Sightseeing essential split Do you know what is so eloquent about Split? The possibility to stroll through the Diocletian palace for free, to drink coffee inside the palace, to enjoy the sunshine, listen to the tender sounds of klape singing, to walk through this place where ancient people used to live. Diocletian’s Palace (Dioklecijanova palača) A quick look at the resplendent view of the palace from the hills surrounding the city will quickly establish why practically any emperor would be more than happy to locate his palace at the site that Diocletian chose for his retirement home. Construction began in 293 and was completed in ten years and utilized a variety of materials from all around the region, including white stone shipped from the island of Brač to sphinxes transported all the way from Egypt. Diocletian’s palace has become the quintessential “living museum”, as modern shops and citizens reside within the walls of the ancient palace complex. Photo by Samantha Hentosh/Unsplash
The part of the palace known as “the basement” was built during the reign of Diocletian to support the apartments placed above it and, until 1956, was unexplored and cluttered up with the detritus of thousands of years of history. Now, it’s been cleaned and opened for visitors. Because it mirrors the floor plan of the original imperial living quarters, a visit to the basement can help visitors envision the layout of the palace. And, because exploring the depths of ancient palaces is difficult work, the steps leading up and out of the northern end of the basement to the Peristyle can be a perfect escape. At one time the central courtyard of the palace, the Peristyle is now one of the central meeting points in town, with people leisurely sipping coffee, surrounded by an array of ancient architectural structures. QI/J‑2. Fish Market (Ribarnica) Upon entering, you might feel compelled to crack the classic, “Something’s fishy here…” joke, but please refrain – it’s been said before. What you can do is check out the hustle and bustle of weighing, cutting, haggling and trading that has been going on at this site since the fish market moved from its original location in the south-eastern part of the palace complex in 1843. The interesting smells emanating from the fish market might be compounded with another distinctive odor wafting through the air, that of sulphur. There’s a sulphur spa nearby whose smell frequently mingles with the smell of fish, creating a truly interesting amalgamation of aromas.QI‑2, Obrov 5. Open 06:0013:00; Sun 06:00-12:00. Green Market (Pazar) Any traveller worth their salt wants to get real and rub elbows with some of the locals and Split’s Pazar is the place to go to satisfy that desire. Jump in and join in the hubbub going on, all dedicated to good ol’ small scale market capitalism. The buying and selling frenzy involves a variety of wares such as fruits and veggies, clothing and other odds and ends.QJ‑3. Grgur Ninski In 926, the representatives of Croatian churches were called together by Pope Ivan X in order to conduct a reform of the then current church system. The Great Assembly took place in Split and, in accordance with the wishes of Pope Ivan X, Slavic languages were outlawed in the Church, with the only accepted language for Mass and official Church business being Latin. Naturally, this started a firestorm of debate, with churches splitting into two factions. In the middle of this debate and fighting fervently on the side of Old Slavic language was Grgur Ninski, also known as Gregory of Nin. In the midst of a tumultous series of political and Church intrigues, he became the champion of the cause and today is recognised as a Croatian national hero and one of the fathers of Croatian language. You can see the completely impressive Grgur Ninski statue, created by another Croatian hero, Ivan Meštrović, outside the north gate of the palace (and you can rub his shiny big toe for good luck).QJ‑2.
22 Summer 2021
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