Bar

Bar, port in Montenegro, on the Adriatic Sea. It is the country’s principal port. The current city is known as Novi (“New”) Bar. Stari (“Old”) Bar’s ruins lie farther inland at the base of Mount Rumija. Stari Bar was first mentioned in the 9th century, when it came under the control of the Byzantine Empire. Known among Mediterranean powers as Antivari, the city was frequently autonomous from the 11th to the 15th century. During the 14th century its archbishop acquired the title primate of Serbia. It was ruled from Venice (1443–1571) and then by the Ottoman Turks (1571–1878). Partly ruined in 1878 when the Montenegrins wrested it from the Turks, it was abandoned after gunpowder explosions in 1881 and 1912. The new town, which is now a major port and recreation centre connected with Podgorica by rail, has been greatly enlarged since the late 1970s to facilitate increased oil imports and exports. To the southeast is the port of Ulcinj, a tourist and health resort, while inland is Lake Scutari, the largest lake in the Balkans. Pop. (2003) 13,719; (2011) 13,503.