The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Similar to the Great Pyramid, we are now visiting the burial place of an ancient king. Yet the Mausoleum is different – so different from the Pyramid that it earned its reputation – and a spot within the list – for other reasons. Geographically, it is closer to the Temple of Artemis… And it was the beauty of the tomb rather than its size that fascinated its visitors for years.

• Location

In the city of Bodrum (f.k.a. Halicarnassus) on the Aegean Sea, in south-west Turkey.

• History

When the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers — the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king’s lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia’s.

For 16 centuries, the Mausoleum remained in good condition until an earthquake caused some damage to the roof and colonnade. In the early fifteenth century, the Knights of St John of Malta invaded the region and built a massive crusader castle. When they decided to fortify it in 1494, they used the stones of the Mausoleum. By 1522, almost every block of the Mausoleum had been disassembled and used for construction.

Today, the massive castle still stands in Bodrum, and the polished stone and marble blocks of the Mausoleum can be spotted within the walls of the structure. Some of the sculptures survived and are today on display at the British Museum in London. These include fragment of statues and many slabs of the frieze showing the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. At the site of the Mausoleum itself, only the foundation remains of the once magnificent Wonder.

• Description

The structure was rectangular in plan, with base dimensions of about 40 m (120 ft) by 30 m (100 ft). Overlying the foundation was a stepped podium which sides were decorated with statues. The burial chamber and the sarcophagus of white alabaster decorated with gold were located on the podium and surrounded by Ionic columns. The colonnade supported a pyramid roof which was in turn decorated with statues. A statue of a chariot pulled by four horses adorned the top of the tomb.

The total height of the Mausoleum was 45 m (140 ft). This is broken down into 20 m (60 ft) for the stepped podium, 12 m (38 ft) for the colonnade, 7 m (22 ft) for the pyramid, and 6 m (20 ft) for the chariot statue at the top.

The beauty of the Mausoleum is not only in the structure itself, but in the decorations and statues that adorned the outside at different levels on the podium and the roof. These were tens of life-size as well as under and over life-size free-standing statues of people, lions, horses, and other animals. The statues were carved by four Greek sculptors: Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas, and Timotheus, each responsible for one side. Because the statues were of people and animals, the Mausoleum holds a special place in histroy as it was not dedicated to the gods of Ancient Greece.

Since the nineteenth century, archeological excavations have been undertaken at the Mausoleum site. These excavations together with detailed descriptions by ancient historians give us a fairly good idea about the shape and appearance of the Mausoleum. A modern reconstruction of the shorter side of the Mausoleum illustrates the lavish nature of the art and architecture of the building… a building for a King whose name is celebrated in all large tombs today — mausoleums.

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The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

This is the statue of the god in whose honor the Ancient Olympic games were held. It was located on the land that gave its very name to the Olympics. At the time of the games, wars stopped, and athletes came from Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Sicily to celebrate the Olympics and to worship their king of gods: Zeus.

• Location

At the ancient town of Olympia, on the west coast of modern Greece, about 150 km west of Athens.

• History

The ancient Greek calendar starts in 776 BC, for the Olympic games are believed to have started that year. The magnificent temple of Zeus was designed by the architect Libon and was built around 450 BC. Under the growing power of ancient Greece, the simple Doric-style temple seemed too mundane, and modifications were needed. The solution: A majestic statue. The Athenian sculptor Pheidias was assigned for the “sacred” task, reminiscent of Michelangelo’s paintings at the Sistine Chapel.

For the years that followed, the temple attracted visitors and worshippers from all over the world. In the second century BC repairs were skillfully made to the aging statue. In the first century AD, the Roman emperor Caligula attempted to transport the statue to Rome. However, his attempt failed when the scaffolding built by Caligula’s workmen collapsed. After the Olympic games were banned in AD 391 by the emperor Theodosius I as Pagan practices, the temple of Zeus was ordered closed.

Olympia was further struck by earthquakes, landslides and floods, and the temple was damaged by fire in the fifth century AD. Earlier, the statue had been transported by wealthy Greeks to a palace in Constantinople. There, it survived until it was destroyed by a severe fire in AD 462. Today nothing remains at the site of the old temple except rocks and debris, the foundation of the buildings, and fallen columns.

• Description

Pheidias began working on the statue around 440 BC. Years earlier, he had developed a technique to build enormous gold and ivory statues. This was done by erecting a wooden frame on which sheets of metal and ivory were placed to provide the outer covering. Pheidias’ workshop in Olympia still exists, and is coincidentally — or may be not — identical in size and orientation to the temple of Zeus. There, he sculpted and carved the different pieces of the statue before they were assembled in the temple.

When the statue was completed, it barely fitted in the temple. Strabo wrote:

“.. although the temple itself is very large, the sculptor is criticized for not having appreciated the correct proportions. He has shown Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple.”

Strabo was right, except that the sculptor is to be commended, not criticized. It is this size impression that made the statue so wonderful. It is the idea that the king of gods is capable of unroofing the temple if he stood up that fascinated poets and historians alike. The base of the statue was about 6.5 m (20 ft) wide and 1.0 meter (3 ft) high. The height of the statue itself was 13 m (40 ft), equivalent to a modern 4-story building.

The statue was so high that visitors described the throne more than Zeus body and features. The legs of the throne were decorated with sphinxes and winged figures of Victory. Greek gods and mythical figures also adorned the scene: Apollo, Artemis, and Niobe’s children. The Greek Pausanias wrote:

On his head is a sculpted wreath of olive sprays. In his right hand he holds a figure of Victory made from ivory and gold… In his left hand, he holds a sceptre inlaid with every kind of metal, with an eagle perched on the sceptre. His sandals are made of gold, as is his robe. His garments are carved with animals and with lilies. The throne is decorated with gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory.

