawthorn and even some rare conifers . A rare orchid Orchis palustris Jacq.

5916-478: The 21st century. Funiculars were also planned, to connect the Upper and the Lower Town. The entire Lower town was planned for demolition, with the plans including large amusement park , museums, artificial lake, zoo, and stadiums instead of the existing military barracks. Instead of everything, the railway was conducted around the foothills of the fortress, encircling it completely, and effectively cutting it off from

6090-564: The 24-hour guarding service was set. Celebrating the June 29, the international Danube Day, an ecology camp made of pile dwellings for students of the Belgrade University was opened. The floods also heavily damaged the flora and the fauna, and it took several years for them to recuperate. A veteran naturalist documentary author Petar Lalović filmed a documentary "Belgrade oasis" in 2012 on the island, further convincing residents that

6264-674: The Austrians, the Popular Observatory (since 1963) in the Despot Stefan Tower , the türbe (tomb) of Damad Ali Pasha , Mehmed Paša Sokolović's Fountain , tennis and basketball courts, etc. Also adapted for visits is the Great Austrian gunpowder magazine , built during the Austrian occupation of Belgrade 1718–39, after they destroyed the old one during the 1717 Siege of Belgrade . They directly hit

6438-558: The Belgrade Fortress. In April 2019 it was announced that the park will stretch for 4.7 km (2.9 mi), covering an area of 47 ha (120 acres). In August 2021, city expanded the project to 66 ha (160 acres), but only 22.8 ha (56 acres) will actually make the green corridor, while the rest will be privately owned residential buildings, commercial venues and sports fields. This caused negative comments from experts. New design would actually push people away from

6612-594: The Berlin stadium, to visit Belgrade and design objects for the games. March came to Belgrade in May 1938 and suggested the Fortress' Lower Town as the location for the Olympic complex. Without architectural design competition or bidding, Stojadinović's government accepted his idea and gave him carte blanche regarding the design. The project was finished in 1939 and the architectural model was exhibited in October 1940 at

6786-627: The Byzantines and then again Bulgarians. The fortress remained a Byzantine stronghold until the 12th century when it fell in the hands of the newly emerging Serbian state. It became a border city of the Serbian Kingdom, later Empire with Hungary. The Hungarian king Béla I gave the fortress to Serbia in the 11th century as a wedding gift (his son married the Serbian princess Jelena), but it remained effectively part of Hungary, except for

6960-478: The Danube, as depicted on some engravings . Blueprints of the Belgrade Fortress from 1456 confirm the existence of the sandbank. The arm of the Danube which divided the sandbank was called Dunavski potok (Danube's stream or creek). It appeared on the proper maps for the first time in the 1514-1528 map Tabula Hungariae by the cartographer Lázár deák  [ hu ] . Historian Kome chronicled

7134-645: The Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, which also served as the cathedral church , was built sometimes in the 12th century, during the restored Byzantine rule. The church contained a miraculous icon of the Mother of God. It is recorded that the Byzantine princess and Serbian queen Simonida worshiped the icon in 1315 when she visited Belgrade. The structure itself was a large, three-nave church with

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7308-488: The Little War Island), Babalık ada (Babalık Island), Veliko vojno ostrvo (Great Military Island), Veliko ostrvo rata (Great Island of War) and Sirotinjsko ostrvo (Poor Man's Island). The present name, Great War Island, appeared in the mid-19th century and became permanent after World War I . The Great War Island is generally triangular in shape and covers an area of 2.11 km (0.81 sq mi). It

7482-662: The Magnificent observed the main Islamic Friday prayer, the jumu'ah namaz , in the former church. When Suleiman resettled Belgrade Christians to Constantinople, they took with them the icon of the Mother of God and relics of Saint Petka and Saint Theophano. Part of them were settled in the Istanbul 's neighborhood today known as Belgradkapı , or Belgrade Gate, where they built the Church of Theotokos , and presumably kept

7656-580: The Middle East. Some surviving documents show that they discovered remains of Celtic and Gothic settlements, a trench from the Roman period and relics from the Austrian rule after the conquest of Eugene of Savoy. Some sources claim that after the bombing started, documentation and part of the artifacts were transported to Lebus , in Germany and are considered to be lost. Others claim that the entire material

7830-650: The Mother of God, relics of Saint Petka and Saint Empress Theophano (relocated to Belgrade after the fall of Bulgaria to the Ottomans), icons of the Twelve apostles (six on both sides), and the reliquary containing a hand. Despot added the choirs and the monastery complex around it. The church became the seat of the Metropolitan of Belgrade , this time of the Serbian Orthodox Church , and he

8004-554: The New Belgrade's Block 70-A, and that it will connect it with Ada Ciganlija . In June 2018, architect Bojan Kovačević stated that Mali got the idea of connecting the island because of the meeting held several month before, where the Eagle Hills company, an investor of the highly controversial Belgrade Waterfront project, discussed with the city officials a possibility of construction on the island. The project should include

8178-661: The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1456 to conquer the fortress was prevented by Janos Hunyadi ( Siege of Belgrade ), saving Hungary from Ottoman dominion for 70 years. In 1521, 132 years after the Battle of Kosovo, the fortress, like most parts of the Serbian state, was conquered by the Turks and remained (with short periods of the Austrian and Serbian occupation), under the rule of the Ottoman Empire until

8352-710: The Ottoman sultan Mahmud II , number of Turks remaining to live in Belgrade was limited to 6,000, including women and children, and a strong Turkish garrison. Only Turks were allowed to live in the Upper Town, while both Turks and Serbs were allowed to live in the Lower Town. The gates were guarded by the Turkish sentries, except when prince Miloš was visiting the Lower Town, when they were replaced with Serbian policemen. There were two administrators, one Turkish and one Serbian. The Turkish administrator had jurisdiction only over

8526-456: The Pobednik monument". Serbian Environmental Agency drafted a study on the area and submitted it to the government in 2017. In February 2021, the government joined two previously protected area and expanded the protected area to 14.07 ha (34.8 acres), establishing a natural monument of Kalemegdan Sandbank. The area is a unique geological feature in Serbia, as the remains of the sea ridge of

8700-647: The Reich Ministry of the Interior Wilhelm Stuckart sent memo, asking for Belgrade to be transformed into the "Reich's Fortress". It was to be connected military with the copper and gold Bor mines and the Danube's Iron Gates gorge, to create the Banat area protection zone. This zone was intended to become Eugenia, or Prinz Eugen's District, where Danube Swabians were to settle and expand. The digging lasted through 1942 and 1943, when it

