Beogradska tvrđava – zanimljivosti



Kuće u Singidunumu

Kuće u Singidunumu izgledale su kao kuće u ostalim rimskim provincijama. Kamen za izgradnju vadio se u kamenolomu na Tašmajdanu ili Topčideru. Kuće su imale više prostorija: vestibil, tabilium, kubikulu, triklininu, što je zavisilo od bogatstva i veličine. Centralni deo kuće bio je atrijum, sa bazenom u kome se sakupljala kišnica koja je propuštana kroz četvrtasti otvor na krovu. Bogatije kuće imale su i po dva atrijuma odvojena kolonadama – peristilom, s malim vrtom ukrašenim vodoskocima i skulpturama. Bogatije kuće imale su i sopstveno kupatilo.

Medicina u Singidunumu

Nalazi medicinskih instrumenata (pincete, skalpeli, specijalni noževi, kuke, male kašike), kao i pečat jednog očnog lekara (pronađen u Donjem gradu) ukazuju na postojanje medikusa koji su brinuli o zdravlju stanovnika Singidunuma. Neki od instrumenata, uz male vage, imali su primenu i u farmaciji. Profesija medikusa podrazumevala je i poznavanje farmakologije, spajanje lekova i aromatičnih melema.



Beograd – Beli grad

Belina krečnjačkog grebena sa ostacima ranovizantijske tvrđave koja se gledana odozdo morala jasno isticati u okolnom pejzažu bedemom i kulama građenim od kamena istog geološkog sastava i boje, nema sumnje je odredila i novo ime gradu, Beli grad – Beograd».

Fridrih I Barbarosa u Beogradu

Jedan od najvećih vladara zapadne Evrope svog vremena, Fridrih I Barbarosa, boravio je u Beogradu, kada je na čelu velike vojske išao u krstaški rat. On je poslednjih dana juna 1189. godine stigao u Beograd, gde je sa svojim ljudima i pratnjom proslavio praznik apostola Petra i Pavla. Nemački vladar je ušao u sam grad, koji se umnogome razlikovao od onoga što su videli učesnici drugog krstaškog pohoda. Beograd je, u vreme kada je Barbarosa bio u njemu, bio polurazrušeni vizantijski grad, u vrlo lošem stanju. Vizantija ga više nikada nije obnovila.



Kraljica Simonida u poseti Beogradu

Arhiepiskop Danilo govori o poseti kraljice Simonide svom deveru Dragutinu i njegovoj ženi Katarini. Simonida je u pratnji mnogobrojne vlastele, a po odobrenju svoga muža, srpskog kralja Milutina, stigla u Beograd najverovatnije 1315. godine. Dragutin, mnogobrojna srpska vlastela, kao i poslanici ugarskog kralja Karla Robera dočekali su srpsku kraljicu uz mnoštvo poklona. Beograd je u to vreme imao veliku sabornu mitropolitsku crkvu koja je građena najverovatnije u periodu između 1284–1315. godine. Simonida se poklonila ikoni presvete Bogorodice, koja se smatrala čudotvornom i bila najveća gradska svetinja još od sedamdesetih godina XI veka. Posle veselja koje je trajalo “mnogo dana”, Simonida je rešila da zajedno sa Dragutinovom ženom obiđe grob kraljice Jelene, što je označilo kraj posete Beogradu.

Beogradska pristaništa

Veliku ulogu u privredi Beograda imala su pristaništa. Beograd u XVI veku ima dve luke: trgovačku i sidrište vojne rečne baze. Trgovačko pristanište nalazilo se na Dunavu, na severnoj strani grada, a vojno nešto malo istočnije. U trgovačkoj luci vršio se utovar i istovar robe u mirnim vremenima, dok je u ratnim vremenima služila za dopremanje žita. Žito se Dunavom dopremalo iz Vlaške, severne Bugarske i smederevskog kraja, a Savom iz Srema, Mačve i Podrinja.



