dc.description.abstract | During the medieval period, the Raška Valley represented the central area in which the Serbian
state of the Nemanjić Dynasty was founded. Despite the modest number of written sources and
archaeological excavations, the existence of few major market-places in the Raška Basin has
been either assumed or uncovered in previous decades. Unfortunately, the reasons for their
establishment remain incompletely examined and solely occasionally mentioned in the previously
conducted research. In surviving medieval charters, a few types of markets are mentioned within
the Serbian medieval state. A distinction can be made in regard to the way of their occurrence
and development in rural areas, within monastery properties, mining cantres, etc. This paper
seeks to explore the reasons behind the appearance of these market-places in chosen locations,
bearing in mind that the Raška River Basin was the central place of medieval Serbia, with a
significant number of existing rural settlements, monasteries, and mines established by rulers of
the Nemanjić Dynasty. It looks at their mutual economic relations, with the aim to perceive the
reason of their rise and fall during the medieval and Ottoman period. The research is based on
data from written sources, remains of material culture, and spatial analysis of the Raška Basin. | sr |