Begaljica

Begaljica (Serbian Cyrillic: Бегаљица) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Grocka.

Location

Begaljica is located in Podunavlje, northern Šumadija region, in the central part of the municipality. It is 5 km away from the municipal seat of Grocka (to which it makes a continuous built-up area along the road) and 35 km to the east from downtown Belgrade. West of Begaljica is Begaljičko brdo (Begaljica Hill) with one of the steepest sections of the Belgrade-Niš highway.

History

After the fall of Belgrade August 28, 1521 th the Turks Ottomans under the Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent took the rule over Belgrade and neighbourhood settlements. The first documented records of the village Begaljica (Cyrillic:Бегаљицa) date back from the first half of the 16th century in the 1528 according to Ottoman authorities which have made census of population the village consists of 5 houses and the monastery of Saint Rajko Rajinovac, in the hill above the village.And its gradual development of the village we can follow on the basis of further census of population made by Ottoman authorities. So in the next census of population , from the 1530th year Begaljica has 14 homes, and 1536th the 17 homes. Apart from the monastery St. Rajko Rajinovac, mentions the monastery of St. Todor as well, while in the census from 1560.are mentions the third monastery from that time St.Peter.... we do not have more evidence that monasterys of St.Todor and St.Peter existed or were later destroyed by Ottomans.

Population

Begaljica is classified as a rural settlement (village). Population grew slowly or was stagnating for decades, but in recent years it began depopulating. Population of Begaljica:

• 1921 - 2,930
• 1953 - 3,301
• 1971 - 3,604
• 1981 - 3,860
• 1991 - 3,880
• 2002 - 3,255

Economy

Begaljica is outside of major roads and the agriculture is the most important for the settlement's economy. The most important of all is a fruit growing as the entire area is one of the most famous fruit producing area of Serbia, with vast orchards (apples, peaches, apricots, cherries,strawberry etc).

Rajinovac, female monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church is located in the southern outskirts of the settlement.

References

• Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije; Svjetlost-Sarajevo; ISBN 86-01-02651-6