8874-501: The Roman legion IV Flaviae, which built a fortified camp on a hill at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers. In the period between 378 AD and 441 the Roman camp was repeatedly destroyed in the invasions by the Goths and the Huns . Legend says that Attila 's grave lies at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube (under the fortress). In 476 Belgrade again became the border between

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9048-567: The Sava river, which wasn't universally accepted among the architects and urbanists of the day. During his visit to the 1936 Berlin Olympics , Yugoslav prime minister Milan Stojadinović was fascinated by the objects built for the games, especially by the grandiose Olympic Stadium . He instigated the Yugoslav Olympic Committee to nominate Belgrade as the host of the 1948 Olympics and invited Werner March , architect of

9222-588: The Serbs and other Slavic tribes finally settling in the Belgrade area as well as the regions west and south of Belgrade in the beginning of the 7th century. The name Belgrade (or Beograd in Serbian), which, not just in Serbian but in most Slavic languages, means a "white town" or a "white fortress", was first mentioned in AD 878 by Bulgarians. The fortress kept changing its masters: Bulgaria during three centuries, and then

9396-426: The Turkish population, but in the Turkish-Serbian matters, Serbian judge was presiding. In the mid-1830s there were 3,000 houses in the Lower Town of which 2,500 were owned by the Turks who rented them to the Serbs. Later, while it was inhabited, the fortress formed one of the quarters in the administrative division of Belgrade. It was called Grad ("city") for administrative purposes and continued to be translated in

9570-410: The World War II, resurfaced, but the experts were against it. The urban plan for the fortress from 1965 already projected the complete relocation of the zoo outside of the fortress, to some suburban locations, which in later plans included Veliko Blato , Stepin Lug or Jelezovac . The expansion of the zoo would cut the pedestrian communication between the Danube's and Sava's parts of the fortress, which

9744-407: The archaeological surveys on the locations where the church may have been built, in hope that at least the foundations of the church are preserved being buried underground. Gornji Grad (Горњи Град), the upper section of fortress, turned into a park, with beautiful promenades and the statue of "The Victor" (Serbian: Pobednik ), the so-called "Roman well" (Serbian: Rimski bunar ), actually built by

9918-417: The area is protected and the gardens shouldn't be there at all, no official action was taken. Still, the authorities tried to relocate a number of boars to another location. Traps were placed, but the boars ate 300 kg (660 lb) of corn placed as a decoy in two days, and only one piglet was trapped. Growing numbers of wild boars were reported in the wider Balkans area (rest of Serbia, Bulgaria ) due to

10092-406: The area of 16 ha (40 acres) to 20 ha (49 acres), being shaped as an irregular rectangle (approximately 570 by 330 m (1,870 by 1,080 ft)). The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I rebuilt the fortress around 535. In the following centuries the fortress suffered continuous destruction under the Avar sieges. The Slavs ( Serbs ) and Avars had their "state union" north of Belgrade with

10266-423: The area, marking western and eastern borders of the neighborhood. The railway also passes on the eastern border were the Makiš marshalling yard , largest one in south-east Europe, is located. The central facilities (including the water factory) of the Belgrade waterworks are located in Makiš, so as many gravel digging and cement plant on the bank of the Sava river. First waterworks which supplied Belgrade from Makiš

10440-443: The bastion on the Sava slope, the gates of King, Sava, Dark and Karađorđe, the Great Ravelin , etc. During the 2017 reconstruction of the Mehmed Paša Sokolović's Fountain , next to Defterdar's Gate in the Gornji Grad, several archaeological discoveries were made. Remnants of the Roman castrum, two urns from the Bronze Age and remains of the Neolithic object were discovered. The findings were conserved and reburied. Belgrade Fortress

10614-495: The bird life. A bio-laboratory and the small boat landing are also scheduled for construction. Organization of the musical "Eho festival" ( De Phazz , Morcheeba , Sonic Youth ) on the island in early 2003, despite 80,000 visitors, ultimately ended disastrously because of the bad weather and the financial shenanigans of the organizers. In July 2018 a "Belgreat Festival 2018" was suddenly announced, with participation of Felix da Housecat , Goldie and Cristian Varela, among others. As

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10788-401: The bridge and the major sports-recreational center on the island. Center of the island was to be transformed into the large, circular lake. The project was dropped in 1972. As the island has numerous water springs below its surface, from 1976 to 1985 plans were developed for using the island as the water source for the city, but this idea was abandoned, too. Though officially uninhabited, almost

10962-400: The bridge for 2022, reannouncing it in January 2022. President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić said in August 2023 the "place for the [Old Sava] bridge has been already found", connecting Zemun and the Great War Island, and that he will "nominate" the idea to citizens. In the early 2000s, speculations concerning the island's future emerged among the public, including the ideas of turning it into

11136-471: The bridge on two levels to the island was drafted. Designers envisioned that the top level ("upper bridge") would contain a scenic viewpoint and a restaurant. The idea was abandoned. It was partially done because the design for the bridge, made of concrete and wood, didn't take into the account high water levels of the Danube. The project also included construction of the touristic complex on the island. In March 2016, mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali announced

11310-438: The capital of Serbia . It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Čukarica . Makiš is bordered by the Sava river and Sava Lake to the west and north, Čukarica and Čukarička Padina to the northeast, Julino Brdo , Žarkovo , Bele Vode and Rupčine to the east, Železnik to the south and Ostružnica to the southwest. For the most part, Makiš is a marshy forest, crossed by many small streams and canals, most notably

11484-431: The church are remains of the marble lintel with the incomplete ktetor 's inscription by despot Stefan Lazarević: В Христа Бога благоверни деспот Стеф...Београдске обнових место сие и призидах певнице и...придржеш... It was accidentally discovered in 1967. Larger remains of the Metropolitan's Seat were discovered in 1977. They include arched open walls of the former porch. In February 2021, city announced it will finance

11658-423: The church. During their massive reconstruction of the fortress, and construction of the Baroque Belgrade which ensued in 1720–1739, the Austrians never reconstructed the church. Furthermore, in order to level the terrain in the Lower Town, they completely demolished the church ruins. Today, it is not known for neither where the church was exactly located, nor what its exterior looked like. The only surviving part of

11832-471: The city government made a decision to completely destroy the island by using its sand and earth to cover the marshes of Syrmia, where new city was to be built. However, the deposits of alluvial materials continually brought onto the island from the Danube completely prevented this from happening. Instead, the smaller Little War Island served this purpose and was nearly destroyed in the process. Another proposed project after World War II included construction of

