According to historians the area of Nin appears to have been settled 10,000 years ago. The present-day town on the islet developed 3,000 years ago and is one of the older towns on the eastern Adriatic. The area of Nin was first colonized by immemorial people of the
Mediterranean. Since the 9th century B.C. the civilization of the
Illyrian tribe of
Liburnians was present before the
Romans came, who had a strong sea and trade center called Aenona (this morphed in the Middle Ages into Nona). The rich archeological finds prove strong sea links with
Greece and the
Hellenistic world: recent explorations revealed a rarity, a very well preserved
Byzantine mosaic on the floor of a
Roman villa. – Croatian boat from the 10th century in the Nin lagoon.|left|upright=0.85 in Nin originates from the 9th century. The Croats arrived in Nin in the 8th century. The first Croatian state community was formed in the 9th century. Nin was the first Croatian royal town, with its period of glory being from the 7th to the 13th centuries. In the 9th century Nin became the seat of the first Croatian bishop.
Bishops from Nin played a great role in the country's religious, a cultural and a political sense. Significant rulers connected with the history of Nin include
Prince Višeslav,
Prince Branimir,
King Tomislav,
King Petar Krešimir IV,
King Zvonimir. Up to the abolition and Latinization imposed by
King Tomislav in the first half of the 10th century, Nin was the centre of the autonomous Croatian branch of the Church. The Bishop
Gregory of Nin (
Grgur Ninski) was an important figure in the 10th century ecclesiastical politics of
Dalmatia. At the time of the
Turkish wars, Nin found itself on the battlefield. After the selling of
Dalmatia to
Venice (1409), the city came under the control of the
Republic of Venice. The town was economically exploited but not protected militarily. Subsequently, the town was destroyed twice. The first destruction was in 1571 and the second in 1646. On both occasions, the Venice government gave an order to burn the town and destroy it systematically before abandoning it, so that the Ottomans could not use it as a stronghold. After the 1646 destruction, Nin was never restored to its former condition, and lost its original importance. The economic development of Nin began after
World War II. Since 1969, Nin has been developing as a tourist destination. Nin today is a historical and tourist town which looks for its development in the valorization of its historical heritage. In recent years, many monuments have been restored. Because of the importance of Nin in the history of Croatia, tourists visit from Croatia and elsewhere in Europe. They come especially to visit two symbols of the old town: the church of Holy Cross from the 9th century, called “the smallest cathedral in the world”, and the coronation church. After 1980 near Nin a high power medium wave broadcasting station was built. ==Population==