Knin
Encyclopedia
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county
of Croatia
, located near the source of the river Krka
at 44°02′18"N 16°11′59"E, in the Dalmatia
n hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb
–Split
. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia
and briefly of the Republic of Serbian Krajina
. The city is of extreme importance for infrastructural reasons, as the railroads from the rest of Dalmatia and its cities of Zadar
, Split
and Šibenik
pass through Knin, going north to the capital city of Croatia, Zagreb
.
, which served as an Illyria
n and Roman
military camp in the 1st century BC.
Knin is mentioned in the 10th century in the history of Constantine Porphyrogenitus as the centre of a parish. A Croatian diocese of Knin
was founded 1040 and its jurisdiction extended to the Drava
river, with the "Croatian bishop" at its head.
Knin was also the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia
around 1080 during the rule of King Dmitar Zvonimir. At the entrance of Knin, the town sign has an inscription stating "Welcome to Knin, town of King Dmitar Zvonimir". This heritage has led to Knin being known as the "City of Croatian Kings" or "Zvonimir's City" (Zvonimirov grad). Between the 10th and the 13th century, Knin was a notable military fort. The huge 10th century medieval Knin Fortress
on Mt. Spas dominates the centre of town, and its present aspect dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. It is one of the largest fortification buildings in Dalmatia and is divided into the upper, middle and lower town, connected by drawbridges
.
Its strategic position played an important role in many wars and power changes — beginning with the Croatian rulers in Kingdom of Croatia, then the Kingdom of Hungary
, the Venetians, the Turks
, to the Austrians
and the French
.
On May 29, 1522, the fort of Knin fell to the Ottoman Empire
, and Croats left the town in large numbers. The town was populated with Serb refugees by the Ottomans. A century and a half later, on September 11, 1688, it was captured by the Venetian Republic. Subsequently, the Croatian population partially returned and the Franciscans built a monastery and a church there in 1708.
Knin passed on to the Habsburg
s together with Dalmatia
in 1797 according to the Treaty of Campo Formio
. After the Peace of Pressburg
in 1805, the French Empire gained the city and incorporated it into the Illyrian Provinces
in 1809. By 1813, the Austrians regained control over the town. By the end of the 19th century, as a part of the Habsburg
domain of Dalmatia, Knin grew steadily, becoming an important commercial as well as road and railway center. In 1867, Knin became a part of Dalmatia
- a territorial entity within Cisleithania
. After the First World War Knin became a part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
in 1918, which subsequently became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia
after 1929).
(June 25, 1991) from Yugoslavia, Knin became the main stronghold for the Serbs
in the Knin region
, eventually becoming the capital city of the internationally unrecognised Republic of Serbian Krajina
in 1991. The leaders of Krajina were Knin locals: Milan Martić
, a former police inspector later sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) for war crimes, and Milan Babić
, a dentist who after pleading guilty to war crimes at the ICTY committed suicide. Serbs held the town until Croatian forces captured it during Operation Storm
on August 5, 1995 (the date is today marked as a Victory Day in Croatia).
The majority of the population had already fled by the time the Croatian Army took control of Knin. There were, however, Serbian civilian deaths caused by the shelling of Knin by the Croatian Army during Operation Storm. Croatian army officers involved in Operation Storm (Ivan Čermak
, Ante Gotovina
and Mladen Markač
) have been indicted for war crimes conducted under their commands during Operation Storm. On April 15, 2011, the ICTY sentenced Gotovina to 24 years and Markač to 18 years in prison. Ivan Čermak was found not guilty.
Both leaders of the self-styled Republic of Serbian Krajina were also indicted: Martić in 1995, several days before the operation, and Babić in 2004. Babić struck a plea bargain
and pled guilty to numerous war crimes.
At the end of the war, Knin's demographic composition changed greatly with the influx of Croat refugees from Bosnia
and former Croat militia members. They replaced, to a great extent, those Serbs who fled during Operation Storm.
