The Serbian Empire was a medieval state in the Balkans proclaimed by Stefan Dušan, who had himself crowned emperor, or tsar, in Skopje at Easter, with the Serbian archbishop raised to the rank of patriarch. Dušan took advantage of Byzantine civil wars to conquer Macedonia, Albania, Epirus, Thessaly and much of northern Greece. He issued a famous legal code, Dušan's Code, in 1349 and 1354. After his death in 1355 the empire quickly fragmented under his son Uroš V, as powerful nobles became independent. The Ottomans defeated Serbian lords at the Battle of Maritsa in 1371, the year that Uroš died, which ended the Nemanjić dynasty and opened the way for Ottoman expansion in the Balkans.
Before and after
- 1345Construction of Ponte Vecchio
- from 1346 to 1859Principality of Moldavia
- 1346Construction of Himeji Castle
- from 1346 to 1352Black Death
- from 16 April 1346 to 1 January 1371Serbian Empire
- from October 1347 to January 1351The Black Death reaches Europe
- 1348Construction of Karlštejn Castle
- 1348Construction of Wenceslas Square
- 7 April 1348Founding of Charles University
More in Civilizations & archaeology
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 14th century.
