Serbia Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Serbia appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 27 different states, among them Ottoman Empire, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire.
SerbiaExplore the history of Serbia in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Serbia as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Serbia, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Serbia
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1389 | Battle of Kosovo |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Serbia?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Serbia belonged to Ottoman Empire, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Bulgar Khanate, along with 21 other states.
What was Serbia part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Serbia lay within Bulgar Khanate.
What was Serbia part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Serbia lay within Ottoman Empire.
What was Serbia part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Serbia lay within Serbia.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.