The statue was occasionally decorated with gifts from kings and rulers. the most notable of these gifts was a woollen curtain “adorned with Assyrian woven patterns and Pheonician dye” which was dedicated by the Syrian king Antiochus IV.

Copies of the statue were made, including a large prototype at Cyrene (Libya). None of them, however, survived to the present day. Early reconstructions such as the one by von Erlach are now believed to be rather inaccurate. For us, we can only wonder about the true appearance of the statue — the greatest work in Greek sculpture.

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The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Is it simply a temple? How could it take its place among other unique structures such as the Pyramid, the Hanging Gardens, and the Colossus of Rhodes? For the people who actually visited it, the answer was simple. It was not just a temple… It was the most beautiful structure on earth… It was built in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature. That was the Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus.

Location
The ancient city of Ephesus near the modern town of Selcuk, about 50 km south of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey.

History
Although the foundation of the temple dates back to the seventh century BC, the structure that earned a spot in the list of Wonders was built around 550 BC. Referred to as the great marble temple, or temple D, it was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. It was decorated with bronze statues sculpted by the most skilled artists of their time: Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon.

The temple served as both a marketplace and a religious institution. For years, the sanctuary was visited by merchants, tourists, artisans, and kings who paid homage to the goddess by sharing their profits with her. Recent archeological excavations at the site revealed gifts from pilgrims including statuettes of Artemis made of gold and ivory… earrings, bracelets, and necklaces… artifacts from as far as Persia and India.

On the night of 21 July 356 BC, a man named Herostratus burned the temple to ground in an attempt to immortalize his name. He did indeed. Strangely enough, Alexander the Great was born the same night. The Roman historian Plutarch later wrote that the goddess was “too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple”. Over the next two decades, the temple was restored and is labeled “temple E” by archeologists. And when Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he helped rebuild the destroyed temple.

When St Paul visited Ephesus to preach Christianity in the first century AD, he was confronted by the Artemis’ cult who had no plans to abandon their goddess. And when the temple was again destroyed by the Goths in AD 262, the Ephesians vowed to rebuild. By the fourth century AD, most Ephesians had converted to Christianity and the temple lost its religious glamor. The final chapter came when in AD 401 the Temple of Artemis was torn down by St John Chrysostom. Ephesus was later deserted, and only in the late nineteenth century has the site been excavated. The digging revealed the temple’s foundation and the road to the now swampy site. Attempts were recently made to rebuilt the temple, but only a few columns have been re-erected.

Description
The foundation of the temple was rectangular in form, similar to most temples at the time. Unlike other sanctuaries, however, the building was made of marble, with a decorated faзade overlooking a spacious courtyard. Marble steps surrounding the building platform led to the high terrace which was approximately 80 m (260 ft) by 130 m (430 ft) in plan. The columns were 20 m (60 ft) high with Ionic capitals and carved circular sides. There were 127 columns in total, aligned orthogonally over the whole platform area, except for the central cella or house of the goddess.

The temple housed many works of art, including four ancient bronze statues of Amazons sculpted by the finest artists at the time. When St Paul visited the city, the temple was adorned with golden pillars and silver statuettes, and was decorated with paintings. There is no evidence that a statue of the goddess herself was placed at the center of the sanctuary, but there is no reason not to believe so.

The early detailed descriptions of the temple helped archeologists reconstruct the building. Many reconstructions such as that by H.F. von Erlach depicted the faзade with a four-column porch which never existed. More accurate reconstructions may give us an idea about the general layout of the temple. However, its true beauty lies in the architectural and artistic details which will forever remain unknown.

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Barcelona

• Old Town

Barcelona’s old town, or Ciutat Vella, is the heart of the city. It’s made up of many small neighborhoods, full of old-world character, linked by narrow, winding streets. Students, foreigners and artists thrive in this area, attracted by its sense of history and cosmopolitan feel along with its trendy bars, concert halls and good restaurants.

Start your tour from Plaça Catalunya and take Les Rambles (or Las Ramblas in Spanish) towards the sea. On the right, you’ll find the Raval district with its museums, art galleries and notorious red-light area, Barri Xines. On your left, the medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is home to the cathedral, peaceful Plaça del Pi, art galleries and lots of cafés serving delicious hot chocolate. If you go even further left, across busy Via Laietana, you’ll come to Born market, in La Ribera district. This trendy neighborhood is also home to the graceful Santa Maria del Mar Church and the impressive Museu Picasso.

• L’Eixample

When the old town became overpopulated in the mid-19th century, the city expanded inland, north of Plaça Catalunya. The streets of the new suburb, called L’Eixample, or “The Extension”, were laid out in a grid pattern. Catalan modernista (Art Nouveau) architects designed a number of striking buildings in the area around Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya.

You’ll find the extraordinary Sagrada Familia on the right-hand side of L’Eixample if you’re coming from the Old Town. This controversial church, unfinished because of the untimely death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, in 1926, has become the city’s most visited monument.

As Barcelona expanded further north, more new neighborhoods were built. Villages were absorbed within the city boundaries giving rise to districts like the charming Gràcia, Les Corts, Sarrià and Hortà-Guinardò, up in the hills.

The working-class neighborhood of Sants marks the city’s southern boundary and has excellent public transport to the center.

• Green Areas

Montjüic Hill, in the southwest of the city, offers many attractions including the Olympic stadium and other facilities used for the 1992 Olympic Games, along with the impressive Fundació Miró. The best way to get to the hill is to take the cable car from the nearby harbor.

Barcelona’s other major green area is 1800-foot Tibidabo Hill to the northwest, with its panoramic views of the city, amusement park on the summit and Torre de Comunicaciones de Collserola (Collserola Communications Tower).

Both Montjüic and Tibidabo offer good sports facilities as well, like tennis, jogging, and horseback riding. It’s easiest to get there by car, though you could also take the cable car to Montjüic, which the kids will love. The cable car also offers a great view of the city.