12006-413: The city is when it was founded in the 3rd century BC as " Singidunum " by the Celtic tribe of Scordisci , who had defeated Thracian and Dacian tribes that previously lived in and around the fort. The city-fortress was later conquered by the Romans, was known as Singidunum and became a part of "the military frontier", where the Roman Empire bordered "barbarian Central Europe". Singidunum was defended by

12180-447: The closest it is just 200 m (660 ft) away from both New Belgrade and Kalemegdan. On the south, halfway between the Great War Island and Ušće is the remnant of Little War Island . In 2005, an initiative was started to transfer the island administratively, from Zemun to the New Belgrade municipality. The initiative ultimately failed. The island gained its militant name due to its history as an important strategic point either for

12354-420: The conclusion was against it due to the constant floods. There were even more grand plans which included construction of "Belgrade's Manhattan " on the island, and a gondola lift which would connect it to the Belgrade Fortress., but all this was dropped in 2005 when it was finally decided that the island should remain intact. In 2002, the island was declared a natural fish spawning area and declared practically

12528-422: The conquest or the defence of Belgrade. It had especially good position for cannons and was usually used as the starting point for the attack on Belgrade's harbor. It was also used as the hiding place for hajduks , Šajkaši , and various river pirates. Numerous military facilities and fortifications were built and demolished on the island in time. During the wars, temporary, pontoon bridges were built connecting

12702-402: The construction in phases, the first being a 1,000 m (3,300 ft) long section Block 44-Ada Ciganlija. It would lay on 8 steel pillars, 35 m (115 ft) above the ground and the trip would last for 3 minutes. The cabins were projected to receive not just the commuters, but also the bicycles, skateboards, sledges and skis, as the cableway was planned to work year-round. There would be

12876-467: The country so that he wouldn't be trialed for financial schemes, returned after the change of government. Three weeks later, city indeed announced that Karić's company "BK Group" won the competition for the project of "Tesla Grad" in Makiš Field with Mali personally giving advice what should be built in the complex. On the very day when this was announced, Karić stated that he already finalized everything at

13050-459: The cultural monument, parts of the Lower Town, and the slope which separates it from the Upper Town are protected as a natural monument . The area was included in the first protection of the fortress in 1946. In 1968 two areas were separately protected: "Maritime Neogenic Ridge - profile under the Pobednik monument in Kalemegdan" and "Geological-geographical layers at Kalemegdan locality, at

13224-480: The early 19th century, the area was covered in thick forest. Until the 20th century, Makiš was known for plentiful pastures used by the farmers from the nearby Žarkovo for their livestock. In total, Makiš forest spreads on 4 km (1.5 sq mi). Makiš is for the most part non-residential (it had a population of only 1,217 in 2011), but important for the city industry and transportation. Major roads of Sava motorway and Old Obrenovac road cross through

13398-524: The empires: the Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire ( Byzantine Empire ), and the Slav - Avar State in the north. The Celtic fortification was a primitive one, located on top of Terazije ridge, above the confluence of the Sava into the Danube, where the fortress still stands today. Celts also lived in small, open and fortified settlements around the fort, called oppida . Since it

13572-512: The entire area of the island was cultivated, mostly corn and watermelons. On the lower tip of the island, a beach was arranged and named Dorćol Beach or Lapat Beach. Also, a sandbank facing Zemun was adapted into the beach, being predecessor of the modern Lido beach, which was named this way at least before 1931. First urban plans for the island were drafted in 1923, when the island was envisioned as an elite park area. The Belgrade's first general urban plan , adopted in 1924, included sports center on

13746-460: The entire north-south direction is also planned with the commercial zone around it. It will be parallel to the Sava motorway, with the green belt and avenues . Above the marshaling yard large salons for selling cars, ceramics, furniture, etc. are planned. The lots along the Belgrade bypass and Ostružnica Bridge are projected for the large hypermarkets and similar venues. Mayor Mali added that

13920-413: The excavation. The medieval cobblestone was uncovered, so as the old ramparts and gates. In the process, the Lower Town was made more accessible to the visitors, including the new stairway and reconstruction of the part of the medieval rampart. In the Upper Town, four large, massive pillars from the period of despot Stefan Lazarević (15th century) were discovered. They are remains of the medieval bridge which

14094-453: The fall of Zemun to the Turks in 1521 and mentioned the island as the location where all of the imprisoned defenders of the city were interred, including their wives and children. In 1521, when Belgrade was under siege by Turkish forces, the majority of their attacks on Belgrade fortress were launched from the island. Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi visited the region in the 1660s and mentioned

14268-475: The favorable climate conditions in 2020 but more to the COVID-19 pandemic which restricted hunting. Great War Island is not an old geographical feature. Based on the historical data and descriptions of the river battles on the Danube, it is believed that it has been fully formed as an island in the second half of the 15th century. It had origins as a small 14th century sandbank which was divided and morphed by

14442-417: The findings so far, it is estimated that during the rule of despot Stefan Lazarević in the first half of the 15th century, when Belgrade became capital of Serbia, the city within the fortress had 5,600 to 12,000 inhabitants. Archaeological examinations were done on the following locations: In September 1969 major discoveries were announced. The appearance of the Lower Town was almost completely changed after

14616-486: The first exhibit in the predecessor of the modern Aeronautical Museum Belgrade . Today, the area is used by the parachutists and paragliders and as the location of the air shows for sports and ultra-light aviation. In June 2021 it was announced that the memorial bench dedicated to Rusjan will be placed below the fortress and that surrounding green area will be named the Edvard Rusjan Park. The fortress and

14790-506: The first time three years later, in 2013. In April 2016, when their chicks were to be hatched, the city's communal services installed a camera in the nest. The project was unique, with the similar one in Estonia, but Belgrade is the only European capital to have it. Before the next generation of chicks hatched in 2017, live feed was posted online. The largest European eagles, with the wingspan up to 2.4 metres (7.9 feet), are best observed from

14964-626: The focus of the Germans to the archaeological exploration of the fortress during the war. The fortress suffered further damage during World War II. Military Museum was damaged in the April 1941 bombing, and subsequently looted. It was immediately placed under the authority of the German Military Museums Chief, repaired, and reopened for public in July 1941. After almost two millennia of continuous sieges, battles and conquests,

