Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea in southern Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.
The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade; as the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy.
In 1991, Dubrovnik was besieged by Serbian and Montenegrin soldiers of the Yugoslav People’s Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling. After the restoration works Dubrovnik re-emerged as one of the top tourist destinations in the Mediterranean for both kind of tourism cruise ship market and travel agencies.
The name Dubrovnik has Celtic origin and has been given to the city in 1189.
Great period of the city was during the republic of Ragusa, as was used to be called the city by the Greeks. Ragusa was founded in the 7th century.
Excavations in 2007 revealed a Byzantine basilica from the 8th century and parts of the city walls. The size of the old basilica clearly indicates that there was quite a large settlement at the time.