• The Seaside

The mild Mediterranean climate and calm seas mean you can sail and windsurf all year round from Port Olímpic (Olympic Port). Little boats (golondrinas) leaving from the harbor will take you on a sightseeing tour of the city’s waterfront and nearby coastline. The fishing district of Barceloneta offers excellent seafood restaurants. Ultra-modern Maremagnum has busy bars with outdoor terraces, discos, shops and cinemas. You’ll also find trendy open-air music bars in Port Olímpic in the summer. Half an hour’s journey to the south, Sitges’ pretty beaches attract a cosmopolitan crowd. For more peaceful surroundings, head north to one of Costa Brava’s deserted coves.

• Sant Adrià de Besòs – El Fòrum

Constructed and remodeled to host the Fòrum de Les Cultures in 2004, this area located to the north of the city has bloomed as a new cultural center. The beautiful architecture, designed by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, as well as the numerous events that take place in the ultra-modern location of Parc del Fòrum, such as Primavera Sound or Summercase, attract thousands of visitors every year.

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Zlatibor

Zlatibor is an incredibly beautiful mountain. It is located in western Serbia, about 230 km away from Belgrade. At the average height of 1000 m above sea level, Zlatibor offers unforgettable scenery and a unique climate for those seeking rest, relaxation, as well as enjoying winter and summer sports, such as skiing, walking and swimming. Zlatibor is ideal especially for those passionate skiers, looking for a more exciting and dangerous vacation. High mountain ranges surrounding Zlatibor, spacious pastures, small but numerous rivers and lakes and a climate known to be helpful in curing heart and thyroid gland problems as well as many allergies, all contribute to make staying at this mountain an unforgettable experience. The climate makes Zlatibor rich with vegetation, growing over 120 different types of grasses and forests. Wavy landscape is sprinkled with pine and fir forests, wild daffodils and all sorts of colorful mountain flowers and wild berries.
Zlatibor offers a rich cultural and a tourist experience. More than 200, 000 people visit Zlatibor, all over a year, while staying at newly built hotels, mini hotels, inns or in private houses. It is definitely a mountain one always comes back to.

The first inhabitants of Zlatibor region were the Illyrians, namely their tribe Partyiny. The remnants of their culture -ornamental ceramics are being met in the caves and steep hights, where they used to live. Today these places are called “gradine” and there are three on Zlatibor (čajetinska, krivorečka, šljivovička). In the museum collection of the library in Čajetina we can see some fragments of pottery with the characteristic decorative design engraved into the clay by a finger nail. The culture and life of the Illyrians have been studied exclusively from the “tumulus” (the tombs), which are found on Zlatibor in a great number on various locations (Krivorečka gradina (the place Viševina), Kremna, a wider area from Ljubiš to Mušvet, Braneško polje).

At the beginning of our epoch the Romans dominate in this region with their culture much higher than the previous one.They build new fortreses, a net of new roads (Mačkat – Čajetinska gradina -the river Uvac). The Roman tombstones date the second and the third century A.D. Most of them are in Kremna and there are reliefs inspired by the motives from the nature and sometimes by God Atis – in the figure of a nice youth.
After the 9th century these places are being settled by the Slovenes, who also build fortreses and rebuild “gradine”. There’s a very interesting fortress on Gradac in Dobroselica, where we can see the remnants of a bulwark.
There are some remnants of a stone pedestal in the shape of a bench that was probably used for observing. There are also some animal bones found built in the base (probably for religious reasons) and there is a lot of medieval material found on this location (a top of a spear, a knife, a copper ring…).
About the year 118O Stevan Nemanja connects Zlatibor and Užice to the independant Serbian state.

In the 16th century The unpreserved monastery Rujno was the cultural and educational centre of the former district (župa) Rujno. In that monastery one of the first Serbian printing shops worked. Recently the position of the former monastery Uvac (and maybe also of the Church Janja – being sung about in folk songs) has been discovered in Stublo on the river Uvac. According to traditional stories the monastery was that “Church Janja”, which was the richest far around. The monastery possesed beautiful and good pastures above the valley on Orlic and Orahovica. Milk from there was transported to monastery by boats. The canals in which the boats were placed can still be identified. Thanks to researching and and work of the National museum in Užice the monastery Uvac has been reestablished and the church with the “konak” (the overnight stay) have been rebuilt and sanctified.
The church in Bela Reka is worth being mentioned among the old churches on Zlatibor. It has unusually small dimensions. It has only one nave and one cupola.

On Zlatibor characteristic churches “brvnare” (log cabins) were built, some of which still exist in Dobroselica and Jablanica. In many Zlatibor villages there are places called “crkvine” on which, according to tradition, wooden churches existed. It is supposed that some of them were being burnt by the Turks during the period of 1st Serbian rebellion like those in Mokra gora and Kučani, while the others, which survived the Turkish reign, became ruins because of their old age.
The churches in Sirogojno, Čajetina, Ljubiš, Mačkat, Negbina and Šljivovica are ofrecent date.
A church is being under construction on Zlatibor. It will be The church of Lord’s Transfiguration. It is being built exclusively by the help of donators. The Serbian orthodox church appeals to all goodwill people to help its construction either in money or in building material.

Giro account number: 40811-623-8-24-79 14-48-21040-2 with the designation:”For building the temple”

Legends about Zlatibor

• There are three legends about the origin of today’s name Zlatibor ( ZLATIBOR: zlato=gold, bor=pine tree):” …By the first one Zlatibor is supposed to get its name by white pine trees with yellow conifer (the colour of old gold), which used to cover the rolling slopes of Zlatibor. There has only one such tree remained (in the village of Negbina) and it was given the scientific name Pinus silvestris variegata Zlatiborica, by eng. Omanović, who studied those conifer trees.

