Belgrade is the capital of modern day Serbia and Montenegro. It rests on the
hills above the valley where the river Sava and the Danube meet towards the
centre-north of Serbia.
The first settler of the territory of present day Belgrade date back to four
thousand years B.C. and nearby Vinca is a prehistoric location with remains
of prehistoric man (neolithic plastics).
The oldest known name for Belgrade is Singidunum, a compound word probably
made of the name of the Dacian tribe called Singi and the Celtic word dunum,
which means fortress. This interpretation is based on the belief that the name
of the settlement came about when the Celts migrated here and mixed with the
indigenous population.
The conquering Romans maintained the name of the settlement. With the division
of the Roman Empire in 395, Singidunum passed over to the Eastern Empire and
became Singidon.
In the 6th century, Slavs gradually started settling in the area. The stone
built fortress rising above the rivers was dubbed Beli Grad (white city). The
name Beograd is officially mentioned for the first time in 878 by Pope John
VIII.
Between the 16th and 19th century Belgrade is referred to with various names
in different languages: Alba Graeca, Alba Bulgarica, Bello grado, Nandor Alba,
Griechisch Weissenburg, and Castelbianco. However, all these names are translations
of the Slavic word Beograd.
|
