Culture

As one of the oldest towns not only in Montenegro, but the whole coast of Adriatic Sea, Ulcinj impounds with many historical and cultural heritage. With it's history of over 2.500 years this ancient town is an real pearl especially for scientists, who Ulcinj see as an real treasure for scientific works.

The Old Town of Ulcinj represents an unique fortress, built on peninsula and whose walls go up to 60 meters high. Different from other Old towns, especially in the coastal line of Montenegro, Ulcinj's is located on high evelation above the sea level, which is not the case by others.

Fouding of Ulcinj's Old town is thought to have been in V century B.C. by old Greek and Ilyrian tribes. There are many different hypothesis which was the first name of Ulcinj and from which word exactly it's name comes from. Some scientists say that the name of today Ulcinj - Ulqin, comes from the word "Ulkus" which in free translation would mean the lad of Wolfs. Since in that time, but also today, the hinterland of Ulcinj was full with forest and very rich with flora and fauna, especialy wild animals and large number of wolfs on the forests, this hypothesis has sense. the other hypothesis about the name of Ulcinj name is that it's name comes from the word Colchinium, which was given by the seafarers "Kolhidians" after their city located in Black sea and called Colhina.

For the first time in written, Ulcinj was mentioned in the book written by Gaius Pilini the Older (27-79), who mentioned Ulcinj in Historiae Naturalis (History of Nature) as fortified city Colchainium.

In the earliest period fro the cultural and historical development of Ulcinj the name of the Byzantium Emperor Justinijan is mentioned. He renewed and built fortresses in Ulcinj, and after the era of his reign, after the year 1100, the same things were done by famous rulers which ruled one part of the former Montenegro and the Coast like: Nemanjici, Balsici, Venetians, and Turks.

Another very important area full and very rich with cultural and historical monuments is the area of dead city of Svac (Sas). This city was an important center of region, which by the legend had 365 churches, ech church per day, or so many chrches as many days in year are. The barbarian crowds of Mongolian army of that time, because of defeat in battle with the defenders of city of Ulcinj, destroyed and killed all it's population. This great medieval region center was once again renewd by Quin Jelena in XIII century, before it was again and finally destroyed by Turks, and was not renewed anymore.

Probably the most known ex slave and ex "citizen" of Ulcinj ever, is the famous and world wide known Spanish writer, the great Miguel de Cervantes. During the battle of Lapant in 1571 in Mediterranean, where in that time very dangerous and organized Ulcinj pirates, was kept and this person who was called "Servet" by the local citizens of that time. Beacause of such an detail description of the area it is thought that the inspiration of one of the worlds most read novel "Don Kihot" Miguel de Cervantes has got during his time in prison. Since the name of the main personage from the book Dulcinea, and the name of Ulcinj in that time was Dulcino, undoubtedly tells that the book was dedicated to a girl from Dulcino, the beautiful Dulcinea. Servantes has spent almost 5 years in Ulcinj, and it is thought that together with the other slaves he was sold on a place which after them now is called Slave square or Servantes`s square and it is located in the Old town, near the today Museum of Ulcinj. After five year spent in Ulcinj Cervantes was sold back to his family for an very high amount of money, which his family has tooken near five years to collect.

Ulcinj, in fact Its Old town has in the past welcomed a famous reformer Sabbatai Zevi (1626 – 1676) who stayed in the well-known edifice – tower of Balsici. Cevi is known in history as a promoter of Talmud (The Holy Jewish Book).

According to the sources, Ulcinj was a last resort because around the year 1676 after converting himself to Islam, living as an exile, Cevi died in Ulcinj as Mehmed – effendi. Today the preserved holy burial chamber of Mehmed – effendi, is located in the yard of the family Manic, and it represents an eternal house of one of the greatest rebels of the XVII century. His tomb is preserved as sanctity. Cevi continued to live after death in the literary works. The face and the character of the controversial Jewish writer, as people conceive Cevi, appeared in the literary works of the literary great man like: Isak Basevic Singer – (the novel “The Slave”) or an academic Erih Kos in the novel “In the Search for Messiah”. The name and the significance of the Sabati Cevi are mentioned in the work “David's Star”, of the famous Montenegrin literate and academic Zuvdija Hodzic. The room of Sabetai Zevi is a very visited tourists and especially tourists from Israel, who by visiting Ulcinj, almost as a surprise and with very much affection and positive emotions, find out for the first time, that their very famous person leaved in Ulcinj.

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Churches, Monasteries, Mosque

Ulcinj as a city of three religion and with such an long and rich history is full with cultural and historical monuments, such of them in devastating stages but still very significant for telling about the richness of Ulcinj as an pearl of Adriatic.

