The name "BEOGRAD" is derived from two Serbian words

beo=white and grad=city.

Belgrade's Cote d'Armor represents the old city-fortress walls (Belgrade's Fortress), behind the confluence of the two red rivers. Blood soaked rivers symbolize centuries of battles for the city. Throughout the history, Belgrade has been burned to the ground many times and has been rebuilt every time.

During the centuries of migrations from the East, Belgrade has been one of the most important gates to the West. It was (and still is) on the most important crossroads where East meets West, Europe meets Middle East, Christianity meets Islam. It rose and fell, along with its builders and its conquerors, serving as a strategic base for passing empires, and at times providing rulers.

There are few cities in Europe that have been destroyed so often, and rebuilt in such a variety of styles. Its beauty lays not only within its streets, but also in the places you would never expect to find it. This is why this unique city gives back a hundredfold to anyone who pays at least a bit of an attention to it.

The oldest known name of Belgrade is Singidunum. It is believed to stand for "city fortress"

and it dates since the beginning of the first millennium or even earlier. 

In 395AD Singidunum became part of the Eastern Empire (Byzantium)

and the name became Greek-sounding Singidon.

When Slavs crossed Danube and defeated Byzantine Empire in the VI-th century, they settled on this territory. Built of stone, the city that emerged overlooking the waters was called the White City.

The name Belgrade was first mentioned in a letter from the Roman Pope John VIII to the Bulgarian Prince Boris on April 16, 878AD and since then it was never changed again.

From the XVI to XIX century, in other languages, Belgrade is referred to as:

Alba Graeca, Alba Bulgarica, Bello Grado, Nandor Alba, Griechisch Weissenburg, Castelbianco...

The city that endured countless great conflicts and battles on its ramparts.

One of the oldest cities of Europe, earned other symbolic names throughout the centuries:

The House of Wars, The Hill of Struggle and Glory, Meditation Hill, The House of Freedom...

Belgrade is Serbian capital from 1403AD since the order of Despot Stefan Lazarević, a Serb ruler.

III century B.C.

The Celts (called Galli by the Romans and Galatai or Keltoi by the Greeks) settled on the teritorry of Belgrade and build the first historical city of Belgrade, giving it its first known name Singidunum.

I century B.C.

Roman legions expand, weakening the Celtic tribe Scordisci and causing it to withdraw toward Pannonia. Roman legion made their first garrison on the site of the Celtic's city. The remains of those structures can be seen even today in the lower layers of the Kalemegdan Fortress wall. Many artifacts were collected from that period and can be seen in the National Museum.

~360 A.D.

Jovian, born in Singidunum, ascends to the Roman throne. During his short reign, he succeeds in striking a deadly blow to paganism and contributes to the spread of Christianity.

~380 A.D.

The Goths invade the Balkans and ravage Singidunum.

~440 A.D.

The Huns under Attila destroy Singidon and enslave the population. The barbarian Gepids, Goths, and Heruls pillage the city for an entire century.

~530 A.D.

Byzantine emperor Justinian I, builder of the Saint Sofia Church of Constantinople, begins to reconstruct Singidon.

~550 A.D.

The greates attack on Singidunum by Slavs to date.

584 A.D.

Bayan, khagan of the Avars, conquers Singidon.

593 A.D.

The city is once again Byzantine, but Bayan besieges it again.

596 A.D.

The third, and the last successful, attack by Bayan on Singidon. Nevertheless, Byzantines retake the city.

~610 A.D.

The Slavs conquer Singidon and reach the walls of Constantinple.

1020 A.D.

With the collapse of Samuel's states, Belgrade once again becomes a Byzantine fortress.

1036 A.D.

The first pilgrims make Belgrade an important stopover on the land route to the Holy Land.

1040 A.D.

Belgrade is the flash point of a Slavic, anti-Byzantine rebellion. 

1071 A.D.

Belgrade is under the siege led by the Hungarian King Salamon.

1074 A.D.

Geza, the son of the Hungarian King Salamon is engaged to the Byzantine princess and Belgrade is returned to Byzantium once more.

1096 A.D.

Crusaders, led by Walter the Penniless, plunder and burn Belgrade.

1127 A.D.

The Hungarian king Stephen II attacks Belgrade. He orders the city destroyed and uses the stone from the walls to build Zemun (today part of Belgrade)

1151 A.D.

The Byzantine army occupies Zemun and destroys the city. Manuel I Comnenus helps rebuild and re-fortify Belgrade.

1182 A.D.

Hungarian King Bela conquers Belgrade and destroys it.

1230 A.D.

Belgrade is part of the Bulgarian state of Ivan Asen II.

1232 A.D.

Belgrade is once again Hungarian.

1284 A.D.

King Stephen V of Hungary gives Stefan Dragutin (brother of Serbian king Milutin), his daughter Katarina in marriage and Belgrade as her dowry.