• In the second it is said that Zlatibor got its name because it was so rich with pine tree forests, that the immigrants from Monte Negro and Hercegovina boasted: “It is really a pine tree made of gold!”

• The third legend says that it got its name by the mountain pastures, that get a yellow, a golden colour in autumn.Which of these legends is the right one make a decision by yourselves! Or, better come to Zlatibor, maybe you’ll hear a new version in the song of Zlatibor pine trees!”

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Kopaonik

… If you imagine a line drawn from “Kraljevo towards Trstenik” the other line drawn from Trstenif towards Jankova Klisura, the third drawn from here towards Jarinje or the place where the river Ibar for the first time meets our country, and if you draw the fourth line from Jarinje down the Ibar to the place where it empties into Morava, you’ll get an irregular quadrilateral, which surrounds the places which I’d like you to learn more about – Kopaonik and its foothill”.

NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS

Kopaonik, the biggest mountain of the central Serbia, spreads its wide mountain – ridge 83 km. long, in the direction from the mountainous region over Mitrovica, to the north – west over the series of peaks higer than 1600 m., to the highest part of the massif called Ravni Kopaonik (Flat Kopaonik) with the peaks: Gobelja (1934 m), Karman Vucak (1936 m), Suvo Rudiste (1976 m) and Pancicev Vrh (Pancic Peak) (2017 m).

The northern border of the massif is separated from the massif of the mountain Zeljina by the rivers Josanicka reka and Koznicka reka.
At the western side, along the whole Kopaonik mountain – ridge, the Ibar gorge is placed.
The eastern side is bounded by the rivers Rasina and Toplica valleys.
The region’s geology dates back 70 million years ago when the older sedimentary rocks were exposed to the strong tectonic movements and to the volcano activity which caused dent and issue of the magmatic cliffs.
This is why Kopaonik distinguishes itself by its geological structure of rocks of different inception and age (granites, serpentinites, slates, marbles, andesites, lime-stones).
The later processes of erosion during past millenniums created present-day outlines of the relief of Kopaonik.
Climate of Kopaonik, with almost 200 sunny days annually, deserves credit for Kopaonik’s other name – “mountain of the Sun”. The southern position of the massif, level and openness of the terrain prevent continual detaining of cloudiness over the mountain. Colder and heavier air moves through the nearby valleys and ravines so that winter temperatures are not too low. Kopaonik has sub-alpine climate. Average annual temperature of the Flat Kopaonik is 3,7°C.
It starts snowing at the end of November and it snows unti May, 159 days a year in average. On average, precipitation are higher than 1000 mm a year.
Kopaonik, where people used to work mines from old times, was named after its ore resources (kopati – to dig).
The volcano activity and discharge of hot mineral solutions caused changes on the nearby old rocks because of high temperatures and heavy pressures. That is how “mining region of Kopaonik” came to be, with a large number of mines from old times.
In the Kopaonik region, besides the usual ores: metals iron, lead and zinc, there are rare metals silver and gold and rare minerals: volastonite,fluor-spar, asbestos and others.

Thermal – mineral springs – spas are situated at the foothill of Kopaonik. Besides famous spas such as Vrnjacka Banja, Mataruska Banja, Sijarinska Banja, in the Kopaonik region there are springs of Josanicka Banja (t° 78°C), Lukovska Banja (t° 36°-56°C) and Kursumlijska Banja (38°-57″C).
Besides thermal waters, there are also slightly mineralized waters on Kopaonik. In the first place, these are slightly radioactive springs Krcmar vode and Marine vode at the heights of 1700 – 1950m.

LIVING WORLD – FLORA AND FAUNA

Kopaonik is situated at the border of two significant Balkans provinces, Illyrian (western and more humid) and Moesian (eastern and drier) with considerable influence of southern, mediterranean and sub-mediterranean regions and northern Pannonian regions.
Favorable hill and mountain climate with considerable quantities of the water sediment and snow cover guarantees a long period of vegetation and a creation of a large volume of biomass.
Heterogeneous geological foundation (granite, metamorphic, limestone and serpentinite) enables detainment of humidity and water reserves which are sufficient enough for life of plants and other organisms.
During severe winters, thick snow cover protects permanent and delicate parts of plants, animals and other organisms from low temperatures and frosts.
Geomorphological and orographic characteristics enable formation of the most various habitats of the plant and animal world in proportion to the height above sea – level, exposure, ground slopes and other.

Plant world – Flora

Favorable natural conditions of this high mountain massif enable development of almost all the forest mountainous belts with prime and autochthonous forest vegetation wich used to spread to the very mountain tops, where at those times had two smaller areas covered with mountainous bushy and grassy vegetation of the Alpine – Nordic character.
That’s why the plant world (flora) of the Kopaonik massif is so rich and various. It contains numerous and various species of trees, bushes, herbaceous plants, seed plants, fern, moss, lichen, mushrooms etc. A lot of them have healing properties and they are known as herb teas (Klamath weed, wild thyme, milfoil etc.). Above the forests in the lower regions (Turkey oak, hornbeam, oak – tree, common pear tree), there is a belt of beech tree forest (Fagus moesiaca) in which there are maple (greater maple) and sugar maple (Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides), ash – tree (Fraxinus excelsior), common maple, lime – tree and at the higher regions fir trees (Albies Alba).
The highest forest belt on Kopaonik placed on the altitude of 1500 m is covered with thick spruce forests (Pieceetum excelsae). At the highest altitudes (1750 -1900 m) the spruce forests become less thick and they are replaced with low bushes where the most prevailing plants are juniper – bush (juniperus nana) and blueberry (vaccinium myrtillus) as well as the other species of the ground floor among which we should single out Gentiana Lutea, great mullein and edelweiss.
Endemic species, like Leontopodium alpinum, ought to be particularly pointed out. The higest regions are covered with grassy vegetation of pasture – grounds.
Distinct characteristic of the plant world of the high Kopaonik is represented by peat-bogs. Peat-bogs are not very thick with specific plant species of peat. Peat-bogs of Kopaonik are over 1000 years old. Here, they are called Bare. The most famous ones are: Jankova bara, Crvene bare, Barska reka.

