Old City Of Dubrovnik, A UNESCO World Heritage Site
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In the old city of Dubrovnik, history seems to have frozen and remains unfazed through the test of time and tide.
If you are an enthusiast interested in old monuments and beautiful seaside locales, Dubrovnik is the place to go. History seems to repeat itself as you take a walk through the panoramic city walls.
The walls remind one of the forts with huge gates and baroque churches, monasteries, and palaces that tell you stories of the old town being threatened by earthquakes, a civil war, and changing times.
The old city of Dubrovnik is referred to as a 'pearl' as it is not only precious but continues to shine brightly through the test of time and tide.
Geographic Location
The most fascinating attraction of Dubrovnik is that the city is encapsulated within walls and defensive forts which also include the old port. The walls of Dubrovnik have often been compared with the Rome Colosseum in Rome, for its historical significance and ability to draw a large number of tourists from around the world.
The Old City of Dubrovnik is one of the most picturesque cities of the medieval era. It is known as the Adriatic Pearl as it is located in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea.
The County of Dubrovnik- Neretva, on the Adriatic Coast, is located at N42 38 29.116 E18 6 31.9 on a property of 96.7 ha with a buffer zone of 1188.6 ha. Dubrovnik Old City is picture-perfect with its narrow streets, Baroque churches, and Dominican monastery.
History & Cultural Significance
The old town of Dubrovnik is very popular as it has preserved most of its historical monuments. At first look, the old city of Dubrovnik resembles a city from the past with its great walls surrounding the town.
In modern civilization, it is hard to find a city like Dubrovnik that has withstood the test of time. The Old City of Dubrovnik was originally known as Ragusa.
In the seventh century, coastal residents fleeing barbarians built the city of Ragusa as a refuge with defensive walls. This Mediterranean city-state was culturally connected to the Balkans and surrounded by orthodox and Islamic neighbors.
They had close trade relations with Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. It also extended its trade with the Balkans in the Ottoman Empire.
Dubrovnik was taken under siege in the 13th century, by the serene republic until 1358. Dubrovnik earned the reputation for being the main competitor of Venice on the Adriatic waterways.
Commercial advancement brought Dubrovnik to the forefront but this success was short-lived as a natural calamity struck Dubrovnik in 1667 and a massive earthquake brought destruction to the old town. Most of the Renaissance art and architecture were destroyed in the earthquake and the Sponza Palace and Rector's palace withstood the calamity.
Dubrovnik like other ports in the Mediterranean took a downside in the arena of sea trade. The city was rebuilt in baroque style but it failed to renew the lost valor of the old town of Dubrovnik.
Napolean arrived in 1806 and made Dubrovnik part of the Habsburg Empire until 1918.
The unique name 'Pearl of Adriatic' was coined by Lord Byron when he visited the baroque-style oasis on the Adriatic. The magnificently preserved city of Dubrovnik continued to gain prominence in the world of literature with the works of Agatha Christie and Bernard Shaw.
The Old City of Dubrovnik gained prominence in Austrian Tourism, especially in 1945 during the second Yugoslav period.
Dubrovnik soon became the cynosure of the tourism industry propelling it to the UNESCO's world heritage list in 1979. The breakup of Yugoslavia further deteriorated the town and the '90's greater Serb aggression as artillery attacks almost destroyed the medieval city walls, Franciscan monastery, Sponza Palace, Onofrio fountain, and Amerling fountain.
Important Monuments & Walls
Dubrovnik is a major tourist destination for tourists interested in historical monuments.
Although most of Dubrovnik's historical monuments were destroyed in 1667 due to an earthquake, some of the architectural masterpieces survived the natural calamity to tell us great stories of Dubrovnik's historical past. Sponza Plaza was built in the 16th century and presently it serves as a house for national archives.
The ornate staircase and intricately carved capitals of Rector's Palace represent the Gothic renaissance. St Saviour Church, Franciscan Church, and Monastery are remnants of the Renaissance period.
Blaise's church is very popular in Dubrovnik as it was built in remembrance of Dubrovnik's patron Saint Blaise. The Baroque cathedral, Dominican Monastery, Pile Gate, and Big Onofrio's Fountain are must-sees on the list of historical places in Dubrovnik.
The free city-state of Ragusa is represented by Dubrovnik's Bell Tower which was built in 1444. However, after the earthquake in 1929, it was rebuilt.
The walls of Dubrovnik are the main feature of the city. The walls almost completely surround the city.
The system of turrets and towers has been designed to protect the city. The walls are a series of stone walls and represent the great fortification system during the middle ages. The walls were defined in the 7th-17th century.
The City walls are 83 ft (25 m) in height and surround most of the distance of 6,365 ft (1,940 m). In the earlier days, there were four gates leading to the old town of Dubrovnik; the Ploce Gate, the Pile Gate, the Ponta Gate, and the Peskarija Gate.
Later in the year 1908, the Buza Gate was built by the Austrian rule in the northern part of the city walls. Among these gates, the Ploce Gate has inner and outer gates.
Other Miscellaneous Facts
Little did the architect, Simeone Della Cava, who built the outer ploce gate in 1450 know that in the future the gates would be used as a getaway to the beautiful beaches and hotels at Ploce.
Since 1979, Dubrovnik with its ancient walls has been included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
Dubrovnik is the capital of Croatia and is located on the Adriatic sea in southern Croatia.
The old city of Dubrovnik actually lies within the city's ancient walls the main entrance with a wooden drawbridge that faces the port dotted with cruise ships on the sea.
The population of Dubrovnik is 42,000-43,000.
The best time to visit the beautiful city in Europe is from July to August when you could even catch the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.
FAQs
Q: How old is the city of Dubrovnik?
A: The city of Dubrovnik originated in the seventh century, and it was called Ragusa.
Q: Was Game of Thrones filmed in Dubrovnik?
A: Game of Thrones was filmed in the walls of Dubrovnik as the fictional city of Kings Landing.
Q: Do people live in Old Town Dubrovnik?
A: The Old Town Dubrovnik is presently inhabited by a very small population of 1,157.
Q: What is the historical name of the Old Town of Dubrovnik?
A: The historical name of the Old Town of Dubrovnik is Ragusa.
Q: What language is spoken in Dubrovnik?
A: The Shtokavian dialect of Serbo Croatian is widely spoken in Dubrovnik.
Q: What is the Old City of Dubrovnik known for?
A: Breathtaking Gothic beauty, rejuvenating renaissance, and Baroque churches, royal palaces, spiritually enlightening monasteries, and amazing fountains attract many tourists to the Old City of Dubrovnik.
Q: What is the significance of the Old City of Dubrovnik?
A: The Old City of Dubrovnik is a significant part of the creation of literature and is referred to as the cradle of Croatian literature. It also gained importance after an earthquake that devastated the city in 1667.
Q: Where is the Old City of Dubrovnik located?
A: The Old City of Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia in Southern Croatia.
Q: When and why was the Old City of Dubrovnik declared as a World Heritage Site?
A: In 1979, the Old City of Dubrovnik was marked as a World Heritage Site for its fortified old town and unique medieval architecture.
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