Taor (Valjevo) Explained

Official Name:Taor
Native Name:Таор
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Serbia
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Serbia
Subdivision Type1:District
Subdivision Name1:Kolubara District
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Valjevo
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population As Of:2011
Population Total:303
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Coordinates:44.1186°N 19.7833°W

Taor is a village in the municipality of Valjevo, Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 303.

History

In the surrounding area there are numerous traces of ancient mining activities, including mining of copper and iron. In November 2019 it was announced that the remains of the Byzantine church were discovered close to the Taor Springs. Remains of the Early Byzantium-style church are part of the wider complex, with parts of small fortification and presumably a mining settlement being located for now. It is located at an altitude of 890m (2,920feet), on the prehistoric and Antiquity travelling corridor from the valley of the Kolubara river to the Užice depression. Remains from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Antiquity and Middle Ages have been found along the corridor. Church dimensions are 11mx7mm (36feetx23feetm), it has arched altar area and is surrounded by the dry stone wall made of large chunks of stones and boulders, which is 100m (300feet) long and 2m (07feet) wide.[1]

Taor Springs

The village is located on the Povlen mountain. One of the attraction of the Povlen are the "Taor Springs" (Taorska vrela). Beautiful cascades were used in many touristic brochures in the Former Yugoslavia. They are located at the village's hamlet of Donji Taor ("Lower Taor"). It is located in the southwestern section of the mountain, 40km (30miles) southeast of Valjevo and 16km (10miles) northwest of Kosjerić. Majority of the location is covered in beech forests and the location is especially known for bear's garlic, which is abundant. It grows on the shady slopes and in the woods. An annual "Days of Bear's Garlic" festival has been established in 2015.

The Taor is known for its tufa rocks, on which the Taor springs formed cascades on the 400m (1,300feet) long slope, which ultimately flow into the Skrapež river. In the 1980s. when the Kosjerić waterworks was constructed, the springs were partially capped and transferred to town's water system. Though the project wasn't conducted fully as planned, it still harmed the cascades as during the droughty years, the water dries out completely. The area was placed under the preliminary protection, but on paper only. Locals were digging the tufa stones, ruining the waterfalls and the entire environment.[2]

There were 12 watermills on the springs, but as of 2017, none of them are operational, with only a few still physically surviving. By 2019 only three derelict ones remained (Delićka, Drojićka and Pejina), but the fourth one, Pepića watermill, was fully restored and became operational in 2018.[2]

References

44.1186°N 19.7833°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Slobodan Ćirić . sr: Откривена рановизантијска црква . Early Byzantium church discovered . Politika . 20 . sr . 7 November 2019.
  2. News: Slobodan Ćirić . Занимљива Србија: Доњи Таор - Повленске мистерије . Interesting Serbia: Donji Taor - Povlen mysteries . Politika-Magazin, No. 1129 . 19–21 . sr . 19 May 2019.