Animal world – Fauna

The animal world of the present Kopaonik is various despite it being reduced in number, especially of the big game. Several decades ago, bear, lynx, deer, wildcat, marten, otter and falcon and horned owl used to live here.
Today, the only species left are wolf and other game such as doe, fox, hare, and also different kinds of birds – small number of horned owl, falcon, partridge, eagle, as well as the bird red crossbill which feeds on conifer seeds.
Among the insects, we should point out Sibirian grass – hopper which lives in the high cold regions of the mountain. The brown trout lives in the clear waters and rapids of the Samokovska reka.

HISTORICAL HERITAGE

Early Byzantin basilic ruins /IV-V c./ isdiscovered in the year 1999, in site Crkvina – Nebeska Stolica at 1800m. Historical traces of the broader region of Kopaonik reveal Illyrian and pre-Illyrian heritage. Roman settlements and later Slav consolidation.
Medieval sources, the charters of Stefan Nemanja and his successors, note this region as a parish in the region of the Ibar, from Zvecan to the river West Morava with Kopaonik in the center of the region. Ruins of the fortifications placed on the mountain tops surrounding the central massif prove the historical significance of the Kopaonik region, like of the center of the Serbian medieval state (ruled by the Dynasties Nemanjic, Lazarevic and Brankovic).
Towns Zvecan (XI-XIV century), Maglic (XIV), Brvenik (XIV), Vrh Lab (XIV), Koznik (XV) guarded fertile region of the wine – growing district, ore and forest wealth of Kopaonik and rich pious foundations of the Serbian rulers:

• – Petrova crkva (VIII – IX century) near Novi Pazar
• – Studenica (XI _ XII century) near Usce
• – Zica (XIII century) near Kraljevo
• – Sopocani (XIII century) near Novi Pazar
• – Djurdjevi stubovi (XII century) near Novi Pazar
• – Gradac (XIII century) near Raska
• – Pavlica (XIV century) near Raska

Kopaonik has a rich mining past. The historical sources note King of Raska Stefan Uros I who brought from Germany hired miners, know as Saxons. The miners’ settlements and towns, together with the melting plants and mints: Stari Trg, Novo Brdo, Rogozno, Plana, were situated in the surrouding district.
Mining region of Kopaonik was the most prosperous in XIV and XV century during the Despotate when it developed trade with the Dubrovnik Republic, Byzantium and Western Europe.
Mining of this region was ruined after the raids of the Turks in XV century and it revived in the XIX and XX century.
Even today, we can find the remnants and traces of the old excavations from the Roman and Medieval times on Kopaonik.

National Park Kopaonik

National Park Kopaonik was founded and proclaimed in 1981. It covers an area of 11.800 ha, and has a protecting belt of 19.986 ha, 689 ha of the wildlife refuge is under special protection. The park is placed on the highest parts of the mountain.
The base of the park represents mountainous, relatively levelled region of the medium height above sea – level about 1700 m. The lowest altitude is about 640 m above sea – level. The highest altitude is Pancicev vrh (2017 m).
According to the laws of the Republic of Serbia on protection of nature, a large number of objects of nature, natural and man-made objects which can be found in the National Park Kopaonik, are singled out and classified according to the different of protection.

Natural wildlife refuges of Natioanl Park

1. Kozje stene – with relict groups of juniper trees, fir trees and heather and a large nuxubel of relict kinds and vegetation of rocks.
2 . Vucak – includes unique group of fir tree and juniper tree (this combination may be seen only on Zlatibor and here), as well as two groups of juniper tree, fir tree and beech tree.
3 . Mrkonja – includes group of beech tree and fir tree of the preserved structure in the conditions of the degraded soil.
4. Jankova bara – the biggest pear-bog on Kopaonik, with a large number of peat-bog gruops as well as the specific groups of juniper tree, fir tree, Austrain / black and Scots pine.
5. Gobelja – wildlife refuge of the representatives of the mountain, climate-regional groups and distinct groups of ostenjak with habitats of extremely rare and jeopardized species.
6. Barska reka – includes forest groups of beech tree, fir tree and juniper tree of relict character, which are important for the science.
7. Samokovska reka – includes extremely interesting and various groups of juniper tree with moss, common sorrel, wood-rush and others, as well as vegetation of peat-bog.
8. Metodje – includes six phytocoenologically different groups of juniper and beech trees and the number of other rare and relict plant spacies.
9. Jelak – includes interesting ecosystem of beech and fir inside which wee meet important and rare species – yew – tree.
10. Suvo Rudiste – characteristic representative of the mountainous region at the top border of the forest vegetation with groups of climate-regional groups of blueberry, juniper bush and iub-alpine juniper tree, as well as with the groups of tipac and metlicasta vlasulja.
11. Duboka – in the municipality Brus – includes parts of relict group of beech tree with bul – rush, as well as group of beech tree with hornbeam (a unique group on Kopaonik).
12. Jelovarnik – hydological and geomorfological monument, fall with three cascades of hight 70m, surrounded with intteresting ecosystem of beech and junipertree, rocks and waterfals.
13. Bele stene – (Withe rocks) – geologocal monument rocks massif of the limestone at the upper bonier of the vegetation in community with bluberry, juniper bush and junipertree.

