Užice

Užice (Ужице, ûʒit͡se) is a city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a population of 54,965. The City municipality of Užice (Gradska opština Užice) is one of two city municipalities (with the City municipality of Sevojno) which constitute the City of Užice. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has 69,997 inhabitants. The region surrounding Užice was settled by Illyrians, specifically the Parthini and the Celtic-influenced Autariatae tribes. Their tombs are found throughout the region. In the 3rd century BC, the Scordisci featured prominently after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The region was conquered by the Roman Empire in 168 BC, and was organized into the province of Illyricum in 32–27 BC and, after 10 AD, the province of Dalmatia. The Roman municipium (town) of Capedunum existed here during Roman times; its name indicates a Celtic origin (dun, fortress), similar to Singidunum, the founding name of Serbia's capital, Belgrade. History of Medieval Serbia The settlement of Slavs in the region has been recorded since the 520s, when Slavic tribes pillaged the Eastern Roman Empire; during Justinian I's rule (527–565), up to 100,000 Slavs raided areas far to the south of the city in Thessalonica. The region (Drina županija) was part of the Vlastimirović dynasty when they established the medieval Principality of Serbia, the first Serb state. Across the Drina, in Bosnia, the army of Časlav fought the invading Magyars in the 950s. The region was annexed by the Byzantine Empire after 969, becoming part of the Catepanate of Ras. Later, the area around the city became a part of the Theme of Sirmium. The first historical record mentioning Užice by its name dates back to 1329. During the reign of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan, Užice is mentioned as a fortress, under the rule of the Vojinović noble family.