| Kostolac | |
| Native Name: | Костолац |
| Native Name Lang: | sr |
| Settlement Type: | Town and city municipality |
| Pushpin Map: | Serbia |
| Coordinates: | 44.7147°N 21.17°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Serbia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Southern and Eastern Serbia |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Braničevo |
| Subdivision Type3: | City |
| Subdivision Name3: | Požarevac |
| Leader Title: | Municipality president |
| Leader Name: | Serdžo Krstanoski (SNS) |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Urban |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 9.76 |
| Area Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Area Blank2 Km2: | 100.87 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Urban |
| Population Blank1: | 9569 |
| Population Density Blank1 Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Population Blank2: | 13637 |
| Population Density Blank2 Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 12208 |
| Area Code: | +381(0)12 |
| Registration Plate: | PO |
The City municipality of Kostolac (Serbian: Градска општина Костолац|Gradska opština Kostolac is a town in Serbia and one of two city municipalities which constitute the City of Požarevac. It is situated on the Danube river. The remains of Viminacium, the capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior, are located near Stari Kostolac some 2 km to the east of Kostolac. Kostolac is also a center of area called Stig and home of thermal power plants and coal mines.
A 1.5 million year old mammoth skeleton was uncovered in the Viminacium site in June 2009.[3]
A Neolithic Kostolac culture is named after the town.
The tribes of Autariatae and Scordisci are thought to have merged into one in this area after 313BC, since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in Pecine, near Kostolac.[4] Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and Celtic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war[5] and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a Celto-Thracio-Illyrian interaction zone.[6] The Celtic Invasions of Greece in 279 BC formed the sub-Celtic group of Scordisci who would according to Strabo, defeat and push the powerful Triballians towards the Getae,[7] the Scordisci self-rule in different regions of Serbia gradually ended with the Roman conquest of the Balkans in the 1st century AD.
Viminacium, a major city of the Roman province of Moesia, and the capital of Moesia Superior was situated 20 km east to the present centre, in the area of Stari Kostolac (Old Kostolac). Viminacium was the base camp of Legio VII Claudia, and hosted for some time the IV Flavia Felix. It was destroyed in 440 by the Huns, but rebuilt by Justinian I. During Maurice's Balkan campaigns, Viminacium saw destruction by the Avars and Slavs in 584 and a crushing defeat of Avar forces on the northern Danube bank in 599, destroying Avar reputation for invincibility.[8]
Đorđe Vajfert opened coal mines in Kostolac. During World War II, Germans constructed first power plant "Mali Kostolac" ("small Kostolac"). After the war, people from everywhere came to build it.
Aside from the town of Kostolac, the city municipality includes the following settlements:
See main article: article and Tourism in Serbia. In Kostolac is the archaeological site of Viminacium, a former Roman outpost with wide streets, luxurious villas, extensive baths and an amphitheater, just recently opened to the public.
Kostolac has two thermal power plants which comprise the TPP Kostolac. These are:
In addition to electric power, TPP "Kostolac A" produces heating energy for heating of Kostolac and Požarevac.
According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 13,637 inhabitants.
| Ethnicity | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| 9,842 | ||
| 2,659 | ||
| 45 | ||
| 35 | ||
| 22 | ||
| Others | 1,034 | |
| Total | 13,637 |