Po redaktohet Medun

{{Infobox settlement
|official_name          =Medun
|other_name             =
|native_name            =Медун
|nickname               = 
|settlement_type        =[[Village]]
|image_skyline          = Meteon city of Montenegro 08.jpg
|imagesize              = 
|image_caption          = View of town of Medun from the lookout point on the old fortress of Meteon (Medun).
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|pushpin_map            = Montenegro
|pushpin_label_position = top<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within Montenegro
|pushpin_mapsize        =
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|subdivision_type       = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name       = {{MNE}}
|subdivision_type1      = [[Municipalities of Montenegro|Municipality]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[File:Podgorica Coat of Arms.png|15px]] [[Podgorica Capital City|Podgorica]]
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|population_as_of       = 2011
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|population_total       = 100
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|timezone               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset             = +1
|timezone_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST         = +2
|coordinates            = {{coord|42|28|21|N|19|21|42|E|region:ME|display=inline,title}}
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[[File:Meteon Labeatidis terrae.svg|thumb|230px|Meteon (Labeatidis terrae), Roman times]]
[[File:Ancient city Meteon, Montenegro 02.jpg|thumb|Remains of the old town of Meteon.]]
[[File:Grave of Marko Miljanov Meteon Montenegro 04.jpg|thumb|230px|Church on the fortress.]]
[[File:Medun medieval fortress position.svg|thumb|230px|Medieval Medun in the Upper Zeta, Middle Ages]]

'''Medun''' ({{lang-cnr|Медун}}) is a settlement located 13&nbsp;km northeast of the capital [[Podgorica]], [[Montenegro]]. The village houses the archaeological site of the ancient fortified city of ''Medeon''. It is situated in the tribal area of Upper [[Kuči]], one of the [[Serb clans|highland tribes]]. In the 2003 census, it had 108 inhabitants. In ancient times, Medun was inhabited by the Illyrians between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

==Geography==
As [[Mariano Bolizza]] described in 1614, it is situated on a beautiful hill on a cleft in the mountainside, between two other mountains, overlooking a very spacious valley.<ref name=Elsie155>Elsie, p. 155</ref>

==History==
===Ancient and Roman times===
Medun is an old town and fortress, situated 13 kilometers northeast from [[Podgorica]], [[Montenegro]]. It was erected originally as a [[fortress]], later on as a town, between 4th and 3rd centuries BC, by Illyrians living in the area. It was known as '''Medeon''' ({{lang-grc|Μεδεών}}), '''Meteon''', or '''Modunense'''.<ref>Wilkes, 1992, p. 133, "... fortress has remained in use until modern times. Similarly few traces are now to be seen of Illyrian defenses at Meteon (Medun), Olcinium (Ulcinj) and Rhizon ..."</ref>

Well preserved walls of the fortress were built of big blocks of trimmed stone, placed in a number of rows. With respect to solidity and size of the construction it substantially differs from the construction of other, less significant [[List of Illyrian cities|Illyrian towns]]. From the cultural-artistic point of view, two lower dig ups in the rock on the road from the lower to the upper town are very interesting. Studies refer to the conclusion that it was the place of performance of rituals related to the cult of snake that represented myth ancestor to the Illyrians. Necropolis is sited north from the upper town. It originates from the [[Iron Age]], but has not been studied. Medeon hosted the [[Ardiaei]] king [[Gentius]], his wife [[Teuta]] and the rest of his family until they were taken captives by the Roman legions, who effectively ended the independence of [[Illyria]] and created the Roman province of [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]].<ref name="Evans2006">{{cite book|author=Arthur Evans|title=Ancient Illyria: An Archaeological Exploration|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3J96wSxMaeYC&pg=PA84|year=2006|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-167-0|page=84}}</ref>

Medun was mentioned by [[Livy]] (59BC-17AD) as a civitas of the [[Labeates]], an Illyrian tribe which lived around the [[Lake Skadar]], then known as ''Lacus Labeatis''.<ref>{{Cite Livy|44.32}}</ref> [[Roman Empire|Roman]] legions conquered Medun around 167 BC, during the [[Third Illyrian War]]. On that occasion the [[Ardiaei]] king [[Gentius]] and his family were captivated, marking the establishment of [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]].<ref name="Evans2006"/>

Besides the stairways cut into the cliffs on all sides, dating from the Iron Age, from this earlier period is also a portion of the west wall, subsequently built over by a medieval wall. Different parts of the medieval fortification date from different periods.