15138-515: The foreign languages as "fortress". According to the censuses, it had a population of 2,219 in 1890, 2,281 in 1895, 2,777 in 1900, 2,396 in 1905 and 454 in 1910. Kalemegdan was the location of the second airport in Serbia, after one in the neighborhood of Banjica from 1910. A field in the Donji Grad was adapted for planes in January 1911. It was situated along the bank of the Sava river, from

15312-479: The fortifications and military and civilian building it had constructed during the occupation. Many Baroque buildings were demolished within the fortress. However, Austria didn't demolish the buildings outside of the fortress walls. That way, the House at 10 Cara Dušana Street , built 1724–1727, in the neighborhood of Dorćol survived, being today the oldest house in Belgrade. The 1837 plague outbreak almost brought to

15486-457: The fortress constitutes the specific historical core of the city. As one of the most important representatives of Belgrade's cultural heritage, it was originally protected right after World War II, among the first officially declared cultural monuments in Serbia. The fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and is protected by the Republic of Serbia. It is

15660-434: The fortress is today known as the Belgrade Fortress. The present name of Kalemegdan Park derives from two Turkish words, kale (fortress) and meydan (field), literally meaning "fortress field". After World War II, before skiing facilities were built on the mountains further from Belgrade, the slopes of Kalemegdan (so as of Banovo Brdo , Košutnjak and Avala ), were used by Belgraders for skiing. Also, immediately after

15834-685: The fortress. He also began archaeological digging. However, the right to dig in the fortress was asked from both the pseudo-scientific organization Ahnenerbe and the Main Work Group Southeast of the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce . Pressured financially and politically, von Reiswitz felt he must side with one of them, so he arranged the participation of Ahnenerbe with organization's head Walther Wüst in October 1941. Based on this, collaborationist Minister for Education and Religion Velibor Jonić issued

16008-536: The fortress. The army issued an order that, despite there was no enemy anymore, all guards must keep watch "at least in pairs". Mihailo's successor, prince and later king Milan Obrenović , ordered the leveling of the terrain in the eastern sections of the fortress and planting of the greenery and trees, which in time developed into the Kalemegdan Park. After the Third Hatt-i sharif of 1833, issued by

16182-481: The ground in the fan-shaped manner, without reaching the surface. Through the "flake" system of dispersion, the water filters itself through the non-organic wall, made of gravel, sand and other silicate minerals, before reaching the reservoirs. The natural underground reservoirs spread over several hundreds of hectares, at the depth of 8 to 25 m (26 to 82 ft). The water is drained by the Ranney collectors . In

16356-569: The heavy, modern artillery, from precisely measured distance and even more precisely unmeasured hatred". Heavy fighting occurred in the Lower Town in 1915, when Serbian forces, led by major Dragutin Gavrilović , persistently but ultimately unsuccessfully, fought the invading Austro-Hungarian army. Before full occupation, Austro-Hungarian army temporarily entered Belgrade, from 3 to 14 December 1914. Already on 4 December they erected gallows in fortress' Upper Town, and on several other locations around

16530-515: The icons and relics. Interiors and all the relics in this church were destroyed during the 1955 Istanbul pogrom . Close to the church, the Ottomans dug into the ground a large gunpowder magazine. During the Austrian attack under the Eugene of Savoy, the Austrian army directly hit the magazine on 17 August 1717 causing an explosion which demolished almost all structures in the Lower Town, including

16704-674: The idea in the 1990s. After extensive surveys (traffic analysis, interviews with the commuters, climatic, geological, urban and other research), they presented the project in 1993. They proposed the terminuses should be at the Sports Center Košutnjak and Block 44 in the neighborhood of Savski Blokovi in New Belgrade , across the Sava. Stops in between would include the major public transportation roundabout in Banovo Brdo , Makiš and Ada Ciganlija, five in total. They called it

16878-452: The island are used as a nature reserve for 196 bird species, many of which are endangered. One of Belgrade's beaches, Lido , is located on the northern tip of the island. Geologically, the island is a Quaternary formation which formed at the mouth of two large rivers. Developed around several "pillars" (areas where sedimentation began), the island is a formation which changes and grows all the time (geo-dynamically active terrain). Only since

17052-426: The island as an attack point in his re-conquest of Belgrade from the Turks. In 1741 a Constantinople convention was signed, which resulted in fixing the border between Austria and Turkey, concerning the islands in the Sava and Danube. By the convention, Turkey obtained the section of the island overlooking the Belgrade, while Austria got the other part, in the direction of Zemun and Banat . In liberating Belgrade in 1806

17226-436: The island in 2010, migrating from the marshland of Pančevački Rit , across the Danube. They built a large nest, 2.50 metres (8.2 feet) in diameter, at the height of 20 metres (66 feet). There are five other nesting couples in the wider Belgrade area, and some 90 in the entire Serbia, but having them reproducing at only 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) from the downtown of a city of this size is an exceptional rarity. They reproduced for

17400-550: The island in the early 2010s, but by the 2020s, 208 species of birds were recorded, of which 200 were protected in some way. The island was the largest colony of the great egret on the entire course of the Danube, maybe the largest one in the Europe. During the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, the herons, for the most part, disappeared. Major attraction on the island is a pair of white-tailed eagles . A nesting couple, they settled on

17574-464: The island is now protected, the Ministry for environmental protection announced it will block the organization of the festival, so the organizers, citing "technical difficulties", relocated to the "Barutana" club, in the Belgrade Fortress . In September 2019, city government announced that nothing will be built on the island. A new Detailed Regulatory Plan was adopted, by which the city plans to raise

17748-407: The island must be preserved. In August 2007, digging of a 300-metre-long (980 ft) canal which reconnected Veliki Galijaš with the Danube also began to prevent the seasonal drying of the lake. A 15-metre-long (49 ft) lookout is to be erected west of Veliki Galijaš so as the entire network of visitor centers on the unsinkable points around the lake and throughout the island for the studying of

17922-464: The island will be demolished. Belgrade fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( Serbian Cyrillic : Београдска тврђава , romanized :  Beogradska tvrđava , Hungarian: Nándorfehérvár), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in an urban area of modern Belgrade , Serbia . Located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad ,

18096-459: The island, and construction of the bridge to the mainland. In 1928, building company "Šumadija" proposed the construction of the cable car , which they called "air tram". The project was planned to connect Zemun to Kalemegdan on Belgrade Fortress , via Great War Island. The interval of the cabins was set at 2 minutes and the entire route was supposed to last 5 minutes. The project was never realized. When construction of New Belgrade began in 1948,