CHURCH – MOSQUE a beautiful bulding located in the center of today Museum complex of Ulcinj. It encompasses a period between XIV and XVI century. In the space of that ancient building, the church of St Marija, which was built in 1510, is situated. On the west side of the church well preserved is an original church wall. In its base the church has an irregular rectangle, with one entrance. In the church a portal with renaissance doorjamb is kept. Above the door of the church there is an archivolt.

After the conquering by Otoman Perandory in 1693, the church was turned into a city mosque. The oculist of the church is immured, 4 new windows were made, sidewalls were rebuilt, and a minaret was added onto the building.

WATCH TOWER – very high building located in the center of today and that time city of Ulcinj. Very high building with very regular and linear building made by irregular shaped stones.

THE CHURCH OF ST. JOSEF (JOSIP) – is situated under White hill (Bjela Gora, Mali i Bardh). It was built in 1875 as a church with 3 belfries and one transept. The church of St. Josef - Josip, is the last object built in the area of Ulcinj, what is very interested, in the time of Otoman reign.

THE CHURCH OF ST. VASILIJE – is placed on a location near Ulcinj, called Zoganj. The church of St. Vasilije is an orthodox temple built at the end of the XVIII century. The church is rich with traditional ornaments.

THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE (DJORDJE, GJERGJ) – is aN catholic church, which is located close to the mouth of the River Bojana, in small village called Shen Gjergj - Sveti Djordje. According to written records, the church of St. Georg originates from the XIX century

THE CHURCH OF BRATICA - is situated in the same named place. The church Bratica is a catholic temple, built at the beginning of the XX century.

THE CHURCH IN LOWER KLEZNA – is located in a place called Lower Klezna, several kilometers away from Ulcinj. The church is the property of the catholic archbishopric, and it was built in XIX century.

ORTXODOX CATHERDRAL OF ST. NIKOLA – is situated in a place in Ulcinj called Meterizi. Even though it was built in 1890, according to historical data, in its place, in the XV century there was already an orthodox monastery dedicated to St. Archangel Mihailo.

ST. JOAN'S ( SVETI JOVAN`S ,SHEN GJONIT) CHURCH – is located near Svac dead city, a former town. Church was built in 1300 as a cathedral church. That temple is located on the grounds of a much older church, which the Mongolians ruined a long time ago, when they destroyed the whol city of Shas.

FRANCISKAN CHURCH OF ST. MARIJA – is situated in a place called Svac. Among 8 churches which can be recognized, from 365 churched that have been in the area of Svac. That is a temple, which according to some data, was built most probably after the year 1300.

PASHA`S MOSQUE – is situated in the very Ulcinj, under the walls of 2.5 Millenniums old Old Town of Ulcinj. That building originates from the Turkish period. Pasha`s mosque was built in 1719, and it is endowment of Klic Alija from Constantinople (Istanbul). Next to the mosque there is a Turkish bath, the only object of that kind in the entire Montenegro. The Turkish bath is consisted of one extra object and a bath.

MOSQUE VRH PAZARA, NE MEZGJAH (THE TOP OF THE MARKET) – was built in XVIII century. That temple in its basis is a rectangle mosque with an octagon minaret. Even though during the earthquake in 1979 the mosque Ne Mezgjah - Vrh pazara has been damaged a lot, on the grounds of the existing one today we a new mosque is seen.

MOSQUE MERAJA – represents a typical district mosque. It was built in XVII century.

MOSQUE LJAMIT – is situated in a place called New District. It was built in XVIII century adn reconstructed in 90's of XX century. It was built from the fractured stone and lime mortar. The mosque Ljamiz has a rectangle basis with a minaret. The earthquake that occurred in 1979 has terribly damaged that mosque.

MOSQUE SAS – is located in the place, named with the same name. It is a district mosque built in the XVIII century.

MOSQUE RASTIS – is located in the place, named with the same name, and it represents a district mosque.

MOSQUE SELITA – is located in the place, named with the same name. It was built in the XVII century, but the significant changes were done in XIX and XX century.

THE MAIN MOSQUE NAMAZDJAH – is located in Ulcinj. Sulejman Mijali built that mosque in 1728. The mosque Namazdjah represents a typical district mosque with a basis rectangular form and a minaret.

MOSQUE DRAGINJE – is located in the place, named with the same name. That temple has a typically rectangular base. The mosque Draginje is a district mosque.

MOSQUE VLADIMIR – is located in a place called Vladimir close to Ulcinj. It was built at the end of the XVIII century.

MOSQUE BRAJSE – is located in the same named place. That is a mosque of a rectangular base, built in XVII century.

MOSQUE KRUTE – is placed in a place called krute. It was built at the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century

MOSQUE MIDE – is located in the same named place. It was built in XVIII century.

MOSQUE SUKOBIN – is located in a place called Sukobin. It was built in the end of the XVIII and the beginning of the XIX century.

MOSQUE IN LOWER KLEZNA – was built at the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century.

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