^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Niš (Town, Serbia)

Ниш

Flag of Niš - Image by Ivan Sarajčić, 27 June 2007

Presentation of Niš
Flag of Niš

See also:

Serbia
Municipalities in the town of Niš

Presentation of Niš

Quoting Wikipedia:

Niš is the third largest town in Serbia. Situated at crossroads of Balkan and European highways, connecting Asia Minor to Europe, Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkan, and has from ancient times been considered a gateway between the East and the West. It is home to Serbia's oldest Christian church, dated back to the IVth century in the suburb of Mediana. Niš is also notable as the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor and the founder of Constantinople.
Niš is a university center. There are about 30,000 university students at the University of Niš, which comprises 13 faculties. Niš is also one of the most important industrial centres in Serbia, a center of electronics industry (see Elektronska Industrija Niš), industry of mechanical engineering, textile industry and tobacco industry.
According to the last census from 2002, the whole municipal area of the city of Niš (including both, urban and rural parts of municipality) had a population of 250,518.
There is still much dispute about the true number of its population, since there are several thousands of Kosovo refugees who officially don't live in thetown, but live here with local family. These numbers range from 350.000 to over 500.000 inhabitants.

Milan Jovanović, 27 June 2007

Flag of Niš

According to the official status of the town of of Niš, available on the municipal website, the flag of Niš, in proportion 1:2, is blue with the municipal coat of arms in the upper right corner, covering 1/6 of the flag. The arms and flag were granted in 1996.
The wavy bend symbolises the Nisava river, The right supporter of the arms is Stefan Sinđelić, holding the flag of Serbia. He was a famous general of the Serbian army, who died together with his soldiers in the battle near of Niš in 1809. The left supporter is the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, holding the town flag of of Niš. Born in of Niš, he proclaimed Christianity as a state religion of the Roman Empire. The banner shows the name of of Niš in Serbian Cyrillic letters (in the centre), as Nisos in Greek language (on the right) and as Naissus in Latin (on the left).

Milan Jovanović, 27 June 2007

The flag of Niš, being an armorial flag instead of a banner of arms, is an exeption in Serbian subnational vexillology. Although the Serbian Heraldry Society designed the flag, and recommended that the flag from the coat of arms should be used as the town flag, the Niš authorities did not accept that. Authorities also wanted to add a golden "Serbian cross" to the Serbian flag borne by the right supporter (Stefan Sinđelić), which is exception, too. They said that the flag looks nicer charged with the cross.
I have seen this flag many times on TV coverages, and even in Niš, several years ago.
On a photography taken by Milan Jovanović, the proportion of the flag seems to be 2:3 instead of 1:2; legal prescription and practice differ.

Ivan Sarajčić, 28 June 2007