18270-447: The island. There are 66 bird species which actually nest on the island, 43 non-migratory and 23 migratory birds . In winter, during the nesting period, there are some 80 species present, while in the migration season, number rises to over 100. Some of the species are pygmy cormorant , black stork , mergansers , seven species of herons , over 40 species of ducks , and Icterine warbler . Altogether, 163 different bird species inhabited

18444-473: The island. He wrote about the mosque on the island, named after a certain Ahmet Babalık. One of the earlier names for the island, Babalık Island, came from the name of the mosque. First written record on the island from someone who visited it is from 1699, when an English travelling doctor described it as the "large, forested island". The name officially appeared after 1717, when Prince Eugene of Savoy used

18618-678: The island. Tree species include walnut tree and European nettle tree . In November 2011 some 2,500 seedlings of the pedunculate oak were planted. Higher forest coverage influences the micro climate and provides new habitats for the birds. Autochthonous tree species include willow and poplar . By November 2017, the island has been populated with 5,850 seedlings of pedunculate oak, 1,000 of narrow-leafed ash , 1,755 of European white elm and 800 of black poplar . The last two are declared endangered species in Serbia. Also planted were 1,000 bald cypresses , which adapted nicely and began to reproduce. A total of 53 species of fish were found in and around

18792-590: The lowest section and the Danube is Kula Nebojša ("Impregnable, Fearless, or Daredevil Tower"), which has been turned into a museum of the Greek revolutionary Rigas Feraios , who was strangled by the Turks in this tower and his corpse thrown into the Danube. Donji Grad, like the neighboring Savamala, frequently suffers from flooding, and Kula Nebojša suffered extensive damage during the major floods of 2006 . The Orthodox churches of Ružica (former Austrian gun depot) and Sveta Petka are also located in this area, as

18966-476: The magazine with a cannonball and the explosion which followed allowed the Austrians to capture the city. The object is located below the 7 m (23 ft) tall rampart. The magazine is today embellished with the artifacts from the Roman period which were discovered in or around the fortress: tombstone stelae , monuments, altars and the Sarcophagus of Jonah , which originates from the 3rd century AD. It

19140-407: The major natural bird and fish spawning area on the island. Next to it was a smaller wetland, Mali Galijaš, which was also and excellent natural spawning ground. However, during drought years the lake drains completely causing damage to the closed eco-system centered around it. Veliki Galijaš was revitalized later, but Mali Galijaš was completely covered with overgrowth. Currently some two-thirds of

19314-566: The marshy area of Pančevački Rit and they reached the island swimming to it during one of the previous floods. As of 2019, it was estimated to have over 35 individual animals. Rarely, they swim across the arm of the Danube which separates the island from the urban mainland, and can be seen in Zemun or Novi Beograd. Popular case was from 2014 when a wild boar was discovered in the garage of the Energoprojekt holding company. In June 2019 due to

19488-577: The massive reconstruction of the Old Sava Bridge . However, in May 2017, after the project papers were publicized, it was obvious that the city actually wanted to demolish the bridge completely and build a new one. Citizens protested while the experts rejected the reasons named by the authorities, adding that it would be a waste of money on an unnecessary project. Mali said that the old bridge will not be demolished but moved, and that citizens will decide where, but he gave an idea to move it to Zemun, as

19662-554: The material proof to confirm the German idea of transforming Belgrade into Prinzeugenstadt . He specifically searched for the monumental gate at the entry into the Lower Town, built during the Nicolas Doxat's rebuilding of Belgrade under the orders of Prince Eugene of Savoy in the 1720s and 1730s. The gate was named after the Holy Roman Emperor from that period, Charlies VI . Already on 15 July 1941, secretary in

19836-515: The meeting with Mali and city architect Milutin Folić and that the project is just one step away from realization. Preparatory works for the metero's depot in Makiš began on 22 November 2021. Protesters gathered at the location, though not preventing workers. Despite calling this date a historic one in Belgrade's history, none of the state or city officials was present when works began. Massive filling of

20010-415: The megaprojects, and augmentation of the German historic role and importance in this region, Krencker praised March's project as the "artistic dream, which represents rare and major German cultural act which will contribute to the old German glory of Belgrade". Just few days after German scientists left the fortress, Germany attacked Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941 . The Olympic complex was pushed aside, shifting

20184-399: The military experts, that the fortress became strategically obsolete and that, having no value of any kind, Austrian army could destroy it in 24 hours. In the autumn of 1867 citizens were awaken by the heavy artillery fire. Ruling prince Mihailo Obrenović sent two batteries to the fortress (where modern Monument of Gratitude to France is) and ordered them to fire at the fortress wall where

20358-445: The most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade, with Skadarlija being the second. Since the admission is free, it is estimated that the total number of visitors (foreign, domestic, citizens of Belgrade) is over 2 million yearly. Belgrade Fortress is located on top of the 125.5 metres (412 ft) high ending ridge of the Šumadija geological bar. The sandbank stretches at least from the city's Tašmajdan section, originating from

20532-482: The name Babalık for the island. During the offensive in 1915 by Austria-Hungary against Belgrade, Austria-Hungary forces used the island to launch their attacks. After the World War I, island became part of the new Yugoslav state. After 1918, a small colony of 20 destitute inhabitants of Zemun built stilt houses on the island which was then colloquially called "Sirotinjska Ada" (Poor man's Island). In this period

20706-464: The neighboring Ušće and Dorćol districts, but they are being spotted circling above the Kalemegdan and the Republic Square , practically the center of Belgrade. The couple was named Radovan and Ruža. In the summer of 2021, one of their male offspring, Dušan, was tagged with solar-battery satellite tracker. The technology helped management of the growth of the griffon vultures population in

20880-400: The new settlement, from the city direction, will be a residential and commercial complex (apartments, shops, elementary schools, kindergartens, ambulances, cultural and sport venues, hotels) surrounding the 25-storeys high skyscraper. Lush vegetation is planned between the blocks, while cars will be parked in underground garages on the edges of the blocks. A main street through the settlement, in

21054-413: The old Turkish bath (modern Planetarium) to the mouth of the Sava into the Danube. One of the flight pioneers, Edvard Rusjan , died in an airplane crash after taking off from this field and being hit by the gust of košava on 9 January 1911. Remains of Rusjan's plane were originally exhibited in Donji Grad and his funeral was one of the largest recorded in Belgrade. Surviving rib of this airplane became

21228-410: The old wooden bridge was located. A barrage fire of 300 salvos from De Bange cannons shelled the fortress during the entire day. It remained unclear why the prince ordered this: he decided to demolish the fortress completely, as such stories spread among the citizens; he wanted to show to the Austrians that the fortress has its values and importance, and that it can't be destroyed in a day (despite all

