Kovilj () is a suburban settlement of the city of

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...

, Serbia.

Name

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 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 ''Great Migrations'' is a seven-episode nature documentary television miniseries that airs on the National Geographic Channel, featuring the great migrations of animals around the globe. The seven-part show is the largest programming event in the ...

and arrival of

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

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 (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, 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 military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

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

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

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

Subotica Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...

in 1746. These

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

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

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

Sava The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...

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 (, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; Glagolitic: ; ; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1235/6), known as the Enlightener or the Illuminator, was a Serbs, Serbian prince and Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox monk, abbot of Studenica Monastery, Studeni ...

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 ) is the Christianity, Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus entering heaven alive, ascended to Heaven. Christian doctrine, as reflected in the major Christian creeds and confessional stateme ...

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 and

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

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

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

site. The core values of this area are represented by the preserved and diverse indigenous orographic and hydrographic forms of marshes (islands, backwaters,

ponds A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression, either naturally or artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing the two, although defining a pond t ...

swamps A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

); the preserved, abundant indigenous plant communities in marshes (

forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of 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 functio ...

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 they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

, reeds, 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