Kuršumlija

Coordinates	42°52′50″N147°19′30″N
Native name	Куршумлија
Official name	Kuršumlija
Image shield	Blason de Kuršumlija.jpg
District	Toplica
Mayor	Goran Bojović
Area km2	952
Population total	13639
Mpop	21608
Code	27
Settlements	90
Plates	PK
Postal code	18430
Website	www.kursumlija.org

Kuršumlija (Serbian Cyrillic: Куршумлија) is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain.

Geography

Kuršumlija sits on the area of and administratively is in Toplica District. Its borders the municipalities of Brus, Blace, Prokuplje, Medveđa, Podujevo, and Leposavić. Its southwest border (105 km) is with the disputed province of Kosovo, currently under UN administration.

History and culture

A 3rd century AD Roman military base Ad Fines was situated here. There are also remains of churches from the Byzantine period. The Serbian principality of Rascia started to develop in this region. Stefan Nemanja, a Serbian lord (župan), and the founder of Nemanjić dynasty, built his residence here, as well as the two monasteries of St. Nicolas and the Holy Mother of God (before 1168).

There are a lot of historical sights in Kuršumlija from that era: Mara Tower, Ivan Tower, and many medieval churches. The name in that period was Bele Crkve (White Churches) and Toplica. After the invasion by the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century, the Ottomans gave the town its current name, simply by translating the old name, Bele Crkve (White Churches). Since 1878, Kuršumlija has been a part of the modern Serbian state.

Features

Kuršumlija is known by the natural monument by the Radan Mountain, the so called Đavolja Varoš (Devil's Town), unusual natural formations from earth and stones. There are three spas: Prolom Spa, Kuršumlija Spa and Lukovo Spa. Famous Prolom water is produced in Prolom Spa.

Notable people

The Great Župan Stefan Nemanja established his first capital, Bele Crkve, near the location of today's Kuršumlija in 1166-1172. His wife Ana died and was buried here as the nun St. Anastasia.

Sultania Mara, daughter of Despot Đurađ Branković, later wife of the Ottoman Emperor Murad II, and step mother of Emperor Mehmed II also at the end of her life came to live here as a nun in monastery of Holy Mother of God, where she made a fortress called Mara Tower. She died in around 1487.

Kosta Pećanac, a notable Serbian soldier in the First and Second World War. His house is protected of by the municipality.

Dragoljub Mićunović (born in 1930. in Merdare, Kuršumlija), professor of at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy. He was a dissident during the Communist period, and the first president of the Democratic Party. He was the first president of parliament of State Union of Serbia & Montenegro.

Rade Vučković, a famous composer of popular music from 70s until today. His greataest hits are: Isidora, Sneg je opet Snežana, Nisam te se nagledao, Ja sam dete Kuršumlije, Viki Viki Violeta and many others.

Žarko Dragojević, director, born in Kuršumlija, professor at the Faculty of Drama at the University of Belgrade. He is director of several notable films: Kuća pored pruge (House by the tracks), Noć u kući moje majke (Night in my mother's house). He also directed many documenataries, among them series on Serbian monasteries for the Serbian national broadcaster (RTS).

Vojin Šulović, academician, humanist, doctor of gynecology. Born in Kursumlija on 18. May 1923. Regular professor at Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. Post Graduate tuition lectured in Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Sad and Priština. Overhead prelector at Post Graduate studies in Zagreb, as in Indonesia and Greece. July 7 and October awards of city of Belgrade winner. Also Serbian medical society award winner and Serbian warrior medalist. Smederevo and Kuršumlija municipality freeman. A number of domestic and foreign honours medalist among of rest - Order of Chevalier for National Service got under President of France. Honorary member of Gynecological society of France, Russia, Poland, Duchy of Poznan, Medical academy of Romania, Society of Surgeons of Jordan... Perished on 22. February 2008.more about Vojin Šulović

Population

Kuršumlija Municipality include one urban and 89 rural settlements. According to the 2002 census there are 21,608 inhabitants in the municipality, 35% of that number are rural. Ethnic groups in the municipality (2002 census):

Serbs = 20,718 (95.88%)

Roma = 317 (1.47%)

Montenegrins = 119 (0.55%)

others = 454 (2.3%).

Ethnic groups in the town (2002 census):

Serbs = 13,061 (95.76%)

Roma = 207 (1.52%)

others.

References

Notes

External links

Kuršumlija site

Kuršumlija presentation movie

Category:Populated places in Central Serbia Category:Municipalities of Central Serbia Category:Toplica District

This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.

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