INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
"NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM - III"
800 Years After the Fall of Constantinople (1204-2004)

The City of Niš, within the celebration of the Day of St. Empreror Constantine and Empress Helen, for the third time organized the international symposium "NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM - III" on the subject "800 years after the fall of Constantinople".

With the unselfish support and enthusiasm, the members of the Scientific Board (Hranislav Andelkovic, PhD, Miša Rakocija, Nebojša Ozimic, Franc Curk, PhD and Ninoslav Krstic) and the concomitant city departments, realized the publishing of the Collection of papers NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM II, including a CD, and organized the third gathering of the prominent Byzantinists.

Out of 37 invited scientists, the symposium was attended by 34, namely 1 from England, 1 from USA, 6 from Bulgaria, 1 from Macedonia, 2 from Greece, 3 from Italy, 2 from Poland, 1 from Hungary and other from our country. The three scientists who were not able to attend will send their papers to be included in the Collection of papers. The symposium took place at the hall of the University building. In the lobby, in front of the hall, there was an exhibition "Portraits of Distinguished Serbs in the Middle Ages" - a tribute to the academician Vojislav Đurić, by the author Dragomir Todorovic.

The beginning of the symposium at the Hall of the University was blessed by Mr Irinej, the Archbishop of Niš, the participants were greeted by the Mayor, Mr. Goran Ciric, and the meeting was opened by Radivoje Radic, PhD. The representative Collection of papers and the CD from the last year's symposium NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM II was promoted by Graham Jones, PhD from Oxford: "I was especially impressed ny the earlychristian monuments that had been discovered in Niš. For us in the West Europe, these are the lessons that we've been learning about the East. I am amazed by the energy that Niš possesses as a cosmopolitan and European city at the crossroads, as well as its impressive vision of development. This is a city which goes forward. I am positive that Serbia and Montenegro are moving quickly on their way towards Europe and that many doors are yet to be opened. There is a lot to learn from each other. For me and my colleagues, Niš and this symposium represent a significant and fixed point of every academic year."

The symposium in Niš is specific and different from other related symposia in the world by being multi-disciplinary. The thorough review of the Byzantine civilization has for its aim to moderate centuries old misunderstandings and misapprehensions on Byzantium, as well as to prove by scientific arguments its importance in formation of the modern European civilization. For that reason, the City of Niš invited 37 scholars (architects, archeologists, historians of art and literature, historians, theologists, classical philologists, philosophers...), to direct their scholarship towards one of the most tragic culture-related events in the history of Europe - the Latin conquest of Constantinople and the first fall of the Byzantine empire.

The speakers had the state of the art equipment at their disposal: video beam, projector and equipment for conference interpretation. A real surprise and pleasure for the guests was the reception at the City Hall where they were greeted by the President of the Municipality of Niš, Mr. Vladimir Domazet. After the appropriate concert of the Church choir, in the name of the participants of the symposium, Giorgio Bezoari, PhD from the University of Milano, addressed the audience expressing his delight with the good organization of the gathering. The sightseeing of the monumens of Niš was a true revelation for many of the people.

By the end of this year, the Collection of papers no III will be published with the accompaning CD. The established representative and elite quality of the Collection of papers has to be maintained. In order to preserve the tradition of the gathering, international links, the earned reputation, and in particular to achieve the higher scientific and organization level, the Scentific Board launced the idea, supported by the City, to institutionalize this symposium in the framework of the Department for Archeology and History of Art within the Center for Scientific Research of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts in Niš.

Based on the reaction of the participants and the general public, the third international symposium NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM was successful. Thus we proved that Niš has the power to gather the prominent scientists from all over the world. The fact that this year some of the distinguished scholars have applied themselves, speaks of the acquired reputation and importance of Niš symposium. It is particularly significant that the symposium NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM has been added to the list of the world Byzantinist congresses.

It is our obligation now to preserve the tradition of this meeting of scientists, whereas the Collection of papers would be the guarantee of its scientific elitism.