Novi Pazar
Encyclopedia
Novi Pazar is a city and municipality
located in southwest Serbia
, in the Raška District
. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638. Novi Pazar is the center of Serbian part of Sandžak
region, and the cultural center of Bosniaks in Serbia.
Novi Pazar is the main economic and cultural centre of the Sandžak
region (followed by Bijelo Polje
in Montenegro
). It is located in the valleys of the Jošanica, Raška (river), Deževska, and Ljudska rivers at the elevation of 496m. The city is surrounded by Golija
and Rogozna
mountains, as well as the Pešter
plateau. The total area of the municipality is 742 km². It contains over 100 settlements, mostly small and spread over hills and mountains surrounding the city. After the city, the largest village is Mur
, with over 3000 residents.
List of villages in the municipality:
Alulović, Bajevica, Banja, Bare, Batnjik, Bekova, Bele Vode, Boturovina, Brđani, Brestovo, Vever, Vidovo, Vitkoviće, Vojkoviće, Vojniće, Vranovina, Vučiniće, Vučja Lokva, Golice, Gornja Tušimlja, Goševo, Građanoviće, Gračane, Grubetiće, Deževa, Dojinoviće, Drum, Dolac, Doljani, Dragočevo, Dramiće, Žunjeviće, Zabrđe, Zlatare, Ivanča, Izbice, Jablanica, Javor, Janča, Jova, Kašalj, Kovačevo, Kožlje, Koprivnica, Kosuriće, Kruševo, Kuzmičevo, Leča, Lopužnje, Lukare, Lukarsko, Goševo, Lukocrevo, Miščiće, Mur, Muhovo, Negotinac, Odojeviće, Okose, Osaonica, Osoje, Oholje, Pavlje, Paralovo, Pasji Potok, Pilareta, Pobrđe, Požega, Požežina, Polokce, Pope, Postenje, Prćenova, Pusta Tušimlja, Pustovlah, Radaljica, Rajetiće, Rajkoviće, Rajčinoviće, Rajčinovićka Trnava, Rakovac, Rast, Sebečevo, Sitniče, Skukovo, Slatina, Smilov Laz, Srednja Tušimlja, Stradovo, Sudsko Selo, Tenkovo, Trnava, Tunovo, Hotkovo, Cokoviće, Čašić Dolac, Šavci, Šaronje, Štitare and Zaguljača.
A 5th century BCE princely grave (with regalia, gold-silver jewelry, beads, Attic pottery) of Greco-Illyrian type was excavated beneath the floor of the oldest church of Serbia, Petrova church
.
The town probably began life as an informal trading enclave which had spilled out from the nearby medieval capital of the Serbian Kingdom, Ras
(now Stari Ras). Ras
was less ideally placed for catching onto the passing trade from the trade routes and major roads through the Balkans, and the establishment of a trading community a few miles away at Novi Pazar would have improved matters (and hence the name of the city).
Novi Pazar was formally founded as a city in its own right in 1459-61 by Isa-beg Ishaković, who was also the founder of the city of Sarajevo
. The first written document which mention Novi Pazar dates back to the 15th century, and describes the decision of Ragusan
Council to appoint a consul in this town. That reinforces the idea that the town was already developed back then, thanks to its outstanding geographic position, as it was at the intersection of important roads leading to Dubrovnik
, Niš
, Sofia
, Constantinople
, Salonica (Thessaloniki), Sarajevo
, Belgrade
, and Budapest
. Many authors wrote about Novi Pazar and Evliya Celebi
noted that it was one of the biggest towns in the Balkans in the 17th century.
The city was the capital of the Ottoman
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
that existed between the 15th and the 20th century. The father of the famous Ragusan (Dubrovnik) scientist Ruđer Bošković from the 18th and 19th centuries, migrated from Dubrovnik
and came to Novi Pazar, where he spent the last years of his life.
The name Novi Pazar (then Novibazar) entered the world encyclopedias as a synonym for the Sandžak
region in 1878, the year when the Congress of Berlin
designated the entire region as "corpus separatum
" named Sanjak of Novi Pazar
. The Sanjak of Novi Pazar was occupied and administered by Austria-Hungary
from 1878 to 1908. In 1908 it was returned to the Ottoman Empire
, which ruled this territory until it was lost to Serbia
in 1912 during the First Balkan War
. After World War I
, the town of Novi Pazar rapidly lost its importance.
Most of those labeled as Turks and Yugoslavs were Bosniaks. On the following several censuses, the term "Muslim by nationality" was offered by the authorities; option for Bosniak as an ethnicity appeared only in the 2002 census.
