{"id":4166,"date":"2020-11-20T12:34:22","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T11:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitdistrikt.rs\/?p=4166"},"modified":"2020-11-20T12:37:44","modified_gmt":"2020-11-20T11:37:44","slug":"the-almas-neighbourhood-a-labyrinth-through-centuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitdistrikt.rs\/en\/2020\/11\/20\/the-almas-neighbourhood-a-labyrinth-through-centuries\/","title":{"rendered":"The Alma\u0161 Neighbourhood: A Labyrinth Through Centuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

If a walk through Novi Sad leads you to a neighbourhood with winding streets, old houses with \u2018house numbers\u2019 above doors, and an atmosphere different from the rest of the city, be sure you\u2019ve stumbled across the Alma\u0161 neighbourhood. Numerous cultural, political and social circumstances lead to working and living in a still traditional environment of this part of the city, but in a modern way.<\/h4>\r\n

\ud83d\udccc Alma\u0161 neighbourhood<\/a> It\u2019s 1718, Novi Sad is still called Petrovaradinski \u0160anac, and the inhabitants of the Alma\u0161 neighbourhood, that used to be on a marsh between Temerin, Nadalj, Sirig and Srbobran, decided to move to Novi Sad. The reason for this was some already forgotten misunderstanding between them and the authorities. About twenty Serbian families packed whatever they had, put it on the pack saddles and wagons and moved to Petrovaradinski \u0160anac. They formed a new city district and gave it the name of their old village.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The original name of this neighbourhood was Ajma\u0161, according to the legendary poet Jovan Jovanovi\u0107 Zmaj<\/strong>, who wrote a song about some guy Paja from the Ajma\u0161 neighbourhood<\/em>. Author Aca Popovi\u0107 Zub<\/strong> used to go out at night and walk the streets of the Ajma\u0161 neighbourhood, writing his book Uspomene <\/em>(En. Memories), while Vasa Staji\u0107<\/strong>, historian from the 20th century, stated that the church is called the Ajma\u0161 church.<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"Alma\u0161ki<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

Winding Streets<\/h2>\r\n

From a historical and urban aspect, the Alma\u0161 neighbourhood now, is exactly as it was presented on the oldest preserved maps by the engineer Anton Kaltschmidt<\/strong>. These maps date back to 1745, i.e. 27 years after the first citizens had moved to Alma\u0161. The Alma\u0161 neighbourhood is a network of meandering streets which, according to their names today, is bounded by Marija Trandafil Square and streets – Temerinska, Dor\u0111a Rajkovi\u0107a, Zemljana \u0106uprija, Ko\u010de Kolarova, Alma\u0161ka and both sides of Matica Srpska Street. It can be said that the Alma\u0161 neighbourhood was on three sides surrounded by the roads where economic and social life used to develop (transport, trade, crafts, taverns). Network of winding and intertwining streets, typical of Orient and Mediterranean towns, hide interesting history and remind us of the olden days, when urban planning was done regarding citizens\u2019 needs. Legend says that people from Alma\u0161 have a labyrinth of little, orient, meandering streets, atypical for other people from Vojvodina, because they prefer meandering around their problems, instead of facing them directly. Irregularity of the streets in the Alma\u0161 neighbourhood is a phenomenon which resulted due to the hydrogeological factor, the field itself and its characteristics, dependant on the arrangement of dry beams.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The houses had their house numbers, some of which are still seen above the doors. These numbers were more important than the address itself, tax assignments were given according to the numbers.<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n

In the old days, the names of the streets in Novi Sad weren\u2019t honoring important people, but professions, animals, plants and taverns, with a poetic undertone. This speaks volumes about the citizens\u2019 personalities. The oldest names of the streets were Mese\u010deva, en. Moon (today called Pe\u0107ka), Licidarska or Jazav\u010deva, en. Badger (Svetosavska), Mi\u0161ija, en. Mouse (Baranjska), Sedam vo\u0111a or Zmijina (Had\u017ei\u0107 Sveti\u0107a), Crnog Petla, en. Black Rooster (Save Vukovi\u0107a), Gu\u0161terska, en. Lizard (Sterijina), Rodina, en. Stork (Milana Raki\u0107a), Lavovska, en. Lion (Milo\u0161a Obili\u0107a), Jelenova or Medena Street, en. Deer (Petra Ko\u010di\u0107a). Taverns used to be the main orientation points, thus some streets were named after them (Fazanova, Kod tri violine, Kod \u010detiri krajcare).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The House of Austria decided to dig the channel next to Novi Sad in 1875. That\u2019s when the Bara \u010detiri krajcare<\/em> pond was desiccated – a pond the Alma\u0161 people found there when they moved. Any person that wished to enter the city across this pond, had to pay four \u2018krajcars\u2019, hence the name. After 1875, it was turned into pastures. Later, the first industrial zone in Novi Sad was beginning to develop there.<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n

One of the few streets that has preserved its original name is Zlatne Grede Street, which still represents the highest part of the city – 80 meters above sea level. The Danube used to spill over and flood everything, but it had never overflown Zlatne Grede. Some even called this street Dam<\/em>. Vasa Staji\u0107<\/strong> said this was the street of the Serbian intelligence<\/em>, because many intellectuals from the 19th century (\u0110ura Dani\u010di\u0107<\/strong>, Jovan Jovanovi\u0107 Zmaj<\/strong>), were born and raised there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"Alma\u0161ki\r\n
La\u0111arska Street<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

The narrowest street in Novi Sad, La\u0111arska Street, also preserved its name. It\u2019s only 2,5 meters wide. In the past, it has been stated that the street was 80 steps long and 3 steps wide. Back in the old days, people used to call this street the sugar street<\/em>, as it was convenient to kiss the loved ones there, hidden from the eyes of others.<\/p>\r\n

The Old Spirit of Novi Sad<\/h2>\r\n

The Alma\u0161 neighbourhood used to be poor, people lived in flimsy houses made out of brushwood, mud and reed. The architecture was traditional, rural – the houses were long, with three rooms and small window frames. The Alma\u0161 neighbourhood isn\u2019t called \u2018the village of the city\u2019 without a reason. Before the Alma\u0161 church came into existence, there was an Orthodox temple, built in 1718, made out of the same flimsy material they used for building their houses, thus this temple didn\u2019t last very long.They had been building the new Alma\u0161 church around the old one, from 1797 until 1808. Upon finishing the new church, they carried the old one out, brick by brick.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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