Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Zadar

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Zadar is a very old city in Croatia.

Zadar - Kapetanova kula (48913267581)
Zadar - Kapetanova kula (48913267581)

It sits right on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. The city is part of the Ravni Kotari region. It is also a main part of the Dalmatia region. Zadar is the oldest city in Croatia where people have lived without stopping.

Zadar Cathedral BW 2024-09-29 09-56-35 v1
Zadar Cathedral BW 2024-09-29 09-56-35 v1

Today, it is a busy place for schools, jobs, and travel. It is the fifth-largest city in the whole country.

Long ago, the city was built on a small stone island.

Liburnia 1st AD
Liburnia 1st AD

This island was joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. This shape helped create a natural port for ships. The people who lived there were called Liburnians. They were famous for being great sailors and traders. They even had a group of 14 towns working together. By the 7th century BC, the city had about 2,000 people.

Zadar Forum
Zadar Forum

Later, the Romans came to rule the area. They gave the city a new name, Iader. The Romans built a city with a rectangular street plan. They made a large public square called a forum.

Roman forum zadar croatia
Roman forum zadar croatia

They also built an aqueduct to bring water from Lake Vrana. This was a long path used to carry water to the town. By the 4th century, the city had about 10,000 citizens. These people were a mix of locals and Roman settlers.

Many different groups have ruled Zadar over the years. After the Romans, the Goths and the Byzantines held the city.

Church of Saint Donatus, Zadar - September 2017
Church of Saint Donatus, Zadar - September 2017

In the 15th century, the Republic of Venice took control. Because of this, the city was often called Zara. The Austrian Empire also used that name in the 1800s. The city was part of Italy from 1920 until 1947. Finally, it became part of Croatia and took its name Zadar again.

Zara-Zadar-1920-1947
Zara-Zadar-1920-1947

Zadar is a very popular place for tourists to visit now.

Meeresorgel Nikola Basic 1
Meeresorgel Nikola Basic 1

Some parts of the city are so special they are on a UNESCO World Heritage list. This is because of the strong forts built between the 16th and 17th centuries. You can see many old buildings and beautiful churches there. Some people even call it the "entertainment center of the Adriatic."

Sunset in Zadar 3
Sunset in Zadar 3

It is a place where history and modern life meet by the sea.

368 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Liburnia 1st AD.png
Liburnia 1st AD.png
File:Zadar Forum.jpg
Zadar Forum.jpg
File:Church of Saint Donatus, Zadar - September 2017.jpg
Church of Saint Donatus, Zadar -...
File:Pallucchini Tintoretto 590 1.jpg
Pallucchini Tintoretto 590 1.jpg
File:Simeon Schrein (Zadar).jpg
Simeon Schrein (Zadar).jpg
File:Eastern Adriatic 1558.svg
Eastern Adriatic 1558.svg
File:Zadar - Kapetanova kula (48913267581).jpg
Zadar - Kapetanova kula (48913267581).jpg
File:Zara1909.jpg
Zara1909.jpg
File:Zara Zadar 1884 Triest Let-arr-per-mare.jpg
Zara Zadar 1884 Triest Let-arr-per-mare.jpg
File:Zara-Zadar-1920-1947.png
Zara-Zadar-1920-1947.png
File:Vittoriano altare Zara P1000745.jpg
Vittoriano altare Zara P1000745.jpg
File:Zadar bombardiran 1944.78577.jpg
Zadar bombardiran 1944.78577.jpg

+ 10 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.