According to the data of Red Cross and NGOs, the city hosts about 6,000 Serb refugees from Kosovo, Bosnia, and Croatia.
Mayor of the city is Meho Mahmutović from Sandžak Democratic Party.
industry.
Paradoxically, during the turbulent 1990s and, Novi Pazar prospered, even during the UN sanctions, boosted by the strong private initiative in textile industry. Jeans
of Novi Pazar, first of forged trademarks, and later on its own labels, became famous throughout the region. However, during the relative economic prosperity in Serbia of 2000s, the Novi Pazar economy collapsed, with demise of large textile combines in mismanaged privatization
, and incoming competition from the import.
The old Serb Orthodox monastery of Sopoćani
, the foundation of St. King Uroš I, built in the second half of the 13th century and located west of Novi Pazar, is a World Heritage Site
since 1979 accompanying with Stari Ras
(Old Ras), a medieval capital of the Serbian great župan Stefan Nemanja
.
The city also houses an old church from the 9th century Church of St. Peter
. On a hilltop overlooking Novi Pazar is the 12th century monastery of Đurđevi stupovi, long left in ruin, but recently restored and with a monastic community using it, with plate glass to keep out the weather and preserve the fine frescos. The main mosque
of the city, the Altun-Alem mosque, is the largest in this region of the Balkans and dates from 16th century. There are various other historic Ottoman buildings, such as the 17th century Amir-agin Han
, a 15th century Hammam
, and the 15th century Turkish fortress (all gone but the walls, the site of which is now a walled park in the city centre).
.
was founded in 1928, under the name "FK Sandžak
", which later changed to "FK Deževa
". The club has played under its current name since 1962, when Deževa and another local football club, FK Ras, unified under this name. The club was a SFRJ
amateur champion, and a member of the Yugoslav Second League. FK Novi Pazar qualified for a promotional play-off twice, but lost both times (to FK Sutjeska Nikšić in 1994, and to FK Sloboda Užice
in 1995). FK Novi Pazar is the oldest second-league team in Serbia. Football is still extremely popular sport in Novi Pazar and city stadium is always full (third most popular football club in Serbia after Red Star and Partizan). The President of FK Novi Pazar is Rasim Ljajic, a minister in the government of the Republic of Serbia.
Volleyball clubs in the city are OK Novi Pazar (second league) and OK Koteks.
Handball club is in second league and use to have name "Ras" but it was changed in RK Novi Pazar in 2004.
Famous athletes from the city include Mirsad Turkcan, Turkish basketball national team player, Sead Halilagic, former football player of Besiktas, handball-player Mirsad Terzić
(who represents Bosnia-Herzegovina) and young football players Adem Ljajić
(represents Serbia) Edis Bahtijarević (represented Turkey previously, now Bosnia-Herzegovina), and alpinist Basar Čarovac who climbed all seven continents' highest peaks.
Municipalities of Serbia
Serbia is divided into 150 municipalities and 24 cities , which are the basic units of local self-government. The city may and may not be divided into city municipalities . Five cities, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Požarevac comprise several city municipalities, divided into "urban" ...
located in southwest Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, in the Raška District
Raška District
The Raška District expands in the south-western part of Serbia. It has a population of 300,274. Its seat is in the city of Kraljevo.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Kraljevo*Vrnjačka Banja*Raška...
. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638. Novi Pazar is the center of Serbian part of Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
region, and the cultural center of Bosniaks in Serbia.
Name
Novi Pazar is a direct translation of the city's previous Turkish name Yeni Pazar (meaning "New Market")Geography
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
region (followed by Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
). It is located in the valleys of the Jošanica, Raška (river), Deževska, and Ljudska rivers at the elevation of 496m. The city is surrounded by Golija
Golija
Golija is a mountain in southwestern Serbia, between towns of Ivanjica and Novi Pazar. It belongs to the Dinaric mountain range. The mountain is heavily forested, with significant biodiversity and it hosts the Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve, the first UNESCO-MAB registered biosphere reserve in...
and Rogozna
Rogozna
Rogozna is a mountain in southwestern Serbia, near the city of Novi Pazar. Its highest peak Crni vrh has an altitude of 1479 meters above sea level....
mountains, as well as the Pešter
Pešter
thumb|right|[[Northern Lapwing]]Pešter or Pešterska visoravan is a karst plateau in southwestern Serbia, in the Raška region. It lies at the altitude of 900–1200 meters. The territory of the plateau is mostly located in the municipality of Sjenica, with parts belonging to Novi Pazar and Tutin...
plateau. The total area of the municipality is 742 km². It contains over 100 settlements, mostly small and spread over hills and mountains surrounding the city. After the city, the largest village is Mur
Mur (Novi Pazar)
Mur is a village situated in Novi Pazar municipality in Serbia....
