There are three legends about the origin of the name of today’s Zlatibor.”According to the first one ,it is believed that Zlatibor got its name by the white pine trees with yellow needles of the  colour  similar to the colour of old gold, which used to cover the rolling slopes of Zlatibor.There is only one sample left of these pine trees(in the village Negbina) , whose scientific name is pinus silvestris variegata  zlatiborica .According to the second legend Zlatibor was named after the richness of the pine forest,which the immigrants from Montenegro and Herzegovina , used to boast of “That pine is a gold one”. The third legend says that Zlatibor got its name by “suvats” –mountain pastures , which in the autumn get yellow colour, the colour of gold.Which of these three legends is true is up to you to decide , or come to Zlatibor.Perhaps you will hear a new story listening to the song of the pine trees”… The first inhabitants of Zlatibor region were the Illyrians, more precisely their tribe called Partini. The remnants of their culture – ornamental ceramics- can be found in the caves and on steep elevations where they used to live .Nowadays these places are called “gradine”-  ruins of ancient cities, and there are three  of them on Zaltibor(the one of Cajetina, Kriva Reka and Sljivovica),In the museum collection of the library one can see some frafments of pottery with typical patterns imprinted into the clay by using nails.The culture and life of the Illyrians were studied exclusively  from the “tumuluses” (graves), plenty of which have been found  in different locations on Zlatibor)the ruins of Kriva Reka,( the place called Vishevina), Kremna, the wide area from Ljubish to Mushvete(Branesko Polje). At the beginning of our era the Romans dominated in that region, with the culture that was on a higher level than the previous one.They built new fortifications, the network of new roads(Mackat-the ruins of Ceajetina-the river Uvac).The Roman tombstones date back from  II and III century a.d. Most of them are in Kremna, and there are the sculptures inspired by the motifs from the nature and sometimes by the god Atis- in the portrait of a handsome young man.After IX century this region was settled by the Slavs , who also built the fortifications and renewed the ruins.On Gradac in Dobroselica there is a very interesting fortification, where the remnants of the bulwarks can be found.There are remains of a stone pedestal resembling a small bench , which was probably used for observation. Some animal bones were  built  in the foundations(probably for religious reasons) and there is also a lot of medieval material found on that site( the top a of a spear, the copper ring…).In 1180 Stefan Nemanja joined Zlatibor and Uzice to the independent Serbian state.In In XVI century the monastery of Rujno was the centre of culture and education of the tribal state of Rujno (unfortunately it hasn’t been preserved) and one of the first Serbian printing houses worked within it.Recently in Stublo on the river Uvac, the location of the former monastery Uvac was discovered  and possibly of the church called Janja which was mentioned in folk songs.According to tradition the monastery Uvac is that church Janja, which was unique by its beauty.Above the valley on Orlic and Orahovice the monastery had in its possession numerous rich pastures on which the monastery cattle grazed.From there the milk was transferred to the monastery in special jugs, and the canal in which the jugs were placed can still be recognised.Thanks to the research and activities of the National museum from Uzice the monastery Uvac was established and the church and the palace  were blessed.Among the old religious places on Zlatibor worth mentioning are also the church in Bela Reka, which is unusually small, with one nave and only one dome.
       The king’s fountain  - In  1893 another important guest , king Alexander I Obrenovic arrived in Kulasevac. Numerous records confirm that it was an extraordinary event.The sovereign was welcomed in away that  was to remember long afterwards.On behalf of the people from Zlatibor, the mayor of the municipality of Cajetina Petar Micic toasted  and asked the ruler to let the water Kulasevac be named King’s water from that time “ so that the inexhaustible spring be an everlasting monument to the king’s arrival at Zlatibor”.Thus Kulasevac got a new name, and the king erected the fountain on the plate of which the following was engraved: King Alexander I 20th August 1893”.In 1831 King’s Water(today’s settlement of Zlatibor) got the water supply  by directing the water from the fountain Djurkovac and the fountain built by king Alexander I  to the reservoir( using pumps).
