Republic of Serbia in the context of "Central Serbia"

42°15′N 23°0′E / 42.250°N 23.000°E / 42.250; 23.000

Kyustendil Province (Bulgarian: Област Кюстендил, romanized: Oblast Kyustendil) is a province in southwestern Bulgaria, extending over an area of 3,084.3 km (1,190.9 sq mi) (constituting 2.7% of the total territory of the Republic of Bulgaria), and with a population of 106 131. It borders the provinces of Sofia, Pernik, and Blagoevgrad; to the west, its limits coincide with the state borders between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, and between Bulgaria and the Republic of Serbia. The administrative center of the Province is Kyustendil.

Ottoman Serbia refers to the Ottoman period in the history of Serbia. Various regions of medieval Serbia came under Ottoman rule already at the end of the 14th century, while the Serbian Despotate fell in 1459. Northern regions of what is now the Republic of Serbia were incorporated into the Ottoman Empire during later conquests, from 1521 to 1552. Since the Habsburg expansion towards those northern regions, in 1699 and 1718, Ottoman rule was gradually reduced to Serbian territories south of the Sava and Danube rivers (1739). From 1804 to 1830, the Principality of Serbia was gradually restored, as a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. It gained independence in 1878, and expanded into southern regions, thus reducing Ottoman control to the historical region of the Old Serbia, that was liberated in 1912, thus ending Ottoman rule in Serbian lands.

The Ottoman conquest of the Balkans was initiated in the middle of the 14th century, leding to consequent conflicts with various Serbian states. The Ottomans defeated the Serbs at the Battle of Maritsa in 1371, and again at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, forcing several Serbian regional lords to became sultan's vassals. In 1439, the Serbian Despotate was conquered for the first time, but restored in 1444. In 1459, the Despotate was conquered again, this time finally. Similarly, the Principality of Zeta was conquered by the Ottomans for the first time in 1479, but restored in 1481, to be finally conquered in 1496. In the meantime, the Kingdom of Bosnia was conquered by the ottomans in 1463, and the Duchy of Saint Sava in 1482. Thus by the end of the 15th century, Ottoman rule was established firmly, by imposing new provincial administration in conquered lands.

Pločnik (Serbian: Плочник) is a village in the municipality of Prokuplje, Toplica District, Republic of Serbia. According to the 2002 population census, it is populated by 182 people, all of whom are declared Serbs.

Kula Municipality (Bulgarian: Община Кула) is a municipality (obshtina) in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, located in the Danubian Plain about 10 km southwest of Danube river. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Kula. The area borders on the Republic of Serbia to the west.

The municipality embraces a territory of 291 km with a population of 4,958 inhabitants, as of December 2009.

Belogradchik Municipality (Bulgarian: Община Белоградчик) is a municipality (obshtina) in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, located in the western parts of the so-called Fore-Balkan area. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Belogradchik. To the west and southwest, the municipality borders on Republic of Serbia.

The area embraces a territory of 411 km (159 sq mi) with a population of 7,045 inhabitants, as of December 2009.

Immovable Cultural Heritage of Exceptional Importance (Serbian: Непокретна културна добра од изузетног значаја/Nepokretna kulturna dobra od izuzetnog značaja) are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjoy the highest level of state protection in the Republic of Serbia. Immovable Cultural Heritage is classified as being of Exceptional Importance upon decision by the National Assembly of Serbia. They are inscribed in the Central Register of Immovable cultural property maintained by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia [sr]. Objects of Immovable cultural heritage have to fulfill one or more of those criteria defined in the Law on Cultural Heritage of 1994 in order to be categorized as being "of exceptional importance":

1. exceptional importance for social, historical or cultural development of the people, or for the development of its natural environment;
2. evidence of important historic events or persons and their work;
3. unique (rare) example of human creativity of the time or a unique example from the natural history;
4. great influence on the development of society, culture, technology, or science;
5. exceptional artistic or aesthetic value.

According to the Law, there are four classes of Immovable Cultural Heritage: Cultural Monuments, Archaeological Sites, Historic Landmarks and Spatial Cultural-Historical Units. Objects in each of those classes can be categorized as being "of exceptional importance" by the National Assembly.

Mediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period, located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organised economy. Excavations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence dates to the reign of Constantine the Great, from 306 to 337. Although Roman artifacts can be found scattered all over the area of present-day Niš, Mediana represents the best-preserved part of Roman Naissus. In 1979, Mediana was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance list, protected by the Republic of Serbia.

Justiniana Prima (Latin: Iustiniana Prima; Greek: Ιουστινιανή Πρώτη; Serbian: Јустинијана Прима, romanized: Justinijana Prima) was an Eastern Roman city that existed from 535 to 615 CE, near modern Lebane in the Leskovac region, Serbia. It is currently an archaeological site. Founded by Emperor Justinian I (527-565), it was the metropolitan seat of the newly founded Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, which became the main church administrative body of the central Dardania with jurisdiction from Praevalitana to Dacia Ripensis. Justinian Prima was originally designed to become the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum, but for reasons likely related with its status near the Roman frontiers of the 6th century CE, Thessaloniki was preferred. It was abandoned less than 100 years after its foundation.

In 1979, the archaeological site of Justiniana Prima, identified with Caričin Grad, was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance-list under official protected status by the Republic of Serbia.

Immovable Cultural Heritage of Exceptional Importance (Serbian: Непокретна културна добра од изузетног значаја/Nepokretna kulturna dobra od izuzetnog značaja) are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjoy the highest level of state protection in the Republic of Serbia. Immovable Cultural Heritage is classified as being of Exceptional Importance upon decision by the National Assembly of Serbia. They are inscribed in the Central Register of Immovable cultural property maintained by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia (sr). Objects of Immovable cultural heritage have to fulfill one or more of those criteria defined in the Law on Cultural Heritage of 1994 in order to be categorized as being "of exceptional importance":

1. exceptional importance for social, historical or cultural development of the people, or for the development of its natural environment;
2. evidence of important historic events or persons and their work;
3. unique (rare) example of human creativity of the time or a unique example from the natural history;
4. great influence on the development of society, culture, technology, or science;
5. exceptional artistic or aesthetic value.

According to the Law, there are four classes of Immovable Cultural Heritage: Cultural Monuments, Archaeological Sites, Historic Landmarks and Spatial Cultural-Historical Units. Objects in each of those classes can be categorized as being "of exceptional importance" by the National Assembly.