Split, Birth of “Mother of Dragons”

“I have never been nothing. I am the blood of the dragon.” — Daenerys Targaryen

It takes a 5-hour transit by bus from Dubrovnik to Split, which is a filming location of Game of Thrones. Klis Fortress was where Daenerys Targaryen crucified all the nasty slave-masters in season 4. At the top of the fortress, an 18th-century gunpowder chamber currently displays some stills from the drama series to recall the memory of the tourists.

Split was founded by Illyrians in the 2nd century BC, yet changed its leaders several times. It was once taken by the Romans; remained a stronghold of medieval Croatian duke Trpimir; and fell to the Turks in 1537 after a 25-year resistance to attacks. The city was taken by the Venetians in 1648, and became part of Croatia in 1992, after a prolonged ruling by Yugoslavia.

Speaking of the Klis Fortress, it controlled the valley leading into Split, by spreading along the limestone bluff and reaching 385 m height. Pass through the main gate and the second gate, both were built by the Austrians. It takes a set of stone steps to reach the far end of the fort from the last gate. St. Vitus' Church was converted into a mosque by the Turks once.

“Kleis”, which means key in Greek, was quickly established throughout history as the name of the area around a steep cliff that offers a clear view of the nearby communication routes from the inland to the coast and vice versa. Whoever ruled in Klis, ruled the whole area. 2 centuries later, Klis became a royal estate and was called the cradle of the Croatian state.

“When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die. There is no middle ground.” — Cersei Lannister

Get lost in the maze-like streets next to the Diocletian's Palace, one of the most imposing Roman remains. As the first Roman emperor to abdicate voluntarily, Diocletian ordered the completion of the complex within 10 years, for his retirement in AD 305. He spared no expense by importing marble from Italy and Greece, and columns and 12 sphinxes from Egypt.

In AD 311, Diocletian was interred in the octagonal Cathedral of St Domnius, which is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. It was encircled by an original colonnade of 24 columns, and a tall Romanesque bell tower was constructed in the 13th century. Attention! When Daenerys Targaryen was in Meereen, she even chose to keep her dragons in the Palace.