Arena

Welcome to Megdan, a settlement located to the northwest of the Klis Fortress. Today, it is a peaceful part of Klis, but its name and the legends that accompany it remind us of the turbulent past of this region. The name Megdan comes from the Turkish language, and means battlefield or place of duel. The name is no coincidence – this area has been the scene of conflicts between Uskoks and Ottoman soldiers for centuries, especially in the 16th century, when the Klis Fortress was an important defensive center. According to local tradition, individual duels were also fought here, the most famous of which is the one from 1527. Legend has it that the Uskok Miloš Parižević, after making a vow to the Mother of God on Trsat, defeated the Turkish warrior Bakota. As a sign of gratitude, he donated to the church a candlestick as tall as his opponent, so large that it supposedly had to be carried by four men. Although historical sources about this event do not exist, the story still lives on among the locals today. In the Middle Ages, the area below the fortress was an important part of the settlement. The oldest parts of Megdan are located on the slopes below the fortress, where it gradually developed along the old center of Klis – Varoš. After the liberation of Klis from the Ottomans in 1648, many buildings from the Turkish era were destroyed, but examples of old folk architecture can still be seen today. At the beginning of the 20th century, the narrow-gauge railway Split–Sinj passed through Klis (1903), and a railway station known as Štacija was built next to it. Today, this stone building has been converted into a residential building, while the stone viaduct, which once carried trains, has been converted for road traffic. Megdan was also the place where the first elementary school in Klis began operating in 1832. Classes were initially held in private houses in Megdan and Varoš, which testifies to the importance of this part of the settlement for the cultural and social life of Klis.