Beograd kao veseo grad

Beograd je tokom dvadesetogodišnje austrijske uprave postao veseo grad. Otvoreno je preko 200 gostionica, a četiri pivare radile su punim kapacitetom. Najpoznatije gostionice bile su kod “Crvenog petla”, “Crvenog vola”, “Pet ševa”, “Tri zeca”, a najozloglašenija je bila “Kod dve bule”.
General Maruli u jednom svom izveštaju Carskom veću iz 1731. godine žali se “svaki nevaljalac koji ovamo dobegne, uzme jednu sobu pod kiriju, kupi bure ili dva piva, ili ih uzme na veresiju …”. Veseloj atmosferi u Beogradu doprinosio je i veliki broj žena kojima je rat odneo muževe, braću, očeve, ali i imovinu, a od nečega se moralo živeti.

Uticaj zapadne kulture

Za vreme vlade Aleksandra Karađorđevića uticaj zapadne kulture je bio sve prisutniji. Taj uticaj se prvo osećao na dvoru. U to vreme su na dvoru, sem slave, priređivani dva puta godišnje svečani ručkovi na koje su bili pozvani paša, ministri, strani generali i konzuli. Jela su pravljena na nemački način, a ručak se završavao turskom kafom i čibucima. Za vreme takvih ručkova ređale su se i zdravice.
Andrija Arčibald Paton koji je tri puta boravio u Beogradu (1839, 1843. i 1844.) o tome piše: “Kad iznesoše desert, knez ustade sa čašom penušavog šampanjca u ruci i napi u zdravlje sultana, na šta mu odgovori paša”. Posle 1878. i definitivnog odlaska Turaka, prilike u Srbiji se znatno menjaju, a samim tim i način života.



Rimski bunar

Misterija zvana Rimski bunar privlačila je avanturiste da pokušaju da se spuste do njegovog dna. Godine 1855. Rome Zmorski se uputio u ovakvu avanturu i o tome je pričao “U novije vreme nikada nije bilo potrebe za njegovo korišćenje i nije mi se desilo da susretnem bilo koga ko bi bar iz radoznalosti pokušao da siđe dole. Veran zadatku putnika, hteo sam to da učinim i dva puta sam dosta duboko sišao u taj hladni, kao noć crni večiti ponor, ali svaki put mi je neka jaka struja ugasila fenjer i primorala me na težak i besplodan napor vraćanja. Najzad sam bio primoran da se odreknem poduhvata koji je krio u sebi opasnost da slomim vrat”.

Prva vest o fudbalu

Prvu vest o fudbalu kod nas objavile su “Večernje novosti” maja 1896. godine izveštavajući da su članovi Sportskog društva “Dušan Silni” odigrali prvu fudbalsku utakmicu u Beogradu u Donjem gradu kod Kule Nebojša.



The Belgrade Fortress – interesting facts

Houses in Singidunum

Houses in Singidunum looked like all the other houses in the Roman provinces. The building stones were taken out of the quarry in Tasmajdan or Topcider. The houses had several rooms, the exact number of which depended on wealth and size. The central part of the house was the atrium, with a swimming pool in which rainwater was collected and ped through a square opening in the roof. Wealthier homes also had two separate atriums, with a small garden decorated with fountains and sculptures. Wealthier houses also had their own bathroom.

Medicine in Singidunum

Medical instrument findings (forceps, scalpels, special knives, hooks, teaspoons) as well as an eye doctor’s seal (found in the Lower Town) indicated the existence of Medicuses who took care of the residents’ health. Some of the instruments, including small scales, were applied in pharmacy. Being a professional Medicus implied knowledge of pharmacology, mixing medicine and making aromatic balsams.



Belgrade – (Beli Grad = White City)

The whiteness of the limestone ridge with the remains of the early Byzantine fortress when viewed from below had to clearly stand out from the surrounding walls and towers built of the same geological structure and colours, which no doubt set the new name for the city, Beli Grad (White City) – Belgrade“.