87% of the population of the municipality and 79% of the city were Serbs. During the war most of the non-Serb population left Knin, while in the last days of the war the Serbs fled the city before it was taken by the Croatian forces.
In the 2001 census, the population of Knin was 11,128 in the city and 15,190 in the municipality, and the majority of its citizens were Croats with 76.45% and Serbs with 20.8%.
Knin's population is in more flux than that of other Croatian cities given that it has a major refugee problem: both with a large number of Croats who immigrated there and Serbs from Knin who are still refugees. By average resident age, Knin is the youngest city in Croatia. Immigrant Croats form the majority in the city with only a scattered Serbs presence in villages around.
unknown
is 18 km away from Knin in direction of Kistanje. There are the remains of the biggest amphitheater in Dalmatia built in 77 BC
, during the rule of Vespasian
which could host 8000 people.
The nearby villages Biskupija
and Kapitul are extremely interesting archeological sites from 10th century where many remains of medieval Croatian culture are found including churches, graves, decorations, and epigraphs.
Knin has a sports association which was formed in 1998. Basketball
is also popular in Knin. The Croatian National basketball team has played a match in Knin. They played against Israel
in 1999 where Croatia won the match 78:68. Other sports played in Knin are rugby
, handball
, volleyball
, kickboxing
, karate
, tennis
and taekwondo
.
. The route makes for easy access of Knin from the major coastal city of Split
. The section of D1 from Knin to A1
highway will be upgraded to the expressway level in following years (with B1
expressway).
Knin is also an important railway junction. There are four lines meeting in Knin station: to Split, to Zadar
, to Ogulin
(and Karlovac
, Zagreb
) and to Martin Brod
(and Bihać
, Sisak, Zagreb). Only the former three lines offer passenger transport. The latter route, Knin-Bihać-Zagreb, passes through Bosnian territory, crossing the border many times, thus it is not used for passenger transport since the beginning of the war in 1991. However, it is the shortest route between Knin and Zagreb, and as such was electrified in 1987 (the catenary
being subsequently destroyed by war operations in the early 1990s). Electrification
had started from Yugoslav
inland
towards the coast and had only reached Knin, so today the Knin station is equipped with overhead catenary, but lines leaving the town are not.
Šibenik-Knin County
Šibenik-Knin County is a county in Croatia, located in north-central Dalmatia. Its center is Šibenik; other notable towns are Knin, Drniš and Skradin....
of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, located near the source of the river Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
at 44°02′18"N 16°11′59"E, in the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
–Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (Medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
and briefly of the Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
. The city is of extreme importance for infrastructural reasons, as the railroads from the rest of Dalmatia and its cities of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
pass through Knin, going north to the capital city of Croatia, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
.
History
In the vicinity of today's Knin was once a town called BurnumBurnum
Burnum or Burnum Municipium, an archaeological site, was a Roman Legion camp and town. It is located 2.5 km north of Kistanje, in inland Dalmatia, Croatia...
, which served as an Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
n and Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
military camp in the 1st century BC.
Knin is mentioned in the 10th century in the history of Constantine Porphyrogenitus as the centre of a parish. A Croatian diocese of Knin
Diocese of Knin
The Catholic diocese of Tinin , or diocese of Knin was in Dalmatia . It existed from the eleventh century to 1622, when the Ottoman conquest of Knin drove out the bishops....
was founded 1040 and its jurisdiction extended to the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
river, with the "Croatian bishop" at its head.
Knin was also the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
around 1080 during the rule of King Dmitar Zvonimir. At the entrance of Knin, the town sign has an inscription stating "Welcome to Knin, town of King Dmitar Zvonimir". This heritage has led to Knin being known as the "City of Croatian Kings" or "Zvonimir's City" (Zvonimirov grad). Between the 10th and the 13th century, Knin was a notable military fort. The huge 10th century medieval Knin Fortress
Knin Fortress
Knin Fortress is a partially ruined fortress located just above Knin, Croatia. It is one of the biggest and most significant defensive strongholds, and a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county in the Dalmatian hinterland. The construction of the fortress started as early as 9th century, while...
on Mt. Spas dominates the centre of town, and its present aspect dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. It is one of the largest fortification buildings in Dalmatia and is divided into the upper, middle and lower town, connected by drawbridges
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
.