===Middle Ages===
It was referred to later, in the 7th century, by the [[Ravenna Geographer]], under the name '''Medion'''.<ref>{{Cite DGRG|title=Meteon}}</ref> The medieval fortification had been built on the ruins of the Roman city. Slavs migrated to the area during the Slavic migrations into Europe and the Balkans.

''čelnik'' [[Đuraš Ilijić]] (1326–1362) held [[Upper Zeta]], including the city, subordinate to King [[Stefan Dečanski]] (r. 1321–1331), and Emperors [[Dušan the Mighty]] (r. 1331–1355) and [[Uroš the Weak]] (r. 1355–1371). The [[Balšić noble family]] which had taken control of Lower Zeta (lands previously held by ''Lord'' [[Žarko (nobleman)|Žarko]]), went after  ''Head of Upper Zeta'' [[Đuraš Ilijić]] in 1362, and killed him, expanding further the Zeta [[župa]]. The family is recognized as ''Oblastni gospodari'' (Lords) in charters of Emperor [[Uroš the Weak]] (r. 1355–1371).

The 1444 charter of King Alfonse V documents Medun as the property of [[Stephen Vukčić Kosača]]. In 1445, Herceg Stjepan ceded the Upper [[Zeta plain|Zeta]] and the Medun fortress to despot [[Đurađ I Crnojević|Đurađ]]. A duke of despot Đurađ defended Medun in 1452 from [[Stefan I Crnojević]] who was a duke in the [[Venice|Venetian]] service. In 1455, despot Đurađ had to give the fortress to the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in their victorious drive through [[Southeastern Europe]].

The Ottomans captured Medun in 1456.{{Sfn|Vasić|2005|p=85}}

During the rule of [[Ivan I Crnojević]] (r. 1465–1490), a certain Imrahor Aga took refuge in the region, constantly fighting the Crnojevići and attempted to expel their people from Medun. A bloody battle was fought between the two, in which Imrahor and many other leaders were slain, however, the town is taken by the Ottomans. The battle marked the downfall of the Crnojevići and the loss of a state.

The region was organized into the [[Sanjak of Shkodra]], and in 1514, the Zeta region was established into the [[Sanjak of Montenegro]], which would be headed by [[Skanderbeg Crnojević|Stanko Crnojević]], the son of Ivan I. Stanko was sent in 1485 to [[Constantinople]] as a guarantor of loyalty at the Ottoman court, and he converted to Islam and took the name ''[[Skanderbeg (disambiguation)|Skanderbeg]]'', subsequently being put for Sanjak-bey of Montenegro.

===Early modern===
[[Mariano Bolizza]] of [[Kotor]], a servant of the Republic of Venice, wrote a report in 1614, initially for describing [[Sanjak of Shkodra]]'s land routes which could best be utilized by local couriers conveying official correspondence from Venice to Constantinople and back, and to survey the military potential of the territory. He also provided a very detailed overview of towns and villages in Montenegro and northern Albania; their respective chiefs and men in arms, as well as demographics. [[Kuči]], [[Bratonožići]] and part of [[Plav, Montenegro|Plava]] were under the soldiers of Medun, the spahee, but the commander was not named; and the highlanders would pay the Ottoman officials a portion of their income.<ref>Elsie, p. 152</ref> Medun was described as a little town on a hill, strategically situated, but badly guarded and in ruins, of which fortification was held by the Dizdar Aga and 200 "very war-like people".<ref name=Elsie155/> It was one of 8 cities of the [[Sanjak of Shkodra]].<ref>Elsie, p. 169</ref> In 1688 the tribes of [[Kuči|Kuçi]], [[Kelmendi]] and [[Piperi (tribe)|Pipri]] captured the town defeating 2 Ottoman counter-assaults capturing many supplies on the process before retreating.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|title=The tribes of Albania: History,Society and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-EzWCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA6|date=30 May 2015|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-78453-401-1}}</ref>

===Modern===
[[File:Museum of Marko Miljanov.jpg|thumb|230px|Museum of [[Marko Miljanov]].]]
[[File:Grave of Marko Miljanov.jpg|thumb|230px|Tomb of Marko Miljanov on the fortress Meteon.]]
The famous writer, and [[Kuči]] tribe leader, Montenegrin duke and hero [[Marko Miljanov]] (1833–1901) lived at the foot of walls of the town and the fortress. He was buried in the [[acropolis]] in front of the small church dedicated to Archdeacon Stephen, built in Miljanov's honour the same year of his death.

