Early historianLivy (59 BC–AD 17) mentioned it,[12] as didPliny the Elder (23–79),[13] who mentioned it asOlcinium, its old nameColchinium, "founded by [settlers from]Colchis" (Olchinium quod antea Colchinium dictum est a Colchis conditum).[13]Ptolemy (90–168) mentions the city as GreekOulkinion (Ουλκίνιον).[14] Although the ancient writers preferred a connection with Cholchis, the name of the settlement appears to be connected with theAlbanian wordujk orulk (meaningwolf inEnglish),[15][16] fromProto-Albanian*(w)ulka, fromProto-Indo-European*wĺ̥kʷos.[17] In modern Albanian, it is known asUlqin. The name, through Late (Vulgar) Roman, becameMiddle LatinUlcinium,Italian:Dulcigno (pronounced[dulˈtʃiɲɲo]), andDolchin, modern ItalianDulcignoSlavic:Ulcinj, Old Serbian: Льцин, Ульцин andTurkish:Ülgün.
Ulcinj is an ancient seaport.[18] The wider area of Ulcinj has been inhabited since theBronze Age, based on dating ofIllyrian tombs (tumuli) found in the village ofZogaj, in the vicinity of Ulcinj. The town is believed to have been founded in the 5th century BC by colonists fromColchis, as mentioned in the 3rd century BC poem byApollonius of Rhodes. Illyrians lived in the region at the time as there are traces of immenseCyclopean walls still visible in the old Citadel.[18]
All through the pre-medieval period, Ulcinj was known as a pirate capital of theAdriatic Sea. This is also seen during the later period ofIllyrian Kingdom. From 20 BC to around 300 AD, the inhabitants of Ulcinj were known to be very confrontational towards foreigners they were especially concerned by border disputes.
In 168 BC, during theThird Illyrian War, Olcinium broke withGentius and defected to the Romans (Livy 45:26:2). Under Roman rule the town received the status ofoppidum civium Romanorum (settlement of Roman citizens), only to be later grantedmunicipium (independent town) status.
By 1040,archonStefan Vojislav ofDuklja conquered the region. In 1183,Serbian PrinceStefan Nemanja conquered Olcinium and the town prospered as one of the most significant coastal towns. Ulcinj remained in Nemanjić hands in theirKingdom andEmpire, and after the death ofEmperor Dušan (r. 1331-1355†), the region, known asLowerZeta, was under the supervision ofgospodinŽarko, avoivode of EmperorUroš the Weak until his death in 1360. Žarko's lands were then held by theBalšić family. Under Balšić control, Ulcinj continued to be an important town and alsominted coins.
The Venetians attempted to capture the town twice, in1696 and1718, but were unsuccessful on both occasions.
During the 19th century, the town began to regain its position as a flourishing port. The geographerAntonio Baldacci reported amerchant marine of 500 ships plying the trade routes between the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts.
In 1867, Ulcinj became akaza of theİşkodra sanjak ofRumeli veyalet. After theCongress of Berlin in 1878, borders between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire were redrawn, withPlav andGusinje being ceded to Montenegro. But Muslim Albanian resistance prevented the Montenegrins from taking over Plav and Gusinje, so the Great Powers in 1880 decided to reverse the territorial transfer and offered Ulcinj, then also known as Dulcigno, to Montenegro as compensation.[citation needed] This led to a dispute between the Ottoman Empire and the Principality of Montenegro as the Ottoman Empire initially refused to recognize the treaty's provisions regarding Dulcigno. The Ottoman garrison in the town had been in place since the 16th century, but Montenegro claimed that the town and its surrounding territory were historically part of its territory.
In May 1880, the Great Powers (Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Russia) protested diplomatically and organized a naval demonstration off the coast of Dulcigno to put pressure on the Ottoman Empire to resolve thedispute peacefully. The Ottoman Empire eventually agreed to cede the town and surrounding territory to Montenegro in exchange for compensation.
The Surrender of Dulcigno, the last of the International Squadron.The Graphic 1880
The surrender of Dulcigno to Montenegro marked a significant expansion of Montenegro's territory and was seen as a diplomatic victory for the Great Powers, who had prevented a potentially violent conflict in the region.[citation needed]
After the city's annexation to Montenegro, of its 8,000-strong population about 3,000 Albanians left and settled elsewhere in northern Albania. 142 Montenegrin families were brought to settle in the outskirts of Ulcinj in the 1880s. The population of Ulcinj steadily decreased until the post-WWII period.[23]
Ulcinj became a part of theKingdom of Montenegro from 1878 until 1918 when Montenegro was absorbed into theKingdom of Serbia for a short time before all would be incorporated into the first of theYugoslav federations at the end of the year. Ulcinj remained within a Montenegrin entity whilst a South Slavic state had existed until 2006 when which it became part of an independent Montenegro following a referendum.
