Destinikon (
Greek: Δεστινίκον), rendered also as Destinik[1] and in Serbian as Dostinik (
Serbian Cyrillic: Достиник) or Dostinika (Достиника), was one of eight inhabited cities (καστρα/kastra) of "baptized Serbia" (the hinterland of the
Serbian Principality), mentioned in De Administrando Imperio (950s, abbr. DAI). The city's name probably derives from Greek or Latin (Ad Stenes).[1]
The DAI mentions Destinikon as the first among the enumerated cities ("Destinikon, Tzernabouskeï, Megyretous, Dresneïk, Lesnik, Salines, Katera, Desnik") of "baptized Serbia".[2] They were not mentioned afterwards, possibly because of remote location, lost importance or became desolated after Bulgarian
Samuel's conquest in the end of the 10th century.[3]
In chapter 32, the DAI tells of
Klonimir, an exiled dynastical member in Bulgaria, who marched an army into Serbia, entering the city of Destinikon with the intent of seizing the throne, but was defeated by
Prince Petar, in ca. 896.[4][5]
It is considered that Destinikon was the ecclesiastical centre and capital of early medieval Serbia.[1][5][6][7]
Studies
Slovak historian
P. J. Šafárik (1795–1861) believed it to be on the Lower
Drina, near the villages of Disit and Desna.[8]
Czech historian
K. J. Jireček (1854–1918) believed it to have been located west of Ras.[9] This view was supported by Serbian historian
S. Stanojević (1874–1937).[9]
Ilija Sindik (1953) created a map for
Mihailo Dinić's chapter section about early medieval Serbia, placing Destinikon's assumed location in the middle between
Lim and
Ibar rivers.[14]
A Serbian source from 1968 considered Metohija.[15]
R. Novaković (1981), studying fort ruins in the area of the early medieval Serbian state believed Ždrelo or Gradište
Gedže, in
Orahovac in Western Kosovo, to have been the site.[16] The site, ruins of a fortified city with towers, is located at a hill called Gradiš or Gradeš, dated to the 9th–10th centuries.[17]
P. Petrović and P. Vlahović (1984) considered that it was most likely southeast of
Ras.[18] This presumption was based on the fact that the DAI mentions Klonimir attacking Petar, coming from Bulgaria.[18]
Serbian historian
S. Ćirković (1929–2009) presumed it was on the road "from Ras towards the Lim valley".[19]
According to
Florin Curta (2006), based on the events described, the forts were in what is today central-eastern Bosnia.[20]
Between 1997-2001 were found remains of a fortification thought to be that of Destinikon in the archaeological site of
Vrsjenice, near
Sjenica.[21][3] It was built in the 5th century, abandoned in early 7th century, and renovated in the 9th century.[22] It "shows complete absence of finds Bulgarian in origin" in comparison to
Ras-Pazarište and Ras-Postenje, indicating that the border between Serbs/Serbia and Bulgarians/Bulgaria was at
Pešter.[22]
Vladeta Popović in 2013, citing also
Aleksandar Loma and
Tibor Živković, concluded that the location is still unknown,[6] but Dejan Bulić mentioned possible identification with Vrsjenice.[3]
^Dinić, Mihailo (1953). "VII poglavlje: Srpske zemlje u ranofeudalno doba (do XII. stoljeća)". In Bogo Grafenauer; Dušan Perović; Jaroslav Šidak (eds.). Historija naroda Jugoslavije (in Serbo-Croatian). Zagreb:
Školska knjiga. pp. 248–249. Karta X
^Univerzitet u Beogradu. Filozofski fakultet (1968).
Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta. Naučno delo. То су разлози због којих бисмо Достиник могли тражити на том простору. -- Друго место за које бисмо такође могли везати положај Достиника налази се опет на ивици Метохије. У горњем току реке Кујавче, на њеној левој обали, ...
Destinikon (
Greek: Δεστινίκον), rendered also as Destinik[1] and in Serbian as Dostinik (
Serbian Cyrillic: Достиник) or Dostinika (Достиника), was one of eight inhabited cities (καστρα/kastra) of "baptized Serbia" (the hinterland of the
Serbian Principality), mentioned in De Administrando Imperio (950s, abbr. DAI). The city's name probably derives from Greek or Latin (Ad Stenes).[1]
The DAI mentions Destinikon as the first among the enumerated cities ("Destinikon, Tzernabouskeï, Megyretous, Dresneïk, Lesnik, Salines, Katera, Desnik") of "baptized Serbia".[2] They were not mentioned afterwards, possibly because of remote location, lost importance or became desolated after Bulgarian
Samuel's conquest in the end of the 10th century.[3]
In chapter 32, the DAI tells of
Klonimir, an exiled dynastical member in Bulgaria, who marched an army into Serbia, entering the city of Destinikon with the intent of seizing the throne, but was defeated by
Prince Petar, in ca. 896.[4][5]
It is considered that Destinikon was the ecclesiastical centre and capital of early medieval Serbia.[1][5][6][7]
Studies
Slovak historian
P. J. Šafárik (1795–1861) believed it to be on the Lower
Drina, near the villages of Disit and Desna.[8]
Czech historian
K. J. Jireček (1854–1918) believed it to have been located west of Ras.[9] This view was supported by Serbian historian
S. Stanojević (1874–1937).[9]
Ilija Sindik (1953) created a map for
Mihailo Dinić's chapter section about early medieval Serbia, placing Destinikon's assumed location in the middle between
Lim and
Ibar rivers.[14]
A Serbian source from 1968 considered Metohija.[15]
R. Novaković (1981), studying fort ruins in the area of the early medieval Serbian state believed Ždrelo or Gradište
Gedže, in
Orahovac in Western Kosovo, to have been the site.[16] The site, ruins of a fortified city with towers, is located at a hill called Gradiš or Gradeš, dated to the 9th–10th centuries.[17]
P. Petrović and P. Vlahović (1984) considered that it was most likely southeast of
Ras.[18] This presumption was based on the fact that the DAI mentions Klonimir attacking Petar, coming from Bulgaria.[18]
Serbian historian
S. Ćirković (1929–2009) presumed it was on the road "from Ras towards the Lim valley".[19]
According to
Florin Curta (2006), based on the events described, the forts were in what is today central-eastern Bosnia.[20]
Between 1997-2001 were found remains of a fortification thought to be that of Destinikon in the archaeological site of
Vrsjenice, near
Sjenica.[21][3] It was built in the 5th century, abandoned in early 7th century, and renovated in the 9th century.[22] It "shows complete absence of finds Bulgarian in origin" in comparison to
Ras-Pazarište and Ras-Postenje, indicating that the border between Serbs/Serbia and Bulgarians/Bulgaria was at
Pešter.[22]
Vladeta Popović in 2013, citing also
Aleksandar Loma and
Tibor Živković, concluded that the location is still unknown,[6] but Dejan Bulić mentioned possible identification with Vrsjenice.[3]
^Dinić, Mihailo (1953). "VII poglavlje: Srpske zemlje u ranofeudalno doba (do XII. stoljeća)". In Bogo Grafenauer; Dušan Perović; Jaroslav Šidak (eds.). Historija naroda Jugoslavije (in Serbo-Croatian). Zagreb:
Školska knjiga. pp. 248–249. Karta X
^Univerzitet u Beogradu. Filozofski fakultet (1968).
Zbornik Filozofskog fakulteta. Naučno delo. То су разлози због којих бисмо Достиник могли тражити на том простору. -- Друго место за које бисмо такође могли везати положај Достиника налази се опет на ивици Метохије. У горњем току реке Кујавче, на њеној левој обали, ...