21402-570: The oldest stage in the history of the Pannonian Sea. Those include sediments originating from the middle, Badenian stage of the Miocene period. The cliffs are thought to have a historical importance also - the Slavic name of Belgrade, white town, according to one of the theories, originates from the exposed white layers of Miocene limestone on top of which the city was built. The Church of

21576-467: The only part of the City of Belgrade where building of facilities like hotels, motels or restaurants is not allowed. The major works on the island began in 2007. In February 2007, following the disastrous 2006 European floods which wiped out Lido from the northern tip of the island, the Great War Island was completely cleaned with all the bulky junk being removed, so as the remains of the old constructions and

21750-516: The park were damaged during World War I . Serbian army had no proper weaponry to fight the Austro-Hungarian gunboats , so they freely fired at the city from the Sava. The city was especially damaged during the heavy bombardment in 1914–1915. Diplomat and author Radoje Janković  [ sr ] described it in 1914: "Kalemegdan is "trimmed", the trees in the park are battered, the ancient ramparts of Singidunum crushed, all being hit by

21924-432: The percentage of green areas in Belgrade from 15% to 25%, including further forestation of the Great War Island, with reinsurance that everything will be done to "keep and preserve" the island. Just few days after adopting controversial plan on massive construction along the Belgrade's main water supply source Makiš , city announced building of the new water supply source on the Great War Island in January 2021. A tender for

22098-476: The period 1282–1319. After the Serbian state collapsed following the Battle of Kosovo , Belgrade was chosen as the capital of Despot Stefan Lazarević in 1402. Major work was done to the ramparts which were encircling a big thriving town. The lower town at the banks of the Danube was the main urban center with a new built Orthodox cathedral. The upper town with its castle was defending the city from inland. Becoming

22272-469: The permanent pedestrian bridge to the Great War Island. In an article "Cloud over the Great War Island", Aleksandar Milenković, member of the Academy of Architecture of Serbia, opposed the motion. He expressed fear that having in mind the "synchronous ad hoc decisions of the administration", the reaction should be prompt as the seemingly benign idea is actually a strategically disastrous enterprise (concerning

22446-466: The plague on its path ( Ražanj , Paraćin , Jagodina , Ćićevac ) and ultimately reaching the fortress in the spring of 1837. The prince ordered full and strong siege of the fortress by the Serbian guardsmen, cutting the fortress off completely for six weeks. The pasha complained and threatened from inside the fortress, initially hiding and denying the disease, but the fortress Ottomans were reluctant to start military skirmish in this condition. The besieging

22620-561: The previous ones as it sets the crossing of the major lines under the Belgrade Waterfront on the Sava bank, a highly controversial pet project of President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and mayor Mali, instead under the central city squares of Terazije or Republic Square as planned in the previous decades. Mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali also announced that the first line is actually going to be Makiš Field-Mirijevo (that is, Višnjičko Polje ) instead of Zemun-Ustanička which

22794-399: The prince he is only a "caretaker" of the fortress. After the takeover of the fortress, Serbian forces kept finding parts of the gallows, chains, gibbets and impalement stakes in the dungeons, used previously by the Ottomans to torture the prisoners. Official reports by the Serbian army hold claims by the soldiers of the "ghoulish, headless and limbless wraiths" and other abominations roaming

22968-412: The private villas, golf courses and a de lux hotel. During the summer season of 2020, group of Zemun's citizens organized petition for the construction of permanent bridge to the island. In September 2020, the municipal administration of Zemun forwarded the preliminary design of the possible bridge, higher than previously designed, to the city administration. In October 2020, city announced construction of

23142-448: The problem both for the expansion of the park but even more for the further exploration of the fortress' underground. Best example is the Lower Town where neither the park fully developed nor the remains of the former port, which was located there, are visible. The area of the fortress is 66 ha (160 acres). By 2000, only 5% of that area was archaeologically surveyed, and by 2010 that number rose to 12% or 8 ha (20 acres). Based on

23316-462: The production grew to 8.000 m (282.5 cu ft) daily. As Belgrade grew in the decades to come, the first water treatment facility ("water factory" Makiš 1) became operational in April 1987. It treats water from the Sava river. Another treatment facility, Makiš 2, was built from 2004 to September 2014, which should cover Belgrade's need for water until 2035. During the Interbellum ,

23490-501: The protected wildlife on the island). He also suspects that the administration in this case, just as in all previous ones, will neglect the numerous theoretical and empirical guidelines. The Old Sava Bridge relocation to the Great War Island was ultimately scrapped. In March 2019, city urbanist Marko Stojčić said that the bridge will be placed across the Sava , as an extension of the Omladinskih Brigada Street, in

23664-427: The purity of the water, though some experts disagree. They urged not to destroy the water sources and to preserve it for the future generations which may apply other solutions for water supply, like the use of the underground water sources from the valleys of the Sava and Drina rivers which yield more water of higher quality, but are distant from the city. Geology engineer Branislav Božović said that building of such

23838-790: The real estate prices. In 2022, new city administration headed by mayor Aleksandar Šapić included in the city's urban plan relocation of the Belgrade Zoo out of the fortress. In February 2023, Šapić announced relocation to the Ada Safari section of Ada Ciganlija island. City manager, Miroslav Čučković, explained the relocation: "Since the foundation of the new city administration...we made decisions which are connected to our dedication to spaces to which Belgraders were coming close to in all of these previous years. Those are spaces for which we think should have some new type of content and possibility to directly invest into them". Šapić added that

24012-401: The rebel army headed by Karađorđe also used the island for military purposes, as the Serbian artillery with 500 soldiers was bombing the Kalemegdan fortress from there. Under the command of Miloje Petrović Trnavac  [ sr ] and Vuk Ilić, Serbian artillery was out of Ottoman reach and left undisturbed cannonading the Lower Town of the fortress. Turkish city plan from 1863 still used

24186-401: The residence of Thomas Berger, the head of the hospital. After his death, his daughter continued to reside in the building. The hospital ( Stattspital ) was moved to another location, into the newly constructed building in 1724. A small church was built next to it. This new hospital was quite small, with only 2 rooms, a kitchen and a basement, so it way not be the same city hospital. Lazaret or

