AT THE HEART OF BELGRADE Following the tracks of old Dorćol Dort jol' means four ways in Turkish, and this crossroads at Emperor Dušan and King Peter streets led to Istanbul, Vidin, Vienna and Dubrovnik... O ne of the smallest and oldest Belgrade neigh- bourhoods has estab- lished itself as a cultural centre, then as a meet- ing place of nightlife and daytime en- tertainment, but also a place that wit- nessed the turbulent and rich history of the capital. Today, Dorćol occupies the space between the Belgrade Fortress, Student Square, Despot Stefan Laza- rević Boulevard and the Danube Riv- er, and "branches" into upper and low- er parts. However, the old Belgraders mostly recognise only the lower one, which includes the part between Cara Dušana Street and the Danube. In honour of Danube Day, we remind you to go down to the river and take a walk along the beautiful Quay, better known as the 25 th May Promenade be- cause of the Milan Gale Muškatirović Sports Centre, which once bore the name of an old Yugoslav holiday. For the most part, the Danube flows next to the promenade, but along its upper part, towards Belgrade Waterfront, the riv- er Sava flows. We leave you to discover these promenades by the water on your own and take you to some ancient times when Belgrade was actually Dorćol...
Corner of King Peter and Dušan's streets
colony of merchants from Dubrovnik who came to Belgrade during the 16 th and 17 th centuries and stimulated the city's economy. And still today, as you head down Kralja Petra Street on foot, you can feel the spirit of the great city, and standing behind every shop work- er or owner today are generations of predecessors, traders who, like those of today, cleaned the display cases and added decorations, inviting neigh- bours and customers to drop by and see what they have on offer. Great market Students' Square is Belgrade's oldest city square, the central part of which comprises a park. Known as Stu- dents' Park, this place was the site of the Pazarište, Belgrade's first market, from 1824. The market was formed following the complaints of peasants, so Prince Miloš, together with the Bel- grade vizier, invited prominent cit- izens among both Turks and Serbs, and it was agreed that a market would be formed where everyone would be able to trade their products. After the departure of the Turks, the Great Mar- ket long remained the only place for trading in Belgrade. Emilijan Josimov-
Dorćol was once all of Belgrade, and the junction of the streets named af- ter Emperor Dušan and King Pe- ter, which continues into Dubrovnik Street, determined the name of the entire neighbourhood. 'Dort jol' means four ways in Turkish, and this crossroads was the main shopping hub of European Turkey, as it led to Istan- bul, Vidin, Vienna and Dubrovnik. The history of this crossroads al- so shows the terrible times for life in Belgrade, because the Turks dis- played the severed heads of all the dis- obedient there. During the period of Turkish rule in Belgrade, the main street, main market, was Kralja Pet- ra Street, and it was then called Glav- na, Trgovačka ulica. It was divided in- to three parts: the main market, Zerek and Dorćol. The main market extend- ed from the Cathedral Church to the corner of Knez Mihailova and Kral- ja Petra. Downhill, along the street to Tsara Dušana Street, sprawled Ze- rek, the most active part of the city, with traders, while Dorćol extended from Dušan's street towards the Dan- ube. Today's Dubrovačka Street was a
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