, with over 3000 residents.
List of villages in the municipality:
Alulović, Bajevica, Banja, Bare, Batnjik, Bekova, Bele Vode, Boturovina, Brđani, Brestovo, Vever, Vidovo, Vitkoviće, Vojkoviće, Vojniće, Vranovina, Vučiniće, Vučja Lokva, Golice, Gornja Tušimlja, Goševo, Građanoviće, Gračane, Grubetiće, Deževa, Dojinoviće, Drum, Dolac, Doljani, Dragočevo, Dramiće, Žunjeviće, Zabrđe, Zlatare, Ivanča, Izbice, Jablanica, Javor, Janča, Jova, Kašalj, Kovačevo, Kožlje, Koprivnica, Kosuriće, Kruševo, Kuzmičevo, Leča, Lopužnje, Lukare, Lukarsko, Goševo, Lukocrevo, Miščiće, Mur, Muhovo, Negotinac, Odojeviće, Okose, Osaonica, Osoje, Oholje, Pavlje, Paralovo, Pasji Potok, Pilareta, Pobrđe, Požega, Požežina, Polokce, Pope, Postenje, Prćenova, Pusta Tušimlja, Pustovlah, Radaljica, Rajetiće, Rajkoviće, Rajčinoviće, Rajčinovićka Trnava, Rakovac, Rast, Sebečevo, Sitniče, Skukovo, Slatina, Smilov Laz, Srednja Tušimlja, Stradovo, Sudsko Selo, Tenkovo, Trnava, Tunovo, Hotkovo, Cokoviće, Čašić Dolac, Šavci, Šaronje, Štitare and Zaguljača.
History
Petrova church
The Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul , also known as Church of Peter is a Serbian Orthodox church, the oldest intact church in Serbia and one of the oldest ones in the region, situated on a hill of Ras, the medieval capital of the Serbian Grand Principality , near Novi Pazar, Serbia. It is...
.
The town probably began life as an informal trading enclave which had spilled out from the nearby medieval capital of the Serbian Kingdom, Ras
Ras city
Stari Ras , known at the time as Ras, was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, and the most important one for a long period of time. Located in today's region of Raška or Sandžak of Serbia, the city was right in the centre of the early medieval state that started to...
(now Stari Ras). Ras
Ras city
Stari Ras , known at the time as Ras, was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, and the most important one for a long period of time. Located in today's region of Raška or Sandžak of Serbia, the city was right in the centre of the early medieval state that started to...
was less ideally placed for catching onto the passing trade from the trade routes and major roads through the Balkans, and the establishment of a trading community a few miles away at Novi Pazar would have improved matters (and hence the name of the city).
Novi Pazar was formally founded as a city in its own right in 1459-61 by Isa-beg Ishaković, who was also the founder of the city of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. The first written document which mention Novi Pazar dates back to the 15th century, and describes the decision of Ragusan
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
Council to appoint a consul in this town. That reinforces the idea that the town was already developed back then, thanks to its outstanding geographic position, as it was at the intersection of important roads leading to Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
, Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Salonica (Thessaloniki), Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Many authors wrote about Novi Pazar and Evliya Celebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
noted that it was one of the biggest towns in the Balkans in the 17th century.
The city was the capital of the Ottoman
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...
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
The Sanjak of Novi Pazar was an Ottoman sanjak that existed until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 in the territory of present day Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.-History:It was part of the Bosnia Vilayet and later Kosovo Vilayet and included...
that existed between the 15th and the 20th century. The father of the famous Ragusan (Dubrovnik) scientist Ruđer Bošković from the 18th and 19th centuries, migrated from Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
and came to Novi Pazar, where he spent the last years of his life.
The name Novi Pazar (then Novibazar) entered the world encyclopedias as a synonym for the Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
region in 1878, the year when the Congress of Berlin
Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
designated the entire region as "corpus separatum
Corpus separatum
Corpus separatum is used with regard to Jerusalem according to the 1947 UN Partition Plan which used it to refer to a proposed internationally administered zone to include Jerusalem in the 1947 municipal boundaries "plus surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of which shall be Abu Dis;...
" named Sanjak of Novi Pazar
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
The Sanjak of Novi Pazar was an Ottoman sanjak that existed until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 in the territory of present day Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.-History:It was part of the Bosnia Vilayet and later Kosovo Vilayet and included...
