Crossroads of Western, Eastern, Southern Europe to Asia: Belgrade's Dorcol bridges history, modernity

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The Serbian capital’s oldest neighborhood, Dorcol, displays a feast for the eyes and heart with a rich history and diverse culture.​​​​​​​

Dorcol is an affluent urban neighborhood in Belgrade that is located along the right bank of the Danube River and is known for its specific urban charm and the open mentality of residents.

Residents live among architectural works from past centuries, spanning the Ottoman Empire, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Austria-Hungary eras.

Dorcol is described as a Belgrade phenomenon -- exciting, creative and inventive corners with the authentic, organic soul of the city.

Belgrade has a strategic geographic status on the Balkan peninsula as a crossroads between Middle and Western Europe to Southern Europe and then to Asia from the Roman era up until today.

The oldest district in Dorcol has a small display of present-day Belgrade and Serbian history.

During the Ottoman Empire, Belgrade was one of the biggest and most important cities in the district of Rumelia which is the European part of the Ottoman Empire.

“Dorcol is one of the most famous districts in Belgrade and it had its importance since Roman time as the economic heart of the city,” according to Dr. Ema Miljkovic from the University of Belgrade.

Miljkovic told Anadolu that Dorcol gets its name ''from Ottoman Turkish, dortyol, which means four roads. It is really the crossroads of four roads forming the very important, mainly economic district.”

The Ottomans opened coffeehouses in Dorcol in 1522 and was considered the oldest such venue in Europe. It served only Turkish coffee and nargile, or hookah.

Miljkovic said Serbs are proud of Dorcol as it is an essential part of Belgrade that displays the rich and diverse culture of Serbia to tourists.

“We are very proud of such a district with such a mixed culture and history. I strongly believe that a mix of cultures is very important for a city and a district. The more culture you have, you are wealthier,” said Miljkovic.

She said Dorcol had its importance since the Roman era. It was the economic hearth of the city.

“From 1521 until the 70s of the 19th century, Dorcol was inhabited mainly by the Turks or Ottomans. Ottomans, mainly merchants and the whole economic life of the city happened in Dorcol.

“The Ottoman merchants and also Jewish merchants and bankers lived in Dorcol and made it the economic center of the city,” said Miljkovic.

Dorcol was a well-known trading center, with markets and traders from different nationalities.

Miljkovic said Belgrade became an Ottoman city after the Hungarians were defeated in 1521.

“Belgrade became the Ottoman city in 1521 and it is also important to highlight because many people are not aware of the fact that at that time in 16th century it was not Serbian town, it was Hungarian town,'' she said.

Dorcol was described as a "Babylonian mixture of people, religions and languages" as the Greeks, Italians, Germans, Russians, Cincars, Armenians, Bosnian Muslims, and Albanians settled in the district throughout history.

During the Ottoman era, it was the location of a famous farmers market called Bit-Pazar.

Today it hosts Belgrade's only active mosque, the Bayrakli Mosque built in 1575.

There were active mosques in Dorcol as the Ottomans influenced the neighborhood the most, said Mijkovic.

When Ottoman explorer Evliya Celebi visited Belgrade in the 17th century, he encountered 217 mosques, 13 masjids, 17 dervish lodges, seven baths and eight madrasahs, or Islamic schools, and bazaars.

In the following years, the number of mosques approached 250.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were only 59 mosques in the capital of the Kingdom of Serbia. In the following years, the number fell even more and only the Bayrakli Mosque remains.

“There were at least several active mosques in the district of Dorcol during the Ottoman Empire and many more across Belgrade. However, we do not have an official number for the mosques,” said Miljkovic.

There are several important Ottoman architectural landmarks in Dorcol.

The Museum of Vuk and Dositej which was built in 1739 is one of the eight-oldest preserved residential buildings in Belgrade.

Sheikh-Mustafino Tomb built in 1783 was part of a tekke, or monastery, with its shape originating from pre-Islamic times resembling the tent of that time.

She added that the Ottoman, Jewish merchants and bankers lived in Dorcol and made it the economic center of the city until 1718.

It was also a center for Belgrade's Jewish community, mostly inhabited by Jews from Spain after the early 16th century. Dorcol is today host to Synagogue Sukat Shalom built in 1926.

After the Austrian occupation in 1739, Belgrade was divided by the governing authorities into six districts.

The Fortress, Serbian Town, German Town, present-day Dorcol, Lower Serbian Town, Karlstadt and the Great Military Hospital.

"After Austria took control of Belgrade, they settled 300 German families in Dorcol because it was such an important part of the city and they wanted German influence, said Miljkovic. “However, German influence cannot be really felt now but Ottoman, Serbian and Jewish can.”

A series of houses and official buildings including hospitals, barracks, pharmacies, breweries, saltern, monasteries, schools and official palaces were built with Baroque facades in an attempt to influence the neighborhood.

Dorcol had a population of 5,728 in the 1883 census.

The Serbs, who were victims of religious fanaticism for centuries, seemed to be very tolerant, so Muslims and Jews have temples, elegant houses and shops even in the most distinguished parts of the city.

The oldest surviving private house in Belgrade that is still used as a residence is located on Cara Dusana Street in Dorcol. Not far from the house on the same street, another cultural monument, the Steam Bath of Brothers Krsmanovic, is located.

The house at 10 Cara Dusana Street was built in 1727 and is the oldest surviving building in Belgrade, currently working as a bakery.

The Steam Bath of Brothers Krsmanovic, meanwhile, is the former public bath built in 1901, the predecessor of the former hammam, or the Turkish bath.

It was called "Small Hammam," recorded in the Turkish plan from 1863.

Another very important architectural site in Dorcol is the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky built in 1877. According to the city’s plans, the monastery is located just within the outer walls of the old Belgrade city. There is a great possibility that the Bajram-beg mosque, also known as the Stambol mosque, was located where the church is situated.

Dorcol is a unique neighborhood with a character mirroring the country, where different cultures, traditions and influences on buildings and life are presented vividly.

As Miljanovic puts it, “Serbs are very proud of Dorcol district and will do their best to keep it mixed as it is with various cultures, various traditions and proudly show it to anyone who is visiting.”