Monument to the Sun or The Greeting to the Sun () is a monument in

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

, Croatia dedicated to the Sun. It consists of a 22-meter diameter circle representing the Sun, with three hundred, multi-layered glass plates placed on the same level as the stone-paved waterfront, with

photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...

solar modules underneath. Lighting elements installed in the circle turn on at night and produce a light show. Smaller circles represent the planets. The monument symbolizes communication with nature, communicates with light, while the nearby

Sea organ The Sea organ () is an architectural sound art object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument, which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps. History Chaotic reconstruc ...

communicates with sound. The monument to the Sun and the Sea organ were both designed by Croatian architect

Nikola Bašić Nikola Bašić (born 1946) is a Croatian architect internationally known for the conception of the Sea Organ in Zadar. He was born on the island of Murter and eventually attended the gymnasium in Zadar. In Sarajevo, he graduated from the Faculty o ...

Location

The monument is located at the entrance to the port of the Croatian town of

on the western point of the Zadar Peninsula.

Design

The monument consists of 300 multi-layered glass plates, placed level with the stone paving of the waterfront, arranged in the shape of a 22-meter diameter circle. Beside the main “Sun” installation, looking from the west are similar, smaller installations representing the planets of the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

. The size of the Sun and planets are proportional, as well as the distance from the

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

of each plate, but the size and distance proportions differ as the planets are so far away. Beneath the glass panels are

solar modules with lighting elements, which turn on at night to produce a light show. A chrome ring on the perimeter of the Sun installation is inscribed the names of all titular saints of churches on the Zadar Peninsula. The monument is also a calendar as beside the saints’ names are their

feast days The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

, along with the following information for each date: solar declination and solar altitude north or south of the

equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...

(DEC minimum of -23° to a maximum of 23°); the length of

sunlight Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible spectrum, visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrare ...

in the meridian on that date and at the waterfront. This was prepared in cooperation with marine scientist Professor Maksim Klarin from Zadar Maritime School, who also programmed the light show's start and end times for 50 years starting in 2008. The planetary installations meanwhile have similar rings, inscribed with their name in Croatian as well as their

astronomical symbol Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in Western culture, European astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyrus tex ...

Solar modules

The photovoltaic solar modules absorb light energy, transform it into electricity, and release it into the power network. The entire system annually produces about 46,500 kWh, producing half the energy needed by the Zadar waterfront.

Cost

The construction cost was 8 million kunas (excluding VAT) (c. 1,3 million euros), while the overall cost (including landscaping) totaled 50 million kunas (c. 7 million euros). Maintenance due to its exposure to sunlight, moisture and salt from 2008-2013 totaled around 700 thousand kunas. An extensive renovation and upgrade project worth 4 million kunas was completed in March 2019.

Vandalism

Damage, such as cracks on solar modules, have been seen on several occasions, mostly on the Sun installation, where 12 solar modules have been damaged, as well as on the Jupiter and Saturn installations. The cracks were caused by a 3500 kg pickup truck that drove over the modules. The City added a 24-hour supervisor and surveillance cameras. In June 2009, an unidentified object smashed four modules, and on the night of August 8, two more. On May 5, 2019, a young man smashed modules with a hammer, causing €90,000 worth of damage.

Gallery

Pozdrav Suncu MERKUR.JPG, Mercury Pozdrav Suncu VENERA.JPG, Venus Pozdrav Suncu ZEMLJA.JPG, Earth Pozdrav Suncu MARS.JPG, Mars Pozdrav Suncu JUPITER.JPG, Jupiter Pozdrav Suncu SATURN.JPG, Saturn Pozdrav Suncu URAN.JPG, Uranus Pozdrav Suncu NEPTUN.JPG, Neptune

References

{{Solar System models Buildings and structures completed in 2008 Zadar Buildings and structures in Zadar Tourist attractions in Zadar Buildings and structures in Zadar County Monuments and memorials in Croatia Vandalized works of art Solar System models