ŠumadijaŠumadija (Шумадија, ʃumǎdija) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from šuma 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of the Šumadija District in the Šumadija and Western Serbia statistical region. The region is very fertile, and it is known for its extensive fruit production (apples, grapes, plums, etc.). Šumadija received its name from the dense and impassable forests which covered the region, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries.
MetohijaMetohija (Метохија, mɛtɔ̌xija) or Dukagjin (Rrafshi i Dukagjinit, ˈrafʃi i dukaˈɟinit) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2011 census, the population of the region is 700,577. It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo: The name Metohija derives from the Greek word μετόχια (metóchia; singular μετόχιον, metóchion), meaning "monastic estates" – a reference to the large number of villages and estates in the region that were owned by the Serbian Orthodox monasteries and Mount Athos during the Middle Ages.
HilandarThe Hilandar Monastery (Manastir Hilandar, xilǎndaːr, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It was founded in 1198 by Stefan Nemanja (Saint Symeon) and his son Saint Sava. St. Symeon was the former Grand Prince of Serbia (1166–1196) who upon relinquishing his throne took monastic vows and became an ordinary monk. He joined his son Saint Sava who was already in Mount Athos and who later became the first Archbishop of Serbia.
GusleThe gusle (гусле) or lahuta (lahutë) is a single-stringed musical instrument (and musical style) traditionally used in the Dinarides region of Southeastern Europe (in the Balkans). The instrument is always accompanied by singing; musical folklore, specifically epic poetry. The gusle player holds the instrument vertically between his knees, with the left hand fingers on the strings. The strings are never pressed to the neck, giving a harmonic and unique sound.
Serbian ArmyThe Serbian Army (Kopnena vojska Srbije) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. History of the Serbian Army Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Principality of Serbia and after Serbia's independence it subsequently grew in size and was renamed the Royal Serbian Army. After the World War I it was incorporated into the newly established Royal Yugoslav Army which was in turn transformed into Yugoslav Ground Forces of the Yugoslav People's Army after the World War II.
Gračanica MonasteryThe Gračanica Monastery (Manastir Gračanica, ɡratʃǎnitsa; Manastiri i Graçanicës) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was built by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. The monastery was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List under the name of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site, which was overall placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
DevshirmeDevshirme (devşirme, usually translated as "child levy" or "blood tax") was the Ottoman practice of forcibly recruiting soldiers and bureaucrats from among the children of their Balkan Christian subjects and forcibly converting them to Islam. Those coming from the Balkans came primarily from noble Balkan families and rayah (poor) classes. It is first mentioned in written records in 1438, but probably started earlier. It created a faction of soldiers and officials loyal to the Sultan.
ValjevoValjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ʋâːʎeʋo) is a city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the administrative area of Valjevo had 82,169 inhabitants, 56,145 of whom were urban dwellers. Valjevo occupies an area of 905 square kilometers; its altitude is 185 meters. The city is situated along the river Kolubara, a tributary of the Sava river. In the nearby village of Petnica, scientists found the first complete neolithic habitat in Serbia and dated it at 6,000 years old.
Serbian epic poetrySerbian epic poetry (Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries. They are largely concerned with historical events and personages. The instrument accompanying the epic poetry is the gusle. Serbian epic poetry helped in developing the Serbian national consciousness.
SclaveniThe Sclaveni (in Latin) or (various forms in Greek) were early Slavic tribes that raided, invaded and settled the Balkans in the Early Middle Ages and eventually became the progenitors of modern South Slavs. They were mentioned by early Byzantine chroniclers as barbarians having appeared at the Byzantine borders along with the Antes (East Slavs), another Slavic group. The Sclaveni were differentiated from the Antes and Wends (West Slavs); however, they were described as kin.