24360-615: The rise of the water level which flooded the entire island, wild boars scattered all over Belgrade, making media sensation. Numerous videos and photos of boars swimming across the rivers were posted. A small herd of wild boars was seen in New Belgrade's Block 30. Animals, including disoriented solitary piglets which is highly unusual behavior, were seen in Block 8 and in the neighborhoods of Ušće and Zemunski Kej . Wild boars have even been spotted in Belgrade's downtown: in Belgrade Fortress and Obilićev Venac , where one animal fell to its death from

24534-406: The river, to walk along the present boulevard which encircles the fortress. The fortress itself will end up being additionally degraded and devalued, so architects and archaeologists suggested surveys, explorations and conservation of the fortress' foothills instead. The park project was described as a smokescreen, with the actual purpose of selling the riverbanks to the private investors and elevating

24708-440: The rivers of Danube and Sava and the streets of Tadeuša Košćuškog and Pariska. In 1962, Belgrade's Institute for the cultural monuments protection expanded the zone to several blocks across the streets. Detailed plan on Kalemegdan from 1965 provided that, despite the immense archaeological value that lies beneath the fortress ground, basically only what was discovered by that time can be explored, restored or protected. That caused

24882-501: The scopes of Tesla Grad as there are complicated issues concerning the ownership of the land in Makiš. Later, another location, across the river and close to Surčin was chosen. The entire Tesla Grad in general has been described as "even greater misfortune than Belgrade Waterfront ". In December 2020, city assembly organized public session to discuss the project, now enlarged to 4,500,000 m (48,000,000 sq ft), for 36,500 residents, but citing coronavirus outbreak, and with

25056-413: The shelling, only 15 m (49 ft) of rampart was destroyed); or he simply did it to spite the Austrians. The shelling also disturbed the citizens of Zemun , across the Sava, which was part of Austro-Hungary at the time, and some of the grenades which missed the target hit Austro-Hungarian soil, so the imperial government sent an official diplomatic note to Serbia, protesting the shelling and reminding

25230-450: The smell, or that some more lucrative structures might be built instead of the zoo on such exceptional location, since "direct investments" were given as one of the reasons. Šapić then retreated a bit, stating this is just a "political idea" which is not hastily made, that only now analyses and surveys will be done to check the viability, that nothing will be built instead of the zoo but the fortress will be conserved instead, and that there

25404-473: The streets for days as there was no one to bury them. The Austrian garrison was decimated and the corpses of the soldiers who died of plague were burned with their personal properties. After Austria lost the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739 , northern Serbia, including Belgrade, was returned to the Turks. One of the provisions of the 1739 Treaty of Belgrade stated that Austria had to demolish all

25578-483: The study on the matter was announced right away. Intensive expansion of the city and reduced yield of present sources was named as the reason. After the negative public reaction, city officials stated this was just a possibility, an alternative, and that maybe only Ranney collectors will be built, without any further urbanization of the island. The island was surveyed as the possible water source several times, including in 1939, 1976 and 1981. Some studies showed that this

25752-482: The three river sides (Belgrade, Zemun and Pančevo ) with each other via the island, allowing the armies to cross over the rivers. During history, almost a dozen different names for the island were recorded, some of them colloquial and unofficial. They include Dunavsko ostrvo (Danubian Island), Cigansko ostrvo (Gypsy Island), Veselo ostrvo (Merry Island), Vojno ostrvo (Military Island), Ratno ostrvo (War Island), Ratna ostrva (War Islands, when applied jointly to

25926-411: The town, for hanging civilians. In 1928, building company "Šumadija" proposed the construction of the cable car , which they called "air tram". The project was planned to connect Zemun to Belgrade Fortress, via Great War Island. The interval of the cabins was set at 2 minutes and the entire route was supposed to last 5 minutes. The project was never realized, but the idea of the cable car was revived in

26100-469: The urbanization of Makiš was already planned in 1974 and that 2015 study by the Institute "Jaroslav Černi" which was used to reduce the buffer zones, was ordered in 2009. "Jaroslav Černi" refused to comment publicly claiming they are understaffed due to the pandemic, but later issued a statement that there is no ecological concern. Public, citizens' and activists' groups, ecologists, opposition parties and

26274-415: The use of security guards and police, city prevented public to attend. This became a common thing in 2020, so the activists asked from city administration not to organize public inspections like this during the pandemic, but the city refused citing they already strictly follow measures instituted by the government, which means that only one member of the public can attend the inspection. City also claimed that

26448-518: The vast area with earth and sand ensued. In November 2023 mayor Aleksandar Šapić said that when works were finished, "we will get a town within a town", and that entire cental- and north-eastern sections of Makiš will be urbanized, with new major thoroughfare above the projected route, and business and residential buildings around it, while the Obrenovac Road will be transformed into the highway. According to Šapić, this section of Makiš will become

26622-529: The war between the ruling prince Miloš Obrenović and the Ottomans in the fortress. The outbreak began in Ottoman Empire in 1836, which had no medical protocols of any kind at the time, and prince Miloš blocked the borders immediately imposing the mandatory quarantine. A group of plague infected Ottoman nizams on the way to Belgrade was halted at the border in Aleksinac and placed in the quarantine, but majority of them fled and continued to Belgrade, spreading

26796-757: The war, some parts of the fortress were closed for public. In some parts the new, Yugoslav People's Army was stationed, while others were closed because of the ammunition left behind. In 2018 it was announced that the entire riverbanks section from the Branko's Bridge on the Sava, to the Pančevo Bridge on the Danube, will be transformed into the linear park , patterned after the High Line park in New York City and Zaryadye Park in Moscow . It would encircle

26970-404: The water drained this way also drains the sewage soiled water either from the Danube or from the arm between the island and the land where city sewage empties. Some labeled the sudden interest in the island as a way to divert highly negative public reaction to the Makiš decision. In February 2022 city declared the island a public park. That means that all private, but illegal, shacks and gardens on

27144-474: The waterworks company built the residential complex for its workers in Makiš, which originally consisted of two buildings within the industrial facility. Makiš Stadium is located in the northern section of Makiš. The "Čavlina and Sladoljev" company from Zagreb drafted the project of connecting two banks of the Sava by the cable car in 1922. The project never realized. Engineer and CEO of the institute for urbanism and dwelling "Juginus", Mirko Radovanac, revived

27318-643: The year 1867, when the Turks withdrew from Belgrade and Serbia. During the short period of Austrian rule (1718–1738), the fortress was largely rebuilt and modernized. It witnessed the Great Serbian Migration in the 17th century and two Serbian Uprisings in the 19th century, during the Turkish Period. During the Austrian occupation of northern Serbia 1717–39 , several hospitals were established in Belgrade. The City hospital of Saint John