. The Sanjak of Novi Pazar was occupied and administered by Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
from 1878 to 1908. In 1908 it was returned 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...
, which ruled this territory until it was lost to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in 1912 during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the town of Novi Pazar rapidly lost its importance.
Demographics
According to the 1953 census data, the population of the Novi Pazar municipality numbered 53,331 people, and it was composed of:- SerbsSerbsThe 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...
(50.38%) - TurksTurkish peopleTurkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
(21.87%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
(26.94%) - Others (0.83%).
Most of those labeled as Turks and Yugoslavs were Bosniaks. On the following several censuses, the term "Muslim by nationality" was offered by the authorities; option for Bosniak as an ethnicity appeared only in the 2002 census.
Municipality Data
| Ethnic composition by census | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Serbs | % | Muslims | % | Yugoslavs | % | Montenegrins | % | Total |
| 1961 | 27,933 | 47.52% | 23,250 | 39.56% | 1,261 | 2.15% | 543 | .% | 58,777 |
| 1971 | 25,076 | 38.98% | 37,140 | 57.74% | 183 | 0.28% | 359 | .% | 64,326 |
| 1981 | 21,834 | 29.51% | 49,769 | 67.26% | 931 | .% | 295 | .% | 74,000 |
| 1991 | 19,064 | 22.36% | 64,251 | 75.37% | 700 | 0.82% | 232 | .% | 85,249 |
| 2002 | 17,599 | 20.46% | 65,593 | 76.27% | 1,599 | 1.86% | 136 | 0.16% | 85,996 |
Urban area data
| Ethnic composition by census | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Serbs | % | Muslims | % | Yugoslavs | % | Montenegrins | % | Total |
| 1971 | 5,322 | 17.54% | 24,544 | 80.9% | 167 | 0.55% | 298 | 0.98% | 28,950 |
| 1981 | 6,689 | 16.28% | 32,798 | 79.8% | 848 | 2.06% | 246 | 0.6% | 41,099 |
| 1991 | 6,698 | 12.94% | 43,774 | 84.59% | 575 | 1.11% | 190 | 0.37% | 51,749 |
| 2002 | 6,724 | 12.31% | 46,339 | 84.86% | 904 | 1.66% | 105 | 0.19% | 54,604 |
According to the data of Red Cross and NGOs, the city hosts about 6,000 Serb refugees from Kosovo, Bosnia, and Croatia.
Politics
After the last Serbian local election held in May 2008, local assembly seats are distributed as following:- Sandžak Democratic Party (23)
- Party of Democratic Action (18)
- Serbian list (6)
Mayor of the city is Meho Mahmutović from Sandžak Democratic Party.
Economy
Lying on crossroads between numerous old and new states, Novi Pazar has always been a strong trade center. Along with the trade, the city developed manufacturing tradition. During the 20th century, it became a center of textileTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
industry.
Paradoxically, during the turbulent 1990s and, Novi Pazar prospered, even during the UN sanctions, boosted by the strong private initiative in textile industry. Jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
of Novi Pazar, first of forged trademarks, and later on its own labels, became famous throughout the region. However, during the relative economic prosperity in Serbia of 2000s, the Novi Pazar economy collapsed, with demise of large textile combines in mismanaged privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, and incoming competition from the import.
Culture
Sopocani
The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
, the foundation of St. King Uroš I, built in the second half of the 13th century and located west of Novi Pazar, is a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
since 1979 accompanying with Stari Ras
Ras city
Stari Ras , known at the time as Ras, was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, and the most important one for a long period of time. Located in today's region of Raška or Sandžak of Serbia, the city was right in the centre of the early medieval state that started to...
(Old Ras), a medieval capital of the Serbian great župan Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
.
The city also houses an old church from the 9th century Church of St. Peter
Petrova church
The Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul , also known as Church of Peter is a Serbian Orthodox church, the oldest intact church in Serbia and one of the oldest ones in the region, situated on a hill of Ras, the medieval capital of the Serbian Grand Principality , near Novi Pazar, Serbia. It is...
. On a hilltop overlooking Novi Pazar is the 12th century monastery of Đurđevi stupovi, long left in ruin, but recently restored and with a monastic community using it, with plate glass to keep out the weather and preserve the fine frescos. The main mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
of the city, the Altun-Alem mosque, is the largest in this region of the Balkans and dates from 16th century. There are various other historic Ottoman buildings, such as the 17th century Amir-agin Han
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
, a 15th century Hammam
Hammam
A Turkish bath is the Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water, as distinct from ambient steam....