Natural monuments

• – Geomorphological monuments – stone granite sculptures: Lisicja stena, Pajin grob, Suvi vrh, Jankov breg, Babin grob, Visoki deo, Karaman – Vucak
• – Geomorphological monuments – traces of Pleistocene glacialion – Circ Krcmar, Circ Siroki do, Circ V. Gobelja.
• – Geological monuments: Velika stena, Velika Siljaca, Jelica, Zljeb, Gvozdac, Ostri krs.
• – Hydrological monuments – springs and fountainheads: Fountainhead Duboko, “Geyser” Gvozdac, Spring Marina voda, Spring Krcmar, Waterfall Barska reka, Semetsko jezero – lake.
• – Hydrological monuments – strictly protected water – courses of the river basins: Samokovska reka, Gobeljska reka, Barska reka, Brzecka reka, Duboka reka.

Architectural achievements of the Natioanl Park area

• – Remains of the medieval road – Kukavica (about 4 km).
• – Remains of the medieval former mine site – village Zaplanina, Samokovska reka, Kadijevac, Suvo Rudiste, Brzecka reka, Bela reka.
• – Buildings of the sacral architecture – site of a former church in Metodje, church of Sv. Petar and Pavle in Kriva reka, Building from the Turkish period – turkish bath in Josanicka banja.
• – Monuments from the liberation wars: monument on Mramor, monuments Djacki grob, Raskrsnica, monument to the victims of fascism in Kriva Reka.
• – Other monuments – Pancic Mausoleum (placed in the complex of the special purpose).
• – Business buildings constructed in the past – Mijatovica jaz.
• – Housing buildings constructed in the past:village Lisina, village Djordjevici, village Crna Glava, village Kriva Reka, village Brzece.
• – Business buildings constructed in the past – water mills and saw mills: Brzece, Kriva Reka, Gobeljska reka, Josanicka Banja.

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Palic Lake

Seven kilometers to the east of Subotica is the village Palić and next to it lies a tranquil body of water that bears the same name. The shallow saltwater lake of aeolian origin is rich in thermal springs. Since the mid-19th century the area around the lake has prospered into a prestigeous health resort and vacation area.

Although the avarage depth of the lake is only 2 m, it has cosy and tended beaches along its 17 km long shores, offering opportunities for various water sports and fishing. A large park embraces the lake and dotted with picturesque villas and hotelsis becoming a popular excursion point for tourists.

Palić can be reached by from Subotica, a nearby urban center close to the border with Hungary, or by train that stops here twice a day and continues on to Szeged. The bus stops in front of the main entrance of the park by the Water Tower (Vodotoranj), the symbol of the resort. Like all the other prominent buildings here, it is the work of Marcel Komor and Deže Jakab from 1912, when Palić was given its present appearance. The main park promenade begins at the Water Tower and leads to the stocky Grand Terrace, a beautiful Art Nouveau building also built 1912. On the other side of the Terrace, next to the lake shore, is the memorial well with an inscription about the founding day of the resort. To the right of stands the fairytale-like wooden Women’s Lido, rich in detail and reminescent of local ethnic motives.The characteristic Villa Lujza is near by, built in Swiss style (deemed to be the most adequate for spas) and the ruined Owl Castle, once home of the famous sportsman Lajoš Vermeš.

Palić also has a ZOO garden (phone: 024/753-075, open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and a large open air stage that hosts the annual Palić International Film Festival in July.

Towards the East along the same road there is another water basin, Lake Ludoško, a wetland reserve rich in waterfowl. There are 214 species of birds that can be seen throughout the year, 40 of which nest here. The lake is also an archeological locality with evidence of early human settlements. There several farmsteadsand fish taverns (salaš and čarda) with culinary specialites and old-style rural accommodation.

Palic, the 7 km long lake and tourist centre used to be an elite resort and spa at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The image of Palic has permanently been changing, improving and modernising, although it avoided the temptation of industrialisation. The two architects, Komor and Jakab, who left a permanent impression on the architecture of the city, also designed remarkable buildings in Palic as well, and these were also built in Hungarian art nouveau and dominated by woodcarvings inspired by folk handicrafts.
The Water Tower, now the symbol of Palic, was built at the beginning of the 20th century as a multipurpose facility: a water tower, gate of the resort and a tram station.
The construction of the Grand Terrace ended in 1911 and at that time it was also used as a multipurpose facility (confectionery, restaurant, while the upstairs premises were intended for entertainment and balls).
Two open terraces embellish the front of the building and they are decorated by magnificently carved parapet. Right in front of the Grand Terrace is the tiniest art nouveau style, special purpose facility, the Musical Pavillion, which, in the spirit of time, used to be a venue for promenade concerts.
A memorial fountain was erected in the honour of the completion of constructions in the city and Palic, which perfectly fit in the newly created atmosphere of the promenade in front of the Grand Terrace and the Musical Pavilion on the lake front.

The Women’s Beach is another magnificent example of art nouveau style buildings.

Women’s Beach

The colourful resort houses-villas round up the Palic image. Villa Lujza was built in eclectic style and Bagolyvár (an interesting name for an interesting building: “the owl’s castle) are “Swiss-type” villas, and their roofs are covered with multicoloured plain tiles made by the Zsolnay Manufacture.

In the heart of the Grand Park there is specific facility, the Summer Stage, where the Palic International Film Festival is held every summer.

Palić Film Festival

The Palic Summer Stage hidden in the shade of the Grand Park’s hundred year old trees opens its gates to the Palic International Film Festival during the third week of July. This Festival is dedicated to the promotion of the most recent productions in the European filmmaking and is accompanied with various programmes.