27492-493: The zoo to Ada Ciganlija, mayor Aleksandar Šapić announced execution of the project, announcing also reactivation of the publicly unknown city project from 2009. Eastern section, across the Sava motorway is called Makiš Field ( Serbian : Макишко поље , romanized :  Makiško polje ). In the south and south-western section the Makiš marshalling yard and the neighborhood of Železnik are located. After several plans for

27666-399: Was adopted as part of the Serbian coat-of-arms after First Serbian Uprising in 1804, it was meant to show the incorporation of Serbia into the western empire. The gate was damaged already during the heavy Allied Easter bombing in April 1944 . It is not known whether Ahnenerbe was searching for something specifically or just wanted to falsify the route by which Aryans reached Germany from

27840-521: Was already cut in 1949 but was restored in 2009 with the reconstruction and opening of the Sava Gate. Also, it would prevent the exploration of Donji Grad, which is still largely unexplored and leave the Gate of Charles VI, a masterpiece of Balthasar Neumann, within the zoo itself. As of 2017, the zoo was not relocated but the idea of expansion was dropped, too. Apart from the protection of the fortress as

28014-457: Was arranged and opened for visitors in 2014. One of the Roman marble monuments, exhibited since 2012, was the so-called Herkulanka (after Herculaneum , where first such sculptures were discovered in the 18th century). They were usually honorary representations of important women. Estimated to be work of some local sculptor to represent one of the more important female residents of Singidunum, it

28188-511: Was built within the fortress walls, but its exact location is not known. Emperor Charles VI signed the Belgrade City Statute in 1724 ("Proclamation on organizing German Belgrade"), which mentions city hospital, city pharmacy, medics and midwives. The German municipality had low incomes so it had to ask the state for help and beneficence. The hospital is mentioned in the 1728 Census. It was a hospital already in 1719, later becoming

28362-503: Was finished in 1892, and the system was ceremonially opened on 12 July 1892, at Terazije . At the time, it was one of the most modern such facilities in Southeast Europe, projected by engineer Oskar Smrekar (1854-1935). For the first time in Belgrade, the underground water was used by the water supply system, instead of water springs. Original capacity was 2.800 m (98.9 cu ft) per day, for 80.000 citizens. By 1914,

28536-486: Was fortified with stone as the first stone fort in Belgrade's history. The remains can be seen today near the northeastern corner of the acropolis. The legion also constructed a pontoon bridge over the Sava, connecting Singidunum with Taurunum. Rectangular castrum covered what is today the Upper Town and the Kalemegdan Park . The castrum had tall walls, built from the white Tašmajdan limestone and spread over

28710-479: Was located in front of the main entry into the inner fort of the city. The fort was surrounded by the deep trench. It was previously known that an inner, bascule bridge existed within the fortress, which survived until the 17th century, but its exact location and type of construction were unknown. The explored sections after 2000 include the access downhill path to the Small Staircase in Kalemegdan Park ,

28884-523: Was made in c.300 and was found close to the Military Museum. The represented woman is rich, in heavily draped chiton , with the himation mantle wrapped over the arm and head. In May 2020, there was a break in the magazine's lapidarium , and the Herkulanka was vandalized and broken. Maki%C5%A1 Makiš ( Serbian : Макиш ) is a forest and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade ,

29058-590: Was not acknowledged as the proprietor of the fortress by the neighboring Austria-Hungary . First squad of Serbian soldiers, under the command of colonel Svetozar Garašanin, ceremonially replaced the Ottoman guardsmen on 18 April 1867. First action by the Serbian authorities, just 5 days after the Ottomans left in April 1867, was to rebuild the Ružica Church . After the Ottoman withdrawal, newspapers in Austro-Hungary continuously published stories, backed by

29232-451: Was planned as the first for decades. Architects and engineers reacted negatively, especially since both terminuses are at the moment nothing more than still un-urbanized heaths , though mayor Mali said that this line will connect the future projects which will "with the development of metro, bring billions of euros in investments and millions of square meters of the new business areas". Dr Ratomir Vračarević, traffic engineer and professor at

29406-507: Was proclaimed the " exarch of all Serbian lands". Over two decades later, when Belgrade was returned to the Hungarians, the building of the Metropolitan's Seat was built next to it. On the very day the Ottomans conquered Belgrade, 29 August 1521, they turned the church into the mosque. The cross was removed from the top of the roof, the icons were painted over and the church bells were remelted. Already tomorrow, Ottoman sultan Suleiman

29580-482: Was spotted for the first time in Belgrade in 1896 on the Great War Island, but was never seen again there. It has been re-discovered in the Makiš area in 1955, but by 2001 it disappeared, too, and today can be found only around the lake of Veliko Blato , in the neighborhood of Krnjača . The island is the only location in Serbia of the bird's little nest fungi , which is used for the antioxidant extraction. Forests cover and area of 120 ha (300 acres), or 57% of

29754-502: Was stopped after the Allied bombing of Belgrade began. By 1943, the Germans completely rebuilt the Gate of Charles VI, in greatest detail. Reconstruction included the cartouche with the initials of the emperor on the capital from the outer side, and the supposed coat-of-arms of never-existing Tribalia , on the inner side (boar with an arrow pierced through the head). As the motif of this coat-of-arms appeared in medieval Serbian seals and

29928-480: Was stored in the Belgrade City Museum. What is known for sure is that during the "terrain cleaning" in 1941–1942, the Germans completely destroyed the foundations of the Austrian artillery barrack built in the 1723-1736 period. On 29 February 1952 the city adopted the "Decision on protection, adaptation and maintenance of the people's park of Kalemegdan" which set the borders of the protected areas as

30102-409: Was successful as the plague never spread to Belgrade. Four outer city gates, with the adjoining walls and ramparts were demolished from 1862 (Sava, Vidin and Varoš gates) to 1866 ( Stambol Gate ). After the Ottomans fully evacuated the inner fortress in 1867, Serbian troops took over, but as the state was still only autonomous (full independence was achieved in 1878), Serbia was only to "manage it" and

30276-519: Was transferred to the city in 86 AD and remained there until the mid 5th century. The presence of Legio IV prompted the construction of a square-shaped castrum (fort), which occupied Upper Town of today's fortress. Construction began at the turn of the 2nd century AD as since the early 100s, Legio IV Flavia Felix became permanently stationed in Singidunum. At first, the fortress was set up as earthen bulwarks and wooden palisades, but soon after, it

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