Old Town of Bar

I couldn't find the Old Olive Tree but I found Old Town Of Bar

I ended up staying in Bar for three nights afterall.  Many people had told me not to stay long as it was not very interesting.  True enough, the modern town of Bar on the ocean is  nothing exceptional.  But the Old Town of Bar is another story.  I spent a whole day there one afternoon!

Entering Old Town of Bar

But no, I kid.  The Old Town of Bar is a town that has existed for over 2500 years.  Mediterranean climate, abundance of water, and richness of the field in the lee of Sutorman and Rumija, made this area one of the oldest dwellings of civilizations on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Ruins in the Old Town

Since history and ruins are a passion of mine, I was in heaven.  This town has such an interesting history.  Traces of dwelling fragments place activity in this area as far back as 4,500 – 4,000 years BC.  Under the actual Old Town, fragmenst have been dated to the period from 8th – 5th century BC.  The town was under Byzantine governance until about 10th century AD.

Walls of the 13th century St. Nichola's church

After 1183 “the famous town of Bar” and neighbouring coastal towns and areas in the hinderlands enter the composition of the medieval state of Serbian dynasty Nemanjic.  During the first half of the 15th century it goes from hand to hand: Venetians, Balshici, tyrant Stefan Lazarevic, Djuradj Brankovic and Stefan Vukdchic.

18th century aquaduct leads to the town walls

At one point in the 1400s, the town was expanded and fortified and consisted of approximately 30 Gothic-renaissance palaces, 16 churches and monasteries, few hundred houses and about 4,000 inhabitants.  In 1571 the Turks conquered Bar without fight or demolition.  This presence gradually allowed the town to develop characteristics of the beautiful architectural syntheses of Mediterranean and Orient.

A huge chunk of wall sits misplaced from its position. Likely caused by the earthquake in 1979.

Unfortunately after it was  liberated in 1878, the town has been slowly dying left to nature’s devices.  In 1979 an earthquake caused significant damage and most people moved to the new town on the coast.  But for a measely 1 euro you can explore this most amazing town that they are working hard to restore and save and to make it a place for uniting the old-new urban poetry, science, art, cultural tourism and ecology.  Lack of funding has slowed things down but its decay has been arrested.  I personally was in heaven and could just imagine what this place used to be.

Imagining the Old Town when it was still active

The stunning mountains surrounding the Old Town