During the 20th century, Ulcinj survived heavy declines and new ascents. Ulcinj was the second biggest town of Montenegro when it joined the kingdom in 1880. In just three decades, it slid back to 6th place for economic development and number of inhabitants (after Podgorica, Niksic, Cetinje, Tivat and Plava). During World War I Ulcinj was conquered by Austria-Hungary in 1916 and Italy on November 4, 1918,[24] and since 1920 it was part of the Serbo-Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom, later known as theKingdom of Yugoslavia.
As the southernmost city of the coast of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Ulcinj had a strong turnaround in the 1930s with the development of the tourist industry. At that time hotels were built such as Krištja, Republic, Jadran and Koop (later Galeb). World War II halted economic momentum. From 1941 to 1944, Ulcinj was under the Albanian administration. On November 7, 1943, Ulcinj was bombarded by Allied forces, with over 46 people killed and many more injured. TheYugoslav Partisans took Ulcinj on November 26, 1944, and the city become part ofSocialist Yugoslavia.[25][26][27]
The 1950s and 1960s marked the greatest period of economic development for Ulcinj, with the construction of a range of modern hotels in the city and the Great Plain, as well as major economic collectives (NHT "Riviera of Ulcinj", "Agroulqini", Primary Building Company, "Otrantkomerc", "Ultep" and others). It demarcated the southernmost end of theAdriatic Highway ("magistrala"), also constructed in the 50s and 60s. In the catastrophicMontenegro earthquake on April 15, 1979, the city was severely damaged, but after only a few years, with the solidarity of the citizens of entire Yugoslavia, it was quickly renovated. Ulcinj at the end of the eighties had about 40 percent of the tourist turnover in Montenegro, while two-thirds of the guests were foreign, mostly German.
During theKosovo War, in 1998 and 1999, thousands ofKosovo Albanians flocked to Ulcinj and its surroundings, where they were welcomed in the best possible conditions by the ethnic Albanian population of Ulcinj and the surrounding area.
Çarshia (mn.Čaršija), is aneighbourhood and town centre which connects the old and new parts (neighbourhoods). In 2009 it was reconstructed, with theasphalt being changed intosett and the water and electrical system were changed. The neighbourhood has some 200 shops. There are twomosques located in this area, theNamazgjahu Mosque andKryepazari Mosque.
Ulcinj has aMediterranean climate (Csa) in theKöppen climate classification.[28] Winters are cool and very rainy, and summers are hot and humid with possible afternoon thunder showers. UnlikePodgorica which is located inland, temperatures rarely exceed 35 °C (95 °F) and seldom drop below 0 °C (32 °F).
Climate data for Ulcinj (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present)
Ulcinj is the administrative centre ofUlcinj Municipality, which has a population of 21,395. The town of Ulcinj itself has a population of 11,488. Ulcinj Municipality is the centre of theAlbanian community in Montenegro. It is one of two municipalities in Montenegro whereAlbanians form the majority with 70%, the other beingTuzi with a 68% majority.
Ulcinj is a tourist destination in summer. In January 2010, theNew York Times named ranked the south coast region of Montenegro, featuringVelika Plaza,Ada Bojana, and theHotel Mediteran, as one of "The Top 31 Places to Go in 2010".[33]
Although Ulcinj is still undiscovered by many travelers from larger countries, repeat tourists and an increasing number of first-time visitors make it a hot spot for vacationers between the months of May and September. It is most famous for its sandy beaches.[citation needed] The most valuable resource of the Ulcinj riviera isVelika plaža (Albanian:Plazha e Madhe,lit.'The Big Beach'), which is a 12 km (7.5 mi) long stretch of sandy beach and the longest beach on the Montenegrin coast. There is a small pebble beach calledLadies Beach which folk tradition holds to have qualities conducive to fertility.
There is also a beach calledMala Plaža (Albanian:Plazhi i Vogël,lit.'Small Beach') which is much smaller in size, but is located in the centre of town and very popular with visitors. "The Korzo", as it is called by locals, is apromenade which separates a street lined with coffee shops from Mala plaža. At night during the summer months, the Korzo is pedestrianised and families and young people gather. There are many more less known smaller beaches that serve as get-aways from the main tourist areas. Ulcinj has also a large number of religious buildings likemosques,türbes andchurches, includingPasha's Mosque,Sailors' Mosque and St. Nicholas' Church.
