RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
Almost all houses along this old Belgra- de market street had their living quarters on the first floor, with the ground floor oc- cupied by hospitality venues and shops. And even today we can see the gre- at importance of Kralja Petra Street to Belgrade, due to this street and its periphery being home to the largest number of cultural monuments in our city, which are cared for by the Institute for the Protection of Cultu- ral Monuments of the City of Belgra- de. A total of 14 such monuments of culture exist there, extending over four spatial, cultural and historical complexes: the territory of Knez Mi- hailova Street; the area around Dosi- tej‘s Lycée, Kosančićev venac; and the Historical Core of Belgrade, underneath which is located the previously excavated and researched archaeological site of An- cient Singidunum, which has been procla- imed as a cultural asset. Back in the Middle Ages this street was called Dubrovačka Street, after the Dubrovnik merchants who resided there. It continued to carry this name, in the stretch from Kosančićev venac to Zmaj od No- ćaj Street, throughout the 19 th century and until 1904, when it was renamed after King Peter I Karađorđe- vić, in honour of his coronation. That name remai- ned until 1946, when it was renamed Seventh of Ju- ly Street after World War II and until 1997. Today we again know it as Kralja Petra Street, at least up to the intersection with Tsar Dušan Street, below whi- ch it again becomes Dubrovačka Street as it stretches down to the Danube. It was in 1850, whilst staying at Belgrade’s oldest hotel, the Staro zdanje Hotel (originally called Kod jelena [Jelena’s Place]), which was actually located in Kralja Petra Street (on the spot now occupied by bui- lding No. 10), that travel writer Siegfried Kapper ob- served Belgrade through a window and wrote about how the area resounded with different dialects and lan- guages, while various costumes were worn and goods brought from exotic places and faraway travels were traded. Construction works undertaken during the la- te 19 th and early 20 th centuries would gradually chan- ge the former oriental face of the street completely, as merchants understood the attractiveness of beautiful and representative buildings of European capitals that made it easier to attract customers. The concentration of properties owned by publicly prominent and weal- thy citizens demonstrated Kralja Petra Street’s unique place in the structure and life of the city, while this street was simultaneously also the political, ecclesia- stical, academic and social hub of Belgrade. This street’s most valuable edifices have been gran-
KING PETER STREET
When you visit Belgrade for the first time and don't have much time to get acquainted with and understand it, the best option is to traverse Kralja Petra Street. Located at the very heart of the city, it is a true representative of Belgrade's history W ith a stroll along Kralja Petra Street you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with the heritage of the different eth- nic groups of old Belgrade, as well as the shifts of different building styles, from Balkan architecture, via historical styles of aca- demicism, secession, modernism and art deco, to con- temporary styles of architecture. ALL THE SPLENDOUR OF BELGRADE ARCHITECTURE
Gotovo sve kuće duž ove stare
beogradske čaršije imale
su stanove na spratu, a u prizemlju ugostiteljske lokale i dućane Almost all houses along this old Belgrade market street had their living quarters on the first floor, with the ground floor occupied by hospitality venues and shops
This important city thoroughfare symbolically links the Sava and Danube rivers, and actually the Sava and Danube escarpments, Kosančićev venac (Kosan- čić’s Wreath) and the neighbourhood of Dorćol, a for- mer Serbian and Turkish part of the city. The area used to be entered through Varoš Gate (marking one of the four main gates of the city that was located, according to written sources, at the intersection of Pop Lukine and Kosančićev venac streets), with acce- ss roads from various parts of the world having con- verged there since ancient times, and it thus comes as no surprise that this area has always had a com- mercial character.
Belgrade » Beograd | 81
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