Its strategic position played an important role in many wars and power changes — beginning with the Croatian rulers in Kingdom of Croatia, then the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, the Venetians, the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, to the Austrians
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
On May 29, 1522, the fort of Knin fell to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and Croats left the town in large numbers. The town was populated with Serb refugees by the Ottomans. A century and a half later, on September 11, 1688, it was captured by the Venetian Republic. Subsequently, the Croatian population partially returned and the Franciscans built a monastery and a church there in 1708.
Knin passed on to the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s together with Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
in 1797 according to the Treaty of Campo Formio
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
. After the Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
in 1805, the French Empire gained the city and incorporated it into the Illyrian Provinces
Illyrian provinces
The Illyrian Provinces was an autonomous province of the Napoleonic French Empire on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea between 1809 and 1816. Its capital was established at Laybach...
in 1809. By 1813, the Austrians regained control over the town. By the end of the 19th century, as a part of the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
domain of Dalmatia, Knin grew steadily, becoming an important commercial as well as road and railway center. In 1867, Knin became a part of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
- a territorial entity within Cisleithania
Cisleithania
Cisleithania was a name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The name was used by politicians and bureaucrats, but it had no official status...
. After the First World War Knin became a part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
in 1918, which subsequently became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
after 1929).
Knin in the Croatian War for Independence
From October 1990, eight months before Croatia declared independenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
(June 25, 1991) from Yugoslavia, Knin became the main stronghold for the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
in the Knin region
Kninska Krajina
Kninska Krajina is a geographical region in Croatia. It is located around the town of Knin in northern Dalmatia.-Geography:Kninska Krajina is situated between Bukovica in the southwest, Lika in the northwest, Drniška krajina in the south, Cetinska krajina in the southwest, and Bosnia and...
, eventually becoming the capital city of the internationally unrecognised Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
in 1991. The leaders of Krajina were Knin locals: Milan Martić
Milan Martic
Milan Martić is a Serbian politician, former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina...
, a former police inspector later sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
(ICTY) for war crimes, and Milan Babić
Milan Babic
Milan Babić was from 1991 to 1995 the first President of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a Croatian region at the time of the war largely populated by a Serbs of Croatia that wished to break away from Croatia.He was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former...
, a dentist who after pleading guilty to war crimes at the ICTY committed suicide. Serbs held the town until Croatian forces captured it during Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
on August 5, 1995 (the date is today marked as a Victory Day in Croatia).
The majority of the population had already fled by the time the Croatian Army took control of Knin. There were, however, Serbian civilian deaths caused by the shelling of Knin by the Croatian Army during Operation Storm. Croatian army officers involved in Operation Storm (Ivan Čermak
Ivan Cermak
Ivan Čermak is a Croatian politician and soldier.He was born in the municipality of Zagreb . He became a small businessman in the 1980s...
, Ante Gotovina
Ante Gotovina
Ante Gotovina is a former Senior Corporal of the French Foreign Legion and former Lieutenant General of the Croatian Army who served in the Croatian War for Independence...
and Mladen Markač
Mladen Markac
Mladen Markač , is a former Croatian military officer. He was a Commander of Croatian Special Police during Operation Storm during the Croatian War of Independence , and afterwords held the rank of Colonel General...
) have been indicted for war crimes conducted under their commands during Operation Storm. On April 15, 2011, the ICTY sentenced Gotovina to 24 years and Markač to 18 years in prison. Ivan Čermak was found not guilty.
Both leaders of the self-styled Republic of Serbian Krajina were also indicted: Martić in 1995, several days before the operation, and Babić in 2004. Babić struck a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
and pled guilty to numerous war crimes.
At the end of the war, Knin's demographic composition changed greatly with the influx of Croat refugees from Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and former Croat militia members. They replaced, to a great extent, those Serbs who fled during Operation Storm.