Ulcinj's old town is a well preserved citadel surviving from medieval times. The old town sits atop a rocky bluff overlooking the shore and is being rapidly restored as a tourist centre.Ada Bojana is popular among foreign tourists fromWestern Europe for its peace and atmosphere.[citation needed] A largenaturist campsite is located in Ada Bojana.Lake Šas and Ulcinj's salt pond are visited by birdwatchers, because Ulcinj and its surroundings are major resting points for over 200 bird species on their migration paths. There are numerous cafés, discos, and bars that dot the city that are usually filled to capacity throughout the summer. The majority of tourists that visit Ulcinj areAlbanians, Serbians, Croatians, Bosnians, Slovenians, Macedonians, Russians, Ukrainians, and other Europeans.
Ulcinj's southern coast is well known for its active sports, recreation possibilities and hunting.Kitesurfing atAda Bojana, all manner of water sports atVelika plaža, scuba diving among wrecks and sunken cities,mountain biking,hiking,orienteering,cycling through the olive groves atValdanos, long walks along the pristine beaches of the south coast of Montenegro, evendeep sea fishing on the Adriatic, lake fishing atLake Skadar, and river fishing inAda Bojana, Due to the fact that the favorable habitat for wild life, has excellent conditions of hunting tourism. This place is the haven ofornithological (gourmand) hunting inReč and Shenkol most common wildlife arewoodcock,hare,wild boar, andducks.
Ulcinj is connected with the rest of Montenegro by a two-lane highway. It is connected with other coastal towns by theAdriatic Highway. Reaching inland is made possible by detouring from the Adriatic Highway atBudva orSutomore (through theSozina Tunnel).
Plans are have been floated for the construction of an international airport to serve Ulcinj, with leisure conglomerateTUI expressing interest, however Ulcinj currently only has a small airfield with a 760 m grass runway.[34] Nearby airports inTivat andPodgorica are both around 70 km (43 mi) away. There are regular flights toBelgrade andZürich from Tivat. Podgorica Airport has regular flights to major European destinations throughout the year. Many tourists traveling to Ulcinj from abroad arrive to the city from the airport in Tivat due to its recent renovations and general ease of navigation. There are also intercity buses that connect to other towns in the country and buses that go toSerbia,Albania,Kosovo,North Macedonia,Greece, andGermany (during tourist seasons) as wellFlixbus operates in this area connecting toShkoder andTirana at the moment.
Gjon Buzuku, Catholic priest who wrote the first known printed book in Albanian
Cafo Beg Ulqini, First Albanian born Mayor of the Ulcinj Municipality, Regent of the Albanian Kingdom, Leader of Second League of Prizren and Knight of the Order of Skanderbeg[42]
Pjetër Gjoka, actor and People's Artist of Albania
Rizo Šurla, photographer, and actor of African descent
^Wilkes, John (1992).The Illyrians. Wiley. p. 244.ISBN9780631146711. "Names of individuals peoples may have been formed in a similar fashion, Taulantii from ‘swallow’ (cf. the Albanian tallandushe) or Erchelei the ‘eel-men’ and Chelidoni the ‘snail-men’. The name of the Delmatae appears connected with the Albanian word for ‘sheep’ delmë) and the Dardanians with for ‘pear’ (dardhë). Some place names appear to have similar derivations, including Olcinium (Ulcinj from ‘wolf’ (ukas), although the ancients preferred a connection with Cholchis."
^Birnbaum, Henrik; Puhvel, Jaan (1963). "The Position of Albanian".Ancient Indo-European Dialects. University of California Press. p. 108.
^abRellie, Annalisa (2012).Montenegro. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd, IDC House, The Vale, Chalfront St Peter, Bucks SL9 9RZ, England: The Globe Pequot Press Inc. pp. 207–208.ISBN978-1-84162-381-8. Retrieved2013-06-20.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^Donkin, Robin A. (2003),Between East and West: The Moluccas and the Traffic in Spices Up to the Arrival of Europeans, Diane Publishing Company,ISBN0-87169-248-1, page. 64
^Paulucci, Luigi (2005).Le Bocche di Cattaro nel 1810 Edizioni Italo Svevo. Trieste.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Ushaku, Ruzhdi (2010).Ulqini në përmasa kërkimi dhe frymëzimi. Ulcinj.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Bratimljenje"(PDF).database.uom.me (in Montenegrin). Zajednica opština Crne Gore. January 2013. p. 53. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved2021-07-07.
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