Republic Square, Belgrade

One of the main town squares in Belgrade, Republic Square is home to some of the city's most notable attractions. Both the National Theatre and the National Museum are here. It borders the Old Town neighborhood and connects to the center of town by traffic and pedestrian streets. It's one of the busiest places in the city and has over 20 bus or trolley lines running through it.

A statue of Prince Michael (Prince Mihailo Obernovic III) stands in the square. Italian sculptor Enrico Pazzi made the statue in 1882. The monument is in honor of the Prince's expulsion of the Turks from Serbia and the seven cities he liberated. The Prince's hand points towards Constantinople, supposedly symbolically telling the Turks to leave.

When the memorial to Prince Michael was built in 1882, excavations revealed brick tombs of Roman and Celtic origins. The square has been part of daily life in the area since Roman times. Back then, the town was named Singidunum.

The name of the square is still a matter of debate in Belgrade. Originally the square was named Theatre Square, but a movement has been afoot to rename it Freedom Square. It was here in 1991 that pro-democracy demonstrations were held supporting the ousting of Slobodan Milosevic.