1319 A.D.

After death of Stefan Dragutin the Hungarians conquer the city and burn it.

1391 A.D.

The first Turkish siege of Belgrade under Bayezid I.

1397 A.D.

Serbian Ruler Stefan Lazarević, makes Belgrade the seat of his throne.

1403. A.D.

The Ruler Stefan Lazarević begins reconstruction of the city. He writes about it in "The Belgrade Charter"

"...upon arrival, I found the most beautiful place of all times, the great city Belgrade, which had been destroyed and deserted, I have rebuilt it and dedicated it to the Mother of God..."

An exceptional descritpion of Belgrade is given in "The Life of The Ruler Stefan Lazarević", by his biographer, Constantine the Philosopher:

"...and he (Stefan) was not in the least idle, as any man who is brave, rather he took to the city, (one) of the great ancient (cities) in a most rarely beautiful place in all the world, as we have said so many times; moreover, it was as broad as a sail of an imperial boat, with sundry fortifications..."

1440 A.D.

The Turks, led by Murad II, stage a forceful but unsuccessful siege of Belgrade that is followed by massive desertion of the surroundings of Belgrade.

1456 A.D.

New Turkish siege of Belgrade, this time led by MehmedII, the conqueror of Constantinople. The Bulwark of Christianity is defended by John Hunyadi, John of Capistrano and the Serb Djuradj Branković. Volunteers from the entire Christian world come together in one of the biggest and most exciting battles of the Middle Ages.

This victory of Christianity is celebrated on August 6 as a holiday.

Although celebrated throughout Europe, Belgrade was flattened by the bombardment. After this battle Turks believed that "If Belgrade is conquered...there will no longer be enemies anywhere..."

1521 A.D.

Turkish Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent conquers Belgrade, 130 years after the first siege. The consequences of the fall of the Bulwark of Christianity are soon felt. Five years later the Hungarians suffer great defeat at Mohacs, and eight years later Vienna is besieged for the first time.

1688-1693 A.D.

Belgrade is besieged three times. Austrian army assisting the rebellious Serbs, who wanted to free themselves from the Turks. Austrians withdrew abandoning Serbs three times in one century after after luring them into the war with their promises.

1717 A.D.

The Austrians under Eugene of Savoy once again occupy Belgrade. This time Belgrade remains in Austrian hands for a long time; a baroque city we recognize from engravings develops.

1739 A.D.

With the Belgrade Peace, the Turks get the city back without any struggle. Turks demolish parts of the newly constructed fortress walls.

1789 A.D.

The Austrian field marshal Loudon once again conquers Belgrade, with the help from the volunteer corps of Serbs, led by Serbian officer Koča Andjelković. This event is commemorated in the opera "The Siege of Belgrade" by Stephen Storace, Mozart's pupil.

1791 A.D.

Belgrade was once again returned to the Turks by the Peace Treaty of Svishtov.

1792 A.D.

The Turkish rebellious special forces Janissaries, occupy Belgrade and three year later introduce a government of tyranny.

1804 A.D.

The First Serbian Uprising takes place. Karadjordje's (Black George) rebels besiege Belgrade for the first time.

1806 A.D.

The Serbian rebels led by Karadjordje Petrović enter Belgrade on December 12 1806. The attack begun before dawn, engaging the smalles number of people in the long history of sieges of Belgrade.

This act marks the beginning of the end of Turkish rule over the city and over Serbia.

1841 A.D.

Belgrade becomes the capital of the principality of Serbia.

1862 A.D.

The Turks bombarded Belgrade for 15 days, because of an incident at Čukur Foutain.

1867 A.D.

The Turkish commander of Belgrade turns over the city keys to Prince Mihailo Obrenović. Mihailo received keys of Belgrade, Smederevo, Kladovo, Soko, Užice and Šabac. Finally freed from pressures, Belgradebegins to develop into modern, European city.

1882 A.D.

The Kingdom of Serbia is declared and The Monument to Prince Mihailo is dedicated.

1914 A.D.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia, beginning with eight days of shelling Belgrade. The heroic defense of Belgrade lasts for 15 months.

These were the first projectiles fired in the Great War (the First World War).

Belgrade is liberated. Although in ruins, Belgrade becomes the capital of a much larger state than it was before the World War I.

1929 A.D.

Belgrade becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

1941 A.D.

Because Serbs' sympathetic towards the alliance of England, France and the USA, Hitler orders a military attack on Belgrade and Yugoslavia. In that attack, 50% of the buildings in Belgrade were destroyed by 600 bombers and 320 fighter planes.

The Allies bomb Belgrade 11 times in order to destroy Germans. Nevertheless, Belgrade suffers heavy loss of life and economic potential.

NATO forces together with USA forces bombed Belgrade for 78 days. Air raid siren sounded 292 times throughout Belgrade. This was the fourth bombing of Belgrade in the 20th century.

2000 A.D.

Belgrade witnessed the last revolution of the first millennium.