A [[Herzegovina Uprising (1875-1878)|rebellion in nearby Herzegovina (1875-1878)]] sparked a series of rebellions and uprisings against the Ottoman forces in [[Europe]]. Montenegro and [[Serbia]] agreed to declare a war on Turkey on 18 June 1876. Nichola I's cousin had twice routed the Ottomans at Medun. A Montenegrin victory in Danilograd in Zeta, and the capitulation of Medun, concluded the first year of the [[Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–1878)]].<ref>the cambridge modern history, 1934, p. 387; Miller, 1966, p. 370</ref> In 1877/1878, [[Nicholas I of Montenegro]] acquired a seaboard on the [[Adriatic]], and on 13 January 1878 Nicholas I and [[Ahmed Muhtar Pasha]] signed a truce, ending the war.

Medun has not yet been studied sufficiently. Not only that it is interesting for its distant and rich past, it also represents an object significant for studying of all cultural epochs, from [[prehistory]] to the [[Middle Ages]].

==Demographics==
In the Ottoman Defter of 1485, Medun had 15 homes.{{Sfn|Vasić|2005|p=114}}

In the Ottoman defter of 1582, the settlement was majority Muslim with only 2 Christian households.{{Sfn|Vasić|2005|p=127}}

Medun had at least 200 inhabitants in 1614.{{Sfn|Vasić|2005|p=115}}

Total: 108 inhabitants ([[Demographic history of Montenegro|2003 census]])
*[[Serbs]]: 74 (68,51%)
*[[Montenegrins (ethnic group)|Montenegrins]]: 32 (29,62%)
*[[Yugoslavs]]: 1 (0,92%)
*Unknown: 1 (0,92%)

According to the 2011 census, its population was 100.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tabela N1. Stanovništvo prema nacinalnoj odnosno etničkoj pripadnosti po naseljima, Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i stanova u Crnoj Gori 2011. godine|url=http://www.monstat.org/cg/page.php?id=536&pageid=322|publisher=[[Statistical Office of Montenegro]]|access-date=January 27, 2012|language=cnr}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Ethnicity in 2011
!width="100px"|Ethnicity
!width="80px"|Number
!width="80px"|Percentage
|-
| [[Serbs of Montenegro|Serbs]] || 64 || 64.0%
|-
| [[Montenegrins (ethnic group)|Montenegrins]] || 32 || 32.0%
|-
| other/undeclared || 4 || 4.0%
|-
| '''Total''' || '''100'''|| '''100%'''
|}

==Notable people==
*[[Marko Miljanov]] (1833–1901), writer, born in the village
*[[Milica Miljanov]] (born ca. 1860), soldier and WWI heroine

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, {{ISBN|0-631-19807-5}}
*"Становништво словенског поријекла у Албанији" - Зборник радова са међународног научног скупа одржаног на Цетињу 21, 22. и 23. јуна 1990. Марица Маловић-Ђукић, [http://www.rastko.rs/rastko-al/zbornik1990/mmarovic-pilot.php "Пилот у средњем веку"]. {{in lang|sr}}
*{{Cite book |last=Vasić |first=Milan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xg-MGAAACAAJ |title=Naselja na Balkanskom Poluostrvu od XVI do XVIII Vijeka |publisher=Narodna I Univerzitetska Biblioteka Republike Srpske |year=2005 |isbn=99938-0-584-X |location=Banja Luka |pages= |language=Serbian}}[[File:Illyrian Remains at Medun.jpg|thumb|Remains of large Cyclopean walls from the Illyrian period such as this one can be found all around Medun.]]Pobjeda.me, [https://archive.today/20130221010424/http://www.pobjeda.me/citanje.php?datum=2008-09-27&id=149872 "Utvrđeni grad zlata vrijedan"]. 27 Sep 2008. {{in lang|sh}} 

{{Podgorica}}
{{Illyrians}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Geography of Podgorica]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Montenegro]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Podgorica]]
[[Category:Cities in ancient Illyria]]
[[Category:Illyrian Montenegro]]
[[Category:Archaeology of Illyria]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 3rd century BC]]
[[Category:Populated places in Podgorica Municipality]]