According To The Ancient Walls Of Smederevo Fortress And Serbian Calendar, Happy New Year, It Is 7525 !

Fortress in Smederevo preserves a rare evidence of the old Serbian calendar that counts years from “the creation of the world”, and was in force until 19th century.

According to the calendar, Smederevo fortress is now in the 7525th year since the creation of the world. The Tower and Little Castle, Palace of Despot Djuradj, as written, were built in the summer of 6938th year after the calendar we know as the Serbian, although the rest of the world refers to it as Byzantium.

“The oldest recorded and preserved calendars begin to count time from the creation of the world, for which it is thought to have been in the year 5508 before Christ. In our territory the beginning of farming, Starcevo culture corresponds to the time. It is usually said that we took the year of creation from Byzantium, but one gets doubtful and curious when they remember that Byzantine emperors were born in this region and that they could have taken over this calendar from the Balkan natives,” explained Dunja Matic Stanisic, author of the part “Serbian calendar” in the book “Sun – Slovenian People Elder”.

Anyway, at the time when Djuradj and his wife Jerina finished the construction of the Palace, that was the only calendar in force and it did not need defining whose it was.

“Even if there was not the year written, the inscription is interesting, starting with the fact how it was made, It was not, as one might think, subsequently added, by adding stones in different color, when everything was finished. The builders built it as the tower grew as an integral part of the wall,” said Goran Jovsic, a guide in the Tower, more recently Director of the Fortress.

However, when the inscription is interpreted, tourists find mostly interesting the number at the end. They are amazed to hear that the year in the Serbian calendar begins in April, just like the fact that it was divided only on summer and winter. Summer begins on May 6 – St. George day, and winter on November 8 – St. Demetrius day.

Under the large cross on the tower there is a following inscription: “To Jesus Christ, believer Despot Djuradj, King of Serbs and Zeta built this city in the summer of 6938 at his order (will).”

According to the rules for the use of the Serbian calendar, first goes the year, then month and the day, unlike others that first show the day, then month and year, or Anglo-Saxon, where month is before the day.