Olib
Encyclopedia
Olib is an island in northern Dalmatia
, located northwest of Zadar
, southwest of Pag
, southeast of Lošinj
and just east of Silba
. The population is 147.
, Olib is first mentioned in documents from the 10th century as Aloep Island.
Croatia
n inhabitants arrived in the mid to late 15th century, from Vrlika
in the Cetinska Krajina, fleeing the Ottoman
invasions. The Chakavian dialect of the Croatian language is spoken on Olib and residents call themselves Olibjani.
The island has many historic buildings and ruins. Among these are the Parish Church Assumption of Mary with its collection of antiquities
including Glagolitic codices dating back to the 17th century (housed in the treasury of the parish rectory), the stone Tower or "Kula" built for protection from pirates, and the ruins of St. Paul's Church and Monastery which was abandoned in the 13th century.
, olive oil
, and cheese
. Olib has no native freshwater
sources. Consequently, nearly all homes on the island are built with cistern
s to capture rainwater. There are also two communal wells available to residents.
Although the year-round population only hovers around 100, that number swells during the summer months when both ancestors of the island's native population as well as international tourists come to enjoy the ample sea, sun, and relaxed atmosphere.
Olib is connected to the mainland by ferry
to Zadar
via the islands of Silba
and Premuda
. The journey to the mainland takes approximately two hours on a catamaran or three to five hours on a car ferry. Cars are forbidden to be used for transport on the island, instead having to be parked in a designated area adjacent to the harbor.
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....
, located northwest 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...
, southwest of Pag
Pag (island)
Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline....
, southeast of Lošinj
Lošinj
Lošinj is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city of Rijeka and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
and just east of Silba
Silba
Silba is an island in Croatia, northern Dalmatia, south-east of Lošinj, between the islands of Premuda and Olib. It has a Mediterranean climate with 2570 hours a year of sunshine...
. The population is 147.
History
First inhabited by settlers from the Roman EmpireRoman 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....
, Olib is first mentioned in documents from the 10th century as Aloep Island.
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 ...
n inhabitants arrived in the mid to late 15th century, from Vrlika
Vrlika
Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. The town of Vrlika has a population of 959, while the municipality has a population of 2,705 . There are 2,670 Croatian speakers, 16 Serbian speakers and 19 speakers of other...
in the Cetinska Krajina, fleeing 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...
invasions. The Chakavian dialect of the Croatian language is spoken on Olib and residents call themselves Olibjani.
The island has many historic buildings and ruins. Among these are the Parish Church Assumption of Mary with its collection of antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
including Glagolitic codices dating back to the 17th century (housed in the treasury of the parish rectory), the stone Tower or "Kula" built for protection from pirates, and the ruins of St. Paul's Church and Monastery which was abandoned in the 13th century.
Modern-day Olib
The products of Olib include wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. Olib has no native freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
sources. Consequently, nearly all homes on the island are built with cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
s to capture rainwater. There are also two communal wells available to residents.
Although the year-round population only hovers around 100, that number swells during the summer months when both ancestors of the island's native population as well as international tourists come to enjoy the ample sea, sun, and relaxed atmosphere.
Olib is connected to the mainland by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
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...
via the islands of Silba
Silba
Silba is an island in Croatia, northern Dalmatia, south-east of Lošinj, between the islands of Premuda and Olib. It has a Mediterranean climate with 2570 hours a year of sunshine...
and Premuda
Premuda
Premuda is a little island in Croatia, off the northern Adriatic coast. It belongs to the north Dalmatian islands which are situated north-west from the county center Zadar. Premuda is approximately 10 km long, up to 1 km wide, and has an area of 9.2 square kilometers...
. The journey to the mainland takes approximately two hours on a catamaran or three to five hours on a car ferry. Cars are forbidden to be used for transport on the island, instead having to be parked in a designated area adjacent to the harbor.