Frederick I Barbarossa in Belgrade

One of the greatest rulers of Western Europe of his time, Frederick I Barbarossa, was in Belgrade, when he led a large army into a crusade. He arrived in Belgrade on the last days of June 1189, where he and his men and their escorts celebrated the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. The German ruler entered the town, which was vastly different from what participants of the second crusade had seen. Belgrade, at the time when Barbarossa was there, was an almost ruined Byzantine city, in very poor condition. Byzantium has never restored it.



Queen Simonida on a Visit to Belgrade

Archbishop Daniel tells about the visit of Queen Simonida to her groomsman Dragutin and his wife Catherine. Simonida, upon her husband King Milutin’s approval, probably arrived in Belgrade in 1315 in the company of many nobles. Dragutin, Serbian nobles, and deputies of the Hungarian king Karl Rober welcomed the Serbian queen with various gifts. Belgrade had a large Catholic Metropolitan Church at that time, which was probably built in the period 1284-1315. Simonida bowed down to the icon of the Holy Virgin, which was considered both miraculous and the largest urban sanctuary since the seventies of the XI century. After the festivities, which lasted “many days,” Simonida decided to visit Queen Jelena’s tomb along with Dragutin’s wife, which marked the end of her visit to Belgrade.



Belgrade Docks

Docks had a large role in Belgrade’s economy. Belgrade has two ports in the 16th century: the commercial and military anchorage river bases. The trading port was located on the Danube River, on the north side of the city, and the military one was located slightly eastward. The commercial port exercised the loading and unloading of goods in times of peace, and in times of war it was used for the delivery of grain. Grain was brought to the Danube from Wallachia, northern Bulgaria and Smederevo and to the Sava River from Srem, Macva and Podrinje.

Belgrade as a Cheerful City

Belgrade became a cheerful city during the twenty years of Austrian rule. More than 200 inns were opened and four breweries were working at full capacity. The most famous pubs were “Red rooster”, “Red Ox”, “Five larks”, “Three rabbits”.
General Maruli in one of his reports to the Imperial Chamber in 1731 complains that “every bad boy which finds his way here, takes a room on rent, buys a barrel or two of beer, or gets them on account of an IOU”. The cheerful atmosphere in Belgrade can also be due to the large number of women whose husbands, brothers, fathers, and property were taken by the war, and they had to make a living somehow.



The Influence of Western Culture

During Aleksandar Karadjordjevic’s reign, the influence of Western culture was ever present. This influence was first felt on court. At that time apart from Serbian Slava, two luncheons were staged yearly and included the following guests: the pasha, ministers, generals and foreign consuls. Dishes were made in German style, and lunch was topped off with Turkish coffee and chibouks. During these lunches there were plenty of toasts held as well.
Andrew Archibald Paton who visited Belgrade three times (1839, 1843 and 1844) writes: “When they brought dessert, the prince stood with a gl of sparkling champagne in hand and drank to the health of the sultan, to which the Pasha responded.” After 1878, and the final retreat of the Turks, the situation in Serbia significantly changed, and therefore so did the way of life.



Roman Well

The mystery called the Roman well attracted adventurers to attempt to descend to its bottom. In 1855 Rome Zmorski addressed this adventure and talked about it as follows “In recent times, there has never been the need for its use and I did not happen to meet anyone who would at least try to go down out of curiosity. True to my penger task, I wanted to do it and I went down twice, deep enough into the cold, black as night eternal abyss, but every time the strong current extinguished the lantern and forced me to make the hard and fruitless effort of turning back. Finally I was forced to give up the task which held the danger of my neck breaking.”



The First News About Football

The first news about football in our country was published in the “Vecernje Novosti” (Evening News) newspaper in May in 1896. It reported that members of the Sports Association “Dušan the Mighty” played the first football match in Belgrade in the Lower Town, near Nebojsa Tower.