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Prague, Czech Republic

The Czech Republic’s capital and international showpiece, Prague is one of the most popular destinations in Eastern Europe. Its attraction lies in the physical beauty of the city with 600 years of architecture amazingly untouched by war. The centre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it demands to be explored on foot, an entire outdoor museum of history and a haphazard mixture of splendid architecture.
In the 14th century Prague enjoyed a reputation of being one of the most important cities in Europe, but after the Second World War it disappeared completely behind the Iron Curtain. Since the 1989 Velvet Revolution and the end of Communism, Prague has thrown off the years of repression with alacrity and is returning to its earlier grandeur, enticing tourists with its fairytale quality and romantic atmosphere. In recent years Prague has also become a popular weekend destination for stag and hen party groups, attracted by the lively nightlife, world-famous beer and low prices.
The historical centre of the city is compact and its attractions are all within easy reach. The core comprises the Castle District (Hradèany) west of the River Vltava, and the Old and New town (Staré Mesto and Nové Mesto) to the east, joined by the famous Charles Bridge. The Castle District situated on the hill overlooking the city incorporates the main attractions, including the Castle itself and the Cathedral. The Old Town is a maze of alleyways, cobbled streets and passages winding their way towards the beautiful Old Town Square, Staromestské NámestÃ. Josefov Ghetto, the old Jewish Quarter, is enclosed within the old town. The New Town, in contrast, is modern and has been laid out in wide boulevards, most famously Wenceslas Square, the fashionable shopping boulevard leading up to the foot of the grand National Gallery.
The city’s cultural scene also features high on the list of things to do in Prague, with classical music concerts, opera and ballet, as well as the many art galleries around the city. It is constantly adding small new museums to its summertime list, often strange but curiously interesting. This beautiful city, a ‘symphony in stone’, built along the river and on the surrounding hills, has never ceased to capture the hearts and imagination of visitors, painters, photographers and poets.

Prague has a cheap and efficient public transport system consisting of an integrated network of buses, trams, metro and a funicular on Petrin Hill. The historic centre is compact and pedestrian-only, but trams offer an inexpensive way of seeing the rest of the city and there are plenty of metro stations in the centre. Tram lines criss-cross the centre and are the best way to get around, after the metro. Buses need rarely be used, as they tend to operate outside the centre and are more irregular. After midnight night trams and buses offer a limited service, usually every hour. Tickets are valid on all modes of public transport, but must be bought in advance and validated before each journey. A number of travel passes are also available; these are the best way to avoid the hassle of different single tickets and need only be stamped once at the start. Prague is inundated with dishonest, unregistered taxi drivers who attempt to rip off tourists. It’s best to book taxis over the phone and demand a receipt for the fare before setting out. ProfiTaxi or AAA Taxi are the most reputable companies. A car is unnecessary since much of the city is pedestrianised, parking is a major problem and vehicle crime is rife. Car rental is also expensive.

When Franz Kafka wrote that his home city had ‘claws’ that prevented him leaving, he was not paying nefarious Prague a compliment. These days Prague has a similarly magnetic, though much more positive, appeal for the soaring numbers of tourists and business travellers who flock to the Czech capital every year.
Prague is quite simply one of the most stunning cities in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage listed gem, eulogised as the ‘City of a Thousand Spires’. Prague has become the archetypal post-communist city success story with seemingly not a month going by without another city being hailed as the ‘New Prague’.
This is a city where just ambling around the impressively well-preserved historic core, stopping off for a fortifying glass of one of the excellent local beers, popping into boutique shops or one of the many museums is the real pleasure.
Prague’s story goes back to the distant days of the Celtic tribes, as early as 400BC. The city’s real golden age commenced when Charles IV of Bohemia was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1346. The ambitious gothic building programme, including St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, the University, and the New Town, centred on Wenceslas Square and transformed the city into one of the greatest and most powerful in Europe.
The 20th century brought massive trauma for Czechoslovakia and Prague as the country was occupied by the Nazis during WWII and then spent the best part of five decades subjugated under Soviet communist rule, with all attempts to win greater democracy in 1968’s ‘Prague Spring’ brutally crushed under the weight of Russian tanks.
The Czech spirit remained undaunted and in 1989, as the Berlin Wall tumbled, the Czechs finally broke free of communism during the ‘Velvet Revolution’, which was quickly followed by the ‘Velvet Divorce’ as the Slovak portion of the old Czechoslovakia chose to go its own way.
With poet and president Vaclav Havel at the helm, Prague became the hub of the post-communist eastern European revival with expats flocking to the city in the 1990s, quickly developing a buzz that brought comparisons with 1920s Paris.
This post Velvet Revolution buzz has faded to some extent and these days there are as many foreign as Czech voices on the streets with the city massively popular as a tourist destination and as a business hub. In 2004, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, further cementing the city’s importance and popularity.
Part of Prague’s charm is that it is a rewarding place to visit at any time of year. Winters can be long, harsh and dark, but spring and autumn are often idyllic with summer bringing some very warm central European temperatures.
Whether easing under Charles Bridge on a rowing boat on a balmy summer evening, or trudging across the crisp snow of the Old Town Square and enjoying a glass of mulled wine at the Christmas Market, this slick, but still deeply characterful Czech capital seldom disappoints.

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Budva

Budva is the reigning “tourist capital of Montenegro” for all the right reasons. As one of the Adriatic Sea’s oldest cities, Budva’s 2500 year history reaches back from the past to offer you a drink on a warm sandy beach, a casual walk along lamp-lit streets, and a concert by Madonna? Yes, the ‘Queen of Pop’ is first scheduled to arrive in Budva in 2008, followed by other big acts in concerts sponsored by Budva’s affluent city government. To explain Madonna’s unusual arrival to a small town of only 16,000 inhabitants: Budva represents the two sides of Montenegro and is quickly gaining international recognition as its elegant beauty comes to grips with immense commercial promise. The foundations for Budva’s current splendor were first laid over 2500 years ago, and legend says that it all began with love! Traditional stories tell of the supreme Greek God, Zeus, who in his constant pursuit of beautiful maidens abducted the Phoenician princess Europa. As Europa’s headstrong brother, Cadmus enters the picture by seeking the advice of the all-knowing oracle at Delphi. He eventually kills a dragon, and thus commits a sin against the gods, who expel his entire family from their hometown of Thebes. In their shame, Cadmus leaves Thebes with his wife Harmonia and their children on an ox-drawn cart – the faithful ox that pulled that cart? Butoe (Budva)!

