Zenica vs Thessaloniki

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Zenica ( ZEN-it-sə; Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Зеница; Bosnian: [zěnitsa] (listen)), is a city and an administrative and economic center of the Zenica-Doboj Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the valley of river Bosna, about 70 km (43 mi) north of the country's capital Sarajevo. The city is known for Zenica Ironworks and the second heavy industry but also as a significant university center. According to the final results of 2013 population census in BiH, the settlement of Zenica itself counts 70,553 citizens and the administrative area 110,663.The urban part of today's city is formed in several phases, including Neolithic, Illyrian, Roman Municipium Bistua Nuova (2nd–4th century) with early Christian dual basilica. Traces of an ancient settlement have been found here as well; villa rustica, thermae, a temple and other buildings were present too. Earliest findings in the place date from the period 3,000–2,000 B.C.; they were found on the localities of Drivuša and Gradišće. Zenica's current name was first mentioned on the 20 March 1436. Medieval church has been unearthed in Zenica, as well as Franciscan Monastery of St. Mary. Time of the independence of the Medieval Bosnia is directly connected to Zenica (Gradješa's plate and abdication act; Kulin ban's time; Vranduk, a castle of the Bosnian kings; Janjići and 'hižas' [homes] of the Bosnian Church members; stećci, stone tombstone monuments etc.

). During the Ottoman rule (1463–1878), Zenica became a Muslim town (kasaba); at the very end of the 17th century, Zenica had 2,000 citizens, mostly Muslims; Orthodox and Catholic Christians get mentioned again from the end of the 18th century, and Jews in the 19th century. Zenica has been mostly built in the Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavian periods. The Number of citizens has been rising rapidly during the 20th century, and from the Bosnian War until 2013 city lost a quarter of its population. Municipality of Zenica became the City of Zenica in 2014. The city is geographically located in the heart of Bosnia. The area of the settled place is 43.01 km2 (16.61 sq mi) and of the city, 558.5 km2 (215.6 sq mi). The relief is valley-basin and the elevation 310–350 m (1,017–1,148 ft). Rivers Bosna, Lašva, Babina and Kočeva flow through the city itself. A moderate continental climate prevails. The city has 13 urban local settlements and the City consists of total 81 spread rural settlements. The city has nine national monuments. The football club Čelik is a landmark of Zenica, as is one of the tallest buildings on the Balkans – Lamela. Some of the most famous Zeničans are Semir Osmanagić, Anabela Basalo, Danis Tanović, Amar Jašarspahić Gile, Mladen Krstajić, Dejan Lovren, Mervana Jugić-Salkić and Amel Tuka.

Source: Wikipedia

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Thessaloniki (; Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, [θesaloˈnici] (listen)), also known as Thessalonica (English: ), Saloniki or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over 1 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. It is also known in Greek as η Συμπρωτεύουσα (i Simprotévousa), literally "the co-capital", a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Simvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.Thessaloniki is located on the Thermaic Gulf, at the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. It is bounded on the west by the delta of the Axios. The municipality of Thessaloniki, the historical center, had a population of 325,182 in 2011, while the Thessaloniki Urban Area had a population of 824,676 and the Thessaloniki metropolitan area had 1,030,338 inhabitants in 2011. It is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre; it is a major transportation hub for Greece and southeastern Europe, notably through the Port of Thessaloniki. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.

Thessaloniki was the 2014 European Youth Capital.The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1430, and remained an important seaport and multi-ethnic metropolis during the nearly five centuries of Turkish rule. It passed from the Ottoman Empire to Greece on 8 November 1912. It is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2013, National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide, while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle. Among street photographers, the center of Thessaloniki is also considered the most popular destination for street photography in Greece.

Source: Wikipedia