Demographics
Before the Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
87% of the population of the municipality and 79% of the city were Serbs. During the war most of the non-Serb population left Knin, while in the last days of the war the Serbs fled the city before it was taken by the Croatian forces.
In the 2001 census, the population of Knin was 11,128 in the city and 15,190 in the municipality, and the majority of its citizens were Croats with 76.45% and Serbs with 20.8%.
Knin's population is in more flux than that of other Croatian cities given that it has a major refugee problem: both with a large number of Croats who immigrated there and Serbs from Knin who are still refugees. By average resident age, Knin is the youngest city in Croatia. Immigrant Croats form the majority in the city with only a scattered Serbs presence in villages around.
Demographic Historyhttp://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak_download&id_clanak_jezik=14811
Year Croats Serbs Others andunknown
| YEAR | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Croats Croats Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have... |
15.1% | 14.5% | 14.3% | 14.4% | 14.6% | 14.5% | 15.3% | 15.2% | 11.3% | 10.3% | 76.5% | ? |
| Serbs Serbs The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in... |
82.3% | 84.5% | 83.5% | 84.2% | 84.7% | 84.1% | 82.1% | 80.7% | 72.8% | 85.5% | 20.8% | ? |
| Others | 2.6% | 1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 2.6% | 4.1% | 15.9% | 4.2% | 2.7% | ? |
Archeology
The recently discovered Roman town BurnumBurnum
Burnum or Burnum Municipium, an archaeological site, was a Roman Legion camp and town. It is located 2.5 km north of Kistanje, in inland Dalmatia, Croatia...
is 18 km away from Knin in direction of Kistanje. There are the remains of the biggest amphitheater in Dalmatia built in 77 BC
77 BC
Year 77 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Brutus and Lepidus...
, during the rule of Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
which could host 8000 people.
The nearby villages Biskupija
Biskupija
Biskupija is a village and a municipality in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia.The municipality covers a karst field called Kosovo polje located between the mountains of Promina and Veliki Kozjak...
and Kapitul are extremely interesting archeological sites from 10th century where many remains of medieval Croatian culture are found including churches, graves, decorations, and epigraphs.
Sport
The main football club in Knin is NK Dinara, formed in 1913. NK Dinara's colours were black and white until 2005 when the club changed its colours to red, white and blue. NK Dinara plays in the 4th division in Croatia (1. Županijska liga Šibensko-kninska). The logo of NK Dinara is red, white, and blue (in that order) with the letter "D" in the middle of the logo.Knin has a sports association which was formed in 1998. Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
is also popular in Knin. The Croatian National basketball team has played a match in Knin. They played against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1999 where Croatia won the match 78:68. Other sports played in Knin are rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
.
Transport
The most important intercity roadway in Knin is the Croatian state route D1D1 (Croatia)
The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...
. The route makes for easy access of Knin from the major coastal city of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. The section of D1 from Knin to A1
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...
highway will be upgraded to the expressway level in following years (with B1
B1 (Croatia)
The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...
expressway).
Knin is also an important railway junction. There are four lines meeting in Knin station: to Split, to Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, to Ogulin
Ogulin
Ogulin is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 8,712 , and a total municipal population of 15,054...
(and Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
) and to Martin Brod
Martin Brod
Martin Brod is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
(and Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
, Sisak, Zagreb). Only the former three lines offer passenger transport. The latter route, Knin-Bihać-Zagreb, passes through Bosnian territory, crossing the border many times, thus it is not used for passenger transport since the beginning of the war in 1991. However, it is the shortest route between Knin and Zagreb, and as such was electrified in 1987 (the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
being subsequently destroyed by war operations in the early 1990s). Electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
had started from Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
inland
Inland
Inland is an area of land away from the coast or shore line. It usually refers to the interior part of a country or region.Inland may refer to:* Inland Fräkne Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden...
towards the coast and had only reached Knin, so today the Knin station is equipped with overhead catenary, but lines leaving the town are not.
