Prokuplje

Prokuplje is located between municipalities of Blace, Kuršumlija, Bojnik, Žitorađa, Merošina, Aleksinac, and Kruševac.

The traces of early settlements can be found on neolithic localities such as Macina (near Zitni Potok), Kavolak 6 kilometres (4 miles) west of Prokuplje (village Donja Trnava) and settlements on the south slopes of Jastrebac in Donja Bresnica village. The Vinca period is preserved in the Plocnik locality (22 km [14 mi] from Prokuplje), on the left side of the road from Prokuplje to Kursumlija. The earliest known metalworking in the world was found in Pločnik in 2007 dating to 5500 BC making the Copper Age several centuries older than previously thought.[4][5] Those agricultural settlements were replaced by the emerging Thracians and then the invading Celtic Scordisci in 279 BC. Pieces of ceramics found by the Latin church are traces of those tribes movement on their way to Greece.

Between 73-75 B.C., after the Romans subjugated the tribes of the region, this part of Serbia became a part of the Roman province of Moesia. It was part of the Roman „via militaris“ (connecting the central Balkans with the Adriatic) from Niš, the town was known as Hammeum, or Hameo; the first known name of the settlement. At the end of 4th century A.D., when the Roman empire was divided, all settlements in Toplica region belonged to (Byzantine Empire). The name of the place was Komplos or Komblos (village-town). Some historians believed that Komplos was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian.

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  Remains of Roman Baths
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  Latin Church
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  Latin Church

When South Slavic tribes first settled in this area in the 6th century, Komplos was rendered as the Slavic Prokuplje.

The first written document about today's town name is from 1395 A.D. when the Duchess Milica gave away as a present two houses and some belongings from the town of St. Prokopius to St. Panteleimon Monastery on holy Mount Athos in modern-day Greece. Today's name of the town of Prokuplje was first seen in use after the replacement of St. Prokopius' relics from Nis in the year 1396 A.D.

In the early middle ages, during the rule of Stefan Nemanja, Prokuplje is not mentioned in any written documents. In the VII and during the Middle Ages, Slavs who settled there became majority in the area, as could be seen from mainly Slavic toponyms. There was a small population was consisted of Romanized Vlachs, who mainly left the area in the past, as the Morava basin was main invasion route for the attacks on Roman Empire.[6][7] The settlement gained its importance during Tsar Lazar's reign period, before the Ottoman invasion, when the fortress on Hisar Hill was rebuilt. Between 1385 and 1387, in the Toplica region, there was Battle of Pločnik in which the Serbian forces of Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović defeated the invading Ottoman Army of Sultan Murad I.[8][9] Later, Prokuplje was besieged by Ottomans in 1454 and during 423 years of Ottomans rule the name of the place was Urcub or Okrub. It was part of the Sanjak of Niš.[10]

During the Ottoman rule in the period between the 16th and 17th centuries, the town's importance increased (similarly to other towns, such as Kruševac, Stalac and Leskovac). Prokuplje prospered through the trade connections with Dubrovnik. During the Great Turkish War Prokuplje, there was a massive rebellion of Christian Serbs who came into support of the Austrian troops who were advancing in the area. Prokuplje was captured by Austrian troops and Serbian Militia in 1689, but after Ottoman counter offensive, it was burned down during Austrian retreat in 1690, although colonel Antonije Znorić ordered otherwise.[11] Serbs, who supported of Austrian troops, after their withdrawal started increasingly emigrating from the area,[12] while there was an increase of Muslim Albanian migration into the town.[7]

Monument in Prokuplje

Toponyms such as Arbanaška and Đjake shows an Albanian presence in the Toplica and Southern Morava regions (located north-east of contemporary Kosovo) that dates to the medieval era.[13][14] The rural parts of Toplica valley and adjoining semi-mountainous interior during the Ottomans rule, was inhabited by compact Muslim Albanian population while Serbs in those areas lived near the river mouths and mountain slopes and both peoples inhabited other regions of the South Morava river basin.[15][16] As the wider Toplica region,[17] Prokuplje also had an Albanian majority.[18] During the 1877–1878 period, these Albanians were expelled by Serbian forces[19][20][21] in a way that today would be characterized as ethnic cleansing.[22] Prokuplje was captured by Serbian forces from the Ottomans on 19 December 1877, as was the whole Toplica region in 1877 and the Berlin Congress (1878) later recongised the city and wider area as part of Serbia.

From 1929 to 1941, Prokuplje was part of the Morava Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the First and Second World War Prokuplje was completely destroyed, but in the post-war period it became an industrial town.

Location within Toplica District

In June 2018, Prokuplje gained the status of a city, along with Bor.[23]

In July 2008 a major Roman spa was unearthed.[24] In October 2008, Serbian archaeologists at Pločnik found a copper axe believed to be 500–800 years older than the actual beginning of the Copper Age, suggesting that the human use of metal is older than believed.[25][26]

According to the last official census done in 2011, the city of Prokuplje has 44,419 inhabitants. A total of 61.5% of its population is living in urban areas. Prokuplje has 14,814 households with 3,00 members on average, while the number of homes is 22,898.[28]

Religion structure in Prokuplje is predominantly Serbian Orthodox (41,494), with minorities like Muslims (289), Atheists (122), Catholics (76) and others.[29] Most of the population speaks Serbian language (41,764).[29]

The composition of population by sex and average age:[29]

• Male - 22,056 (40.90 years) and
• Female - 22,363 (43.65 years).

A total of 17,777 citizens (older than 15 years) have secondary education (47.1%), while the 5,002 citizens have higher education (13.3%). Of those with higher education, 2,700 (7.2%) have university education.[30]

Prokuplje has a weak economy, with most of the employed people working in public sector. In 2009, Leoni Wiring Systems Southeast opened a factory in Prokuplje, employing around 1,750 people as of 2013.[31]

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):[32]

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  Prokuplje City Hall
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  City Hall
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  City center Monument
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  National Museum
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  City Court
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  Church in Kondželj
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  City panorama
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  City panorama
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  Rastovnica Lake
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  Toplica River

• List of cities in Serbia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prokuplje.

• Official website