Kovilj () is a suburban settlement of the city of

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

, Serbia. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 5,599 people (2002 census).

Name

In Serbian, the village is known as ''Kovilj'' or Ковиљ, in Croatian as ''Kovilj'', and in Hungarian as ''Kabol''. The Serbian name of the village derived from Serbian word "kovilj", which is a name for one sort of flower grass.

Geography

The village is divided into Gornji Kovilj (Upper Kovilj) and Donji Kovilj (Lower Kovilj), which were two separate settlements in the past, but today are parts of one single settlement.

History

In the 13th century, a settlement named ''Kabul'' was mentioned at this location. Other names used for the settlement in the past were ''Kaboli'' and ''Kobila'', hence it is presumed that name of the settlement derived from Slavic word "kobila" ("mare" in English). Kovilj is not far from the city of

. Donji Kovilj was first mentioned in 1554, and Gornji Kovilj in 1702. Two villages were joined in 1870. The existence of the village after found traces dating back 5,500 years BC . The village has existed during the reign of the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and Avars. The first written evidence of this village were created only in the 13th century, when it was called Kabul. Kovilj at the end of the 18th century got its name from one sort of flower grass. Today in Kovilj still exists division into the lower(Šanački) and uper(Gornji Kovilj). Donji(lower) Kovilj developed with the monastery and existed even before the Great Migrations and arrival of

Arsenije III Čarnojević Arsenije ( sr-cyr, Арсеније; ) is a Serbian given name, a variant of the Greek name '' Arsenios''. Diminutives of the name include '' Arsen'', ''Arsa'' and '' Arso''. It may refer to: * Arsenije Sremac (d. 1266), second Archbishop of the Se ...

1650. The inhabitants lived on

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

, wood cutting by marshes and

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

. Residens of Kovilj were good soldiers who kept watch at the "Koviljski šančevi" (Kovilj Moat) and prevented incursions by the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. From that time remained a habit that people from the Lower Kovilja called "Šančani". Upper Kovilj arises settling of Serbs from Subotica in 1746. These

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

were the only soldiers who belonged to the " Šajkaška battalion" as crews scurry wooden boats who fought on the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...

and Tisa preventing attacks against the Turks. Since 1870, when construction of embankments on the Danube and deforestation are changing and the interest of residents for jobs. Begins dealing with agriculture and production of bricks. Kovilj in 1900 numbered about 5,200 inhabitants and had a steam mill, a brickyard and electricity in homes.

Culture

Near the village is well known Kovilj Monastery. The monastery was reconstructed in 1705-1707, but according to the legend, it was founded by the first Serb archbishop

Saint Sava Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...

in the 13th century. There are also two Orthodox churches in the village, the Church of the

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate la, ascensio Iesu, lit=ascent of Jesus) is the Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising to Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. According to th ...

in (uper)Gornji Kovilj, constructed in 1829 with a beautiful iconostasis which was made by monk Rafailo Momčilović , and second Church of Thomas the Apostle built in 1846 in Donji(lower)Kovilj.

Nature

Near Kovilj is located Special Nature Reserve Koviljsko-Petrovardinski Rit. It is a complex of

marshes A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

and

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

ecosystems (4,840 ha) with numerous biocoenoses integrated into a functional whole. It is internationally important Ramsar convention

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

site. The core values of this area are represented by the preserved and diverse indigenous orographic and hydrographic forms of marshes (islands, backwaters, ponds, swamps); the preserved, abundant indigenous plant communities in marshes (

forests A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artificia ...

reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * ...

s, rushes); the diversity and abundance of fauna (172 species of birds and 46 species of fish) and particularly by the presence of rare and endangered species.

Historical population

Notable people

* Laza Kostić (1841–1910), a Serb literate. He was born in Kovilj.

Gallery

File:Arkanj-016.jpg, Stork in Arkanj File:Arkanj-028.jpg, Arkanj File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%99002.JPG, Kovilj-Petrovaradin Marshes File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%99004.JPG, Kovilj-Petrovaradin Marshes File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%99005.JPG, Kovilj nature

References

*Slobodan Ćurčić, Broj stanovnika Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 1996. *Milorad Grujić, Vodič kroz Novi Sad i okolinu, Novi Sad, 2004.

External links

Kovilj
Manastir Kovilj - Kovilj monastery
Vojvodina Šume {{Authority control Suburbs of Novi Sad Places in Bačka South Bačka District