Old Town Budva -.The story regarding how Old Town Budva first got it’s name ties into a mythological tradition that spans over 2500 years, and really reflects the history found in this very old town. Budva’s walls were built straight out of the Adriatic sea and what we see today is really only a fraction of the city’s splendor at it’s height, preserved with loving care by the local residents of Budva who are proud of their long history.

View of the sea from the Old Town – The sea really defined life in Old Town Budva, and was the town’s source of life for many thousands of years, connecting Budva with the outside world, enabling Budva to trade for foreign goods, become rich, and built the architectural treasures that make the city an enjoyable place for all of us living today. To look on Old Town Budva’s city walls from a nearby hill, or gaze out of the loopholes (designed for arrows) that penetrate Budva’s stone defences, we can begin to imagine what life was like in Budva across the ages. These ramparts widen to form the Citadel, once a tremendous fortification on the Adriatic but now a more peaceful venue for the city’s many “City Theater” performances, which have found the perfect stage for dramatic productions.

The town ramparts – These theater productions in Old Town Budva are also performed on the smaller stage “between the churches” which symbolically means that these events are protected by three saintly powers from different times in history. Namely, the churches involved include “Saint Mary in Punta” (built in 840), “Saint Sava” (built in the 12th-13th centuries) and the “Holy Trinity” (built in 1804). The Budva theatre tradition has gradually developed from the ancient roots of religious processions and masked balls that have now grown and matured together with the Budva and mark Old Town Budva as a prime attraction all year long. The bright, cheerful spirit of the masked dancers is still thriving through the “Festadjuni” (masked ball) of Budva!

Saint Mary in Punta – Underneath the plateau that borders Budva and in front of the church of Saint John (believed to be originally built in the 7th century), we find the Roman public baths (called terme) hidden from view. Archaeologists who have studied Old Town Budva date these Roman public baths to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Preserved parts of the Roman streets still lead into the building of the Budva Town Museum. After many centuries, the traces of life left behind by the Illyrians, Greeks, and Romans are finally displayed in the new museum building: terra-cotta dishes which the people of Budva used to eat from in the 5th and 6th centuries BC; stone jars from which they tasted the thick, smooth Mediterranean wine typical to the region; amphora for keeping the valuable golden yellow olive oil that seems to run in their veins. Also found in the Budva City Museum are ancient urns, jewelry, coins, buckles, cutlery, medical instruments, and miniature multi-colored glass vessels for collecting sweet-smelling ointments or the tears of a loved one, which might have been useful when their men would sail off to sea… The remains of the ancient Budva city gates through which those same sailors perhaps came back to their homes, are now displayed in the premises of a boutique where today one can find some modern items from important European fashion capitals. Outside the walls of the Old Town Budva, in a part of one of the popular cafes, lie the remains of Roman mosaics. In Budva, the past really does live alongside the present. Outside the protection of the Old Town stonewalls of Budva’s oldest district, modern revelers will find entertainments to suit all tastes and budgets – Budva’s hotels, restaurants and discothèques (clubs) and also joined by family-fare such as children’s entertainment centers and cafes closely stacked together in a charming, if not hectic, setting. The island of “Saint Nicholas” still keeps a watchful eye on Budva and its numerous sandy beaches – being the only island in the vicinity of Budva and it’s Old Town center.

Island “St. Nikola” (View through a loophole)- Budva arose from romantic beginnings, so legend says, and the city will not disappoint the pleasure seeker, romantic, or adventurer who find their ways to Budva’s ancient stone streets. We hope you find what you’re looking for in Budva!

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Dubrovnik

George Bernard Shaw was enchanted by this beautiful city: for him, it was paradise. Millions of people also take home happy memories from this “jewel of the Adriatic”.
Dubrovnik has a remarkable history. An independent, merchant republic for 700 years (abolished by Napoleon in 1806), it traded with Turkey and India in the East (with a consul in Goa, India) and had trade representatives in Africa (in the Cape Verde Islands). It even had diplomatic relations with the English court in the middle ages. (There is a letter from Elizabeth I on display in the City Museum in Dubrovnik). Its status was such that powerful and rich Venice was envious of this Croatian-Slav city.
The old town was completed in the 13th century and remains virtually unchanged to the present day. Tall ramparts surround it and there are only two entrances to the old town which lead to the Stradun, the city’s promenade. One of the greatest pleasures for many visitors is to have a drink in one of the nearby cafes and watch the world go by, whilst they themselves are being watched by the city patron, St. Blaise, or Sveti Vlaho as the locals call him. In 1991/2, the Serbs shelled the city causing considerable damage, but thanks to local efforts and international aid, the old town has been restored to its former beauty.
But whatever we say, our words do not give justice to this dazzling place. So come soon and see it with your own eyes!

You will probably enter the old town through the Pile Gate – in front of you is the Stradun. Here you will find the Onofrio Fountain, built in 1438. On the right is the Franciscan Monastery, with one of the oldest functioning pharmacies in Europe, in operation since 1391. At the other end of the Stradun, you will find the locals’ favourite meeting place, the Orlando Column, with the nearby Sponza Place and the baroque church of St. Blaise. Here is also the Rector’s Palace, built in 1441, which is now a city museum packed with valuable and historic exhibits.
Opposite the palace through a narrow street is a square, Gunduliceva Poljana, which is the site of the busy morning market. In the same square is the Jesuit Monastery from the early 18th century. From here you can head for the little old town port and visit the city walls, built between the 13th and the 16th centuries, which encircle the city and which have been remarkably preserved.
If you are visiting in the summer, do not miss the world-renowned Dubrovnik Summer Festival, with music, theatre and dance performances. The version of Hamlet on Lovrijenac Tower is magical. The Dubrovnik International Film Festival also runs for several days at the beginning of October.

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