Through History,,,      Town Development

SURDULICA-THE TOWN IN THE SOUTH OF SERBIA  

         The community of Surdulica is situated in the basin of river Vrla, the Masuricko Polje, the basin of Gornja Jerna and Bozicka Reka. It also includes the part of Vlasina plateau. Its eastern border represents the state border with Bulgaria 42 km long, where the Strezimirovci border pass is situated. Surdulica has grown through history into a beautiful, modern town with about 13.000 inhabitants, of which 5.000 are employed in the community.

          The area of the community of Surdulica is about 623 km²,where in 22 local communities spread from 475 m (town altitude) to 1.500 m lives around 25.000 inhabitants. Vrla river surrounded by high mountains, Vardenik (its highest peak is Great Streser with 1.875 m) and Cemernik (1.638 m) (27 km long) runs through Surdulica. The river with its tributaries has significant hidropotential.

             The town itself is situated in the eastern part of Masurica valley, on both sides of Vrla Reka, the right tributary of South Morava. At the place where the river Vrla emerges from Vardenik valley and then flows through Masurica valley, the town was  first built. There, Vrla includes its tributary, Romanovska Reka on the left side. It means that Surdulica had been built on the both sides of these two rivers, on the flood plain. That gives the town a vivid look, and rivers enable modern urbanistic development.

The Map of Surdulica Area

Surdulica once...

THROUGH HISTORY

         The location of Surdulica in prehistoric times was on the area where the town is today (in the town suburbs beside footbal court). In antique times, Surdulica changed its location, and was then at the base of Vardenik. In medioeval times the town area was significantly larger from that of the previous period. It occupied the area that was the same in the modern age.

          In the times of Turkish rule, on the end of XVIII and in XIX century, Surdulica had three habitation "layers". Serbian layer was at the place where the plain of Masurica valley and flood plain touches mountain sides of Vardenik. Turkish "mahala" layer had somewhat lower position that Serbian one, dividing itself on the both sides of Vrla river to Masurica valley. It included today's kutina mahala (today's Francuska street). Albanian habitation layer was situated in the base of Vardenik moutain and was of dispersed mahala type. The last layer was Gypsy habitation layer which existed on the place where the base of Vardenik and flood plain connected.

         This town structure existed until the liberation from Turks in 1877. when it was completely changed by immigration of numerous Serbian inhabitants and emigrations of Turks and Albanians. The look of the town was especially changed when Surdulica became the centre of the community of Masurica included in the county of Vranje. Masurica valley and flood plain, was ever since the old days used for agriculture, and mountain sides, for cattle farming and forestry. Thanks to this, Surdulica transformed from a village into an agricultural town. After the Second World War, it was further changed into a town community with industrial capacity.