Niš
History
| Niš is the third largest city in Serbia, situated on the river Nišava. It is placed at crossroads of Balkan and European highways, connecting Asia Minor to Europe. Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans, and has from ancient times been considered a gateway between the East and the West. The city has a population of 260,000 and covers an area of about 600 square kilometers, including the city of Niš itself, the Niška Banja spa and 68 suburbs. Mythical original name Naissos (latin: Naissus) was derived from Naiad, which was the nymph of rivers and lakes. |
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The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who proclaimed Christianity the official confession of the Roman Empire and built Constantinople (today Istanbul) and make it the new capital of the Empire, was born in Naissus in 272. He decorated the city with splendor buildings (like Imperial villa at Mediana) and made it the significant economic, military and administrative centre. Today, Niš is a city in process of transformation from a communist industrial city it once was, into a modern European city. City centre was completely renovated during the past years and it now features few shopping malls and an underground shopping street 2 km long. We used to say that you should leave Niš for a while to find its full beauty when you return. |
Geography
Geographically, it is in Niš that the trunk road running from the north (Belgrade) down the Morava River valley forks into two major lines: - the south one, down the Vardar River valley, leading to Thessalonica and Athens, - and the east one, down the Nišava River and Marica River valleys, leading towards Sofia and Istanbul, and further on, towards the Near East.
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Niš is easily accessible, having an airport - Constantine the Great Airport and being a point of intersection of numerous railroad and highway lines. The cilmate of the Niš area is moderate, continental. The average temperature is 11.2°C. July is the warmest month of the year, with the average of 21.2 0C. The coldest month is February, averaging at 0.2°C. The average of the annual rainfall is 567.25 mm/m2. The average barometer value is 992.74 mb. There are 123 days with rain and 43 days with snow. On the average, the wind force is just below 3 Beaufort. |
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University of Niš
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Niš is a university center with about 28,000 students at the University of Niš, which comprises 13 faculties. The University of Niš was founded in 1965. and it’s the greatest university in the Central Serbia. The beginning of the third millennium finds the University as a medium-sized, mature and well developed academic community comprising thirteen academic units, i. e. faculties: |
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Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Occupational Safety, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Technology in Leskovac, Teacher-Training Faculty in Vranje. Most of the mentioned faculties have composite structure, i. e. various departments, divisions or majors, offering wide and diversified study and research opportunities at both the undergraduate and the graduate level, including opportunities to obtain PhD degree. |
Sightseeing
There is plenty of historical sights, and the following ones ought to be mentioned:
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The Skull Tower (Serbian: Cele Kula) - A monument to 19th century Serbian rebels; Concentration camp - One rare saved German Nazis prisoner camps in Europe; The Niš Fortress - The extant fortification of Turkish origin, situated in the city center; Mediana - Archeological site from the late Roman period, and numerous other monuments. The majority of the population is made by Serbs of orthodox persuasion, but as a result of its tumultuous history, the people of many nations and religions live in Niš, and this variety is clearly visible on the face of the city. |
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In Niš, you can find both modern avenues surrounded by high-rise building blocks with shopping malls and sport courts in between, and old city quarters, with classical and oriental buildings hundreds of years old. Among the cultural events of international character, which are held in Niš, the most significant ones are: The Serbian Film Festival of Actors' Achievements “Filmski Susreti”; The international amateur choirs’ festival “Horske svecanosti“; The fine art artists’ colony “Sicevo“ – the oldest in the country; The literature artists’ colony “Sicevo”; and The Jazz festival „Nišville“.
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