, and the 15th century Turkish fortress (all gone but the walls, the site of which is now a walled park in the city centre).
Education
Novi Pazar is home to two universities, the University of Novi Pazar and the State University of Novi PazarState University of Novi Pazar
The State University of Novi Pazar is a public university in Novi Pazar, Serbia. It was founded in 2006 and is composed of three schools .__FORCETOC__-Campus:...
.
Sport
The city's football club FK Novi PazarFK Novi Pazar
FK Novi Pazar is a football club based in the city of Novi Pazar, the largest city in the Sandžak region . The team currently plays in the Serbian SuperLiga, which is the top division of the Serbian football league system. Current president of FK Novi Pazar is Rasim Ljajić, Minister for Welfare in...
was founded in 1928, under the name "FK Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
", which later changed to "FK Deževa
Deževa
Deževa is a village situated in Novi Pazar municipality in Serbia....
". The club has played under its current name since 1962, when Deževa and another local football club, FK Ras, unified under this name. The club was a SFRJ
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
amateur champion, and a member of the Yugoslav Second League. FK Novi Pazar qualified for a promotional play-off twice, but lost both times (to FK Sutjeska Nikšić in 1994, and to FK Sloboda Užice
FK Sloboda Užice
FK Sloboda Užice is a football club from Užice, Serbia. In 2010 Sloboda merged with Sevojno Point, which had just been promoted to the Super Liga, and from then the club plays in the Super Liga, under the new name FK Sloboda Point Sevojno, until the name "Sloboda Užice" was restored as the club's...
in 1995). FK Novi Pazar is the oldest second-league team in Serbia. Football is still extremely popular sport in Novi Pazar and city stadium is always full (third most popular football club in Serbia after Red Star and Partizan). The President of FK Novi Pazar is Rasim Ljajic, a minister in the government of the Republic of Serbia.
Volleyball clubs in the city are OK Novi Pazar (second league) and OK Koteks.
Handball club is in second league and use to have name "Ras" but it was changed in RK Novi Pazar in 2004.
Famous athletes from the city include Mirsad Turkcan, Turkish basketball national team player, Sead Halilagic, former football player of Besiktas, handball-player Mirsad Terzić
Mirsad Terzić
Mirsad Terzić is a Bosnian professional handballer, and is a current captain of national team. Currently he plays in Hungary for MKB Veszprém KC.-External links:*...
(who represents Bosnia-Herzegovina) and young football players Adem Ljajić
Adem Ljajic
Adem Ljajić is a Serbian footballer who plays as an attacking or right-sided midfielder for Serie A club Fiorentina. He was set to join England's Manchester United from Partizan in January 2010, but they withdrew their option to sign him in December 2009...
(represents Serbia) Edis Bahtijarević (represented Turkey previously, now Bosnia-Herzegovina), and alpinist Basar Čarovac who climbed all seven continents' highest peaks.
Notable citizens
- Rasim LjajićRasim LjajicRasim Ljajić is the current Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Affairs of Serbia since 15 May 2007. He is a medical graduate. He is the President of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, elected on 21 January 2007 on the list of the Democratic Party in the parliament, where it has three...
, Republic Minister for Social Care - Sulejman UgljaninSulejman UgljaninSulejman Ugljanin is an ethnic Bosniak politician from the Sandžak region of Serbia...
, Republic Minister without portfolio - Milorad Veljović, Director of Serbian Police
- Bajro ŽupićBajro ŽupićBajram "Bajro" Župić is a former Serbian football player and a football manager.-Career:...
, former FK Partizan football player - Basar Čarovac, alpinist
- Adem LjajićAdem LjajicAdem Ljajić is a Serbian footballer who plays as an attacking or right-sided midfielder for Serie A club Fiorentina. He was set to join England's Manchester United from Partizan in January 2010, but they withdrew their option to sign him in December 2009...
, AC Fiorentina football player - Emina JahovićEmina JahovicEmina Jahović Sandal , is a Serbian pop singer. She is married to singer Mustafa Sandal from Turkey, where she is known as Emina Sandal.- Biography :...
, pop singer - Mirsad Türkcan, basketball player
- Almir GegićAlmir GegicAlmir Senan Gegić is a Bosniak football player. He currently plays for FC Chiasso.He also holds a Turkish passport....
, football player - Elma SinanovićElma SinanovicElma Sinanović is a popular Bosniak singer from Novi Pazar, Serbia.-Discography:* Dva prstena * Zavodnik * Kakvo je to ludilo * Moje drugarice * Ruka pravde...
, pop singer