Popular Legends And Stories About Nin

Nin - a place in Zadar region where untouched, beautiful nature intermingles with centuries-old human presence, culture and history to create a unique tale. It’s a story of chance, glory and downfall, dukes and queens, poets and bishops. Discovering popular legends and stories about  the town and tracing the footsteps of historical figures enriches your Nin experience! Let curiosity take you down the history lane as follows:

What’s in a name? - Queen’s Beach

While walking along the 3 kilometres of sandy beach called the Queen’s Beach, know that you’re following the traces of ancient royalty. Concretely, it is believed that the wife of the first Croatian king Tomislav fell in love with the beach more than a millennium ago. The beach hasn’t practically changed since then and it’s surrounded by untouched nature.

Lucky Gregory of Nin

Bishop Gregory of Nin was the head of catholic church in Croatia beginning of the 10th century. Apart from having banished snakes from the region, as one legend says, he is also responsible for introducing the people’s language, Croatian, into religious ceremonies and was a great advocate of Croatian glagolitic alphabet. Even though it is no longer used, many early writings in Croatian language have been preserved thanks to such efforts. Gregory of Nin’s statue in Nin, a work of art of a famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, is said to bring good fortune to those who touch the statue’s big toe.

Nin in outer space

Two decades ago, two Croatian astronomers discovered an asteroid which they decided to name Aenona,  one of the ancient names of Nin. It used to be also called Hemionoi, Ainona, Enona, Elona, Nona and Nin, but regardless of that Nin, once a shiny star of the early Croatian kingdom, has now found its spot in space.

Let there be light

The Church of the Holy Cross, famously referred to as the smallest cathedral in the world, dates back to the 9th century and it has remained practically intact since it was first made. Apart from its clearly religious purpose, it used to serve as a sundial as well. In other words, what seem as mistakes in the construction process were in fact deliberately made so as to follow the sun’s movements. And that was an extraordinary achievement at the time. Admiring the church on the first day of summer is still an amazing experience for any visitor.

Oh, the sunset

Seven of the early Croatian kings are believed to have been crowned in St Nicholas’s Church, just outside Nin. It was precisely there where they were presented to the people marking the four corners of the world with their sword. One of them, king Zvonimir is said to have loved to ride to the hillock where the church stands in order to admire the breathtaking sunset, the one Zadar region is still famous for.

To be continued…

The three-millennia-old town of Nin is a true treasure chest of interesting facts, stories and legends, only waiting to be discovered by those who come to visit. Every ancient stone, every statue and church tell a tale of once great a town that may have lost its power and political importance, but it certainly hasn’t lost its charm.

Image source: https://goo.gl/O4hgHg