Towns and villages in the municipality
- GolubićGolubicGolubić is a small village located 9 km north of Knin, in the continental part of Šibenik-Knin County, in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. it is situated along the Krka.The Golubić Hydroelectric Power Plant exists at the Butižnica river.-History:...
- Kninsko Polje
- Kovačić
- LjubačLjubacLjubač is a small Croatian village located north of Zadar. It is part of the municipality of Ražanac and the population is 455.Ljubač is located 15 kilometres north of Zadar, with a view of Velebit and Pag....
- Oćestovo
- Plavno
- Polača
- Radljevac
- StrmicaStrmicaStrmica is a small village in the Knin Municipality. It is located north of Knin, just south of the border to Bosnia & Herzegovina. The population is 268 .-External links:*...
- Vrpolje
- Žagrović
Notable people from Knin
- King Dmitar ZvonimirDmitar ZvonimirDemetrius Zvonimir was King of Croatia from 8 October 1076 until his death. He also ruled as Ban of Slavonia , and was named Duke of Croatia in around 1075. His native name was Zvonimir, while the name Demetrius was adopted at his coronation.He began as a Ban of Slavonia in the service of King...
- King Petar SvačićPetar SvacicPetar Svačić was the last king of Croatia. It is assumed that he began as a ban serving under king Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia and was then elected king by the Croatian feudal lords in 1093. Petar's seat of power was based in Knin. His rule was marked by a struggle for control of the country...
- Vladimir BuačVladimir BuacVladimir Buač is a Serbian football midfielder playing with FK BSK Borča in the Serbian SuperLiga....
- football player - Pero Čimbur - writer
- Momčilo Đujić, Serbian Vojvoda and Chetnik leader from WW2.
- Vojin JelićVojin JelicVojin Jelić , was a Croatian Serb writer and poet. He was born in Knin in 1921, and finished gymnasium in Šibenik, and went on to study in Belgrade, Prague, and Zagreb. He wrote about Serbian culture and stories from the Knin region and Dalmatian Zagora. He died in Zagreb.-Sources:...
- writer - Mirko MarjanovićMirko MarjanovicMirko Marjanović was a former Prime Minister of Serbia and a high-ranking official in Slobodan Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia .-Biography:Marjanović was born into a large working-class family with 7 children...
- former Prime Minister of Serbia - Lujo Marun - archeologist
- Lovro MontiLovro MontiLovro Monti was a Croatian politician of Italian descent. He was a Dalmatian Italian, whose grandfather fought for the Republic of Venice against Napoleon.-Biography:...
- politician - Ilija PetkovićIlija PetkovicIlija Petković is a retired Serbian footballer. Since the early 1990s he's been a football manager, his most notable appointment being with the Serbia and Montenegro national football team.-Playing career:He started playing football for Dinara Knin...
- football trainer - Zdravko PonošZdravko PonošZdravko Ponoš is a former Chief of the General Staff of the Military of Serbia.President Boris Tadić invoked his constitutional powers of Commander-in-chief of the Military of Serbia and dismissed Zdravko Ponoš on 30 December 2008 as Chief of General Staff. Ponoš made public accusations against...
- Lt. General, Chief of Military of SerbiaMilitary of SerbiaThe Serbian Armed Forces are the armed services of Serbia. They consist of the Serbian Army and the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence...
. - Hrvoje PožarHrvoje PožarHrvoje Požar was a Croatian engineer and one of the top world scientists at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts....
- academic - Branko Radujko - CEO of Telekom Srbija (mt:s - Serbian biggest mobile provider)
- Jovan Radulović - writer
- Josipa RimacJosipa RimacJosipa Rimac is a Croatian politician and mayor of Knin. She is part of the Croatian Democratic Union party...
- mayor - Dinko ŠimunovićDinko ŠimunovicDinko Šimunović was a Croatian writer.Dinko Šimunović was born in Knin. He spent most of his life as a teacher in villages of the Zagora, the hinterland of southern Croatia....
- writer