           There are speculations that the area of Zlatibor was settled in the age of neolith, but there is no strong evidence to prove that.The first , hystorically known inhabitants of Zlatibor were the Illyrians, more precisely their tribe Partines.The remains of their culture- ornamental ceramics can be found in the caves and on steep elevations where they used to live. Nowadays these places are called “gradine” and there are three  of them on Zlatibor :in Cajetina, Kriva Reka and Sljivovicac.
           In  the museum collection of the library in Cajetina one can see some fragments of pottery with  typical patterns imprinted into the clay by using nails.
          The culture and life of the Illyrians were studied exclusively  from the “tumuluses” (graves), plenty of which have been found  in different locations on Zlatibor)the ruins of Kriva Reka,( the place called Vishevina), Kremna, the wide area from Ljubish to Mushvete(Branesko Polje).After the Partines  this area was settled by the Celts, but they didn’t remain there for long and didn’t leave significant traces. At the beginning of our era  the Romans settled here. Their culture and the way of life was on a far higher level than the one of their predecessors. They built new fortifications, a new road network.
         The  tombstones date back from  II and III century a.d. Most of them are in Kremna.They are often on the sculptures from the nature and the sculptures of a young man , god Atis can also be found.In the village Semegnjevo there are two tombstones on the locality Greek cemetery and they have been under the state protection.
        After IX century this region was settled by the Slavs , who also built the fortifications and renewed the ruins. On Gradac in Dobroselica there is a very interesting fortification, where the remnants of the bulwarks can be found. Within the bulwarks there are remains of a stone pedestal resembling a small bench , which was probably used for observation. Some animal bones were  built  in the foundations, which testify of  the  religious ceremonies from that period.In the Turkish age the migrations caused settling of the Serbian people from Montenegro, Herzegovina, eastern Bosnia and other regions, mostly for political and economic reasons. Turkish violence , frequent wars and uprisings made the Serbs leave this region, so that there are not so many native families (Ignjic , 2002).
             On Zlatibor there are monuments of culture of great importance to the culture of Serbia and they have been under the state protection. The most important ones are :The open-air museum “Old Village” in Sirogojno, the monastery Uvac in the village Stublo, Wood-cabin church in Dobroselica and Jablanica, the church in Sirogojno, the birth house of Dimitrije Tucovic in Gostilje.

              The construction of the open-air museum ''Old village'' Sirogojno was started  in  1979 and the museum was opened in 1992. године.The museum covers the area of 4.5 hectares and it is u unique monument of culture and history of a Zlatibor village.In an authentic way it represents the types of houses, craftsmen shops and other objects made of wood , at the end of 
XIX century.Out of 46 objects in the Museum, 32 objects are within the museum exhibition , and 16 objects is with new purpose( as hop, an inn, places for overnight stay, the summer stage etc.). Within the museum programmes special attention is given to the preservation and revival of old crafts. In the workshops of the museum copies of the museum exhibits are made and the crafts such as tub making, pottery, carpentry, weaving etc are displayed
              Мonastery Uvac is located in the village Stublo, at the border of the municipalities of Cajetina and Priboj. At the big archeological site50 х 40m, in 1994. године the ruins of a church,  17x 12 m, were found and excavated. The whole monastery complex Uvac is a testimony of the existence of a big spiritual centre in this region. It is a mystery who built this Monastery, who renewed it and how many times it was destroyed.On the pages of a church book from 1622, we can read that the Temple is dedicated to the birth of Holy Mother of God.Thanks to the research and the activities of the National Museum from Uzice, the monastery Uvac was adapted and put under the state protection. Thus practically on nativity Day in 1995, the Monastery was revived after two centuries and a half.
              The wooden church in Dobroselica is 19 km from Zlatibor and од  5 km from Vodice.It was built in 1821 and dedicated to the Holy prophet Elias. By the way it was built and by certain details this building is considered one of the most beautiful.The temple is rectangular with a semi-circular apse made of logs , the length of which is 8 m and width 5 m. The church has an iconostasis with numerous valuable icons:the throne icon of the most holy mother of God and Jesus Christ , painted on the board, the Doorway of the Tsar(1.44x0.66m) by the painter Janko Mihailovic Moler.
             The wooden church in Jablanica  is  25 km from the centre of Zlatibor .It was built in 1838 and dedicated to the Most Holy Mother of God.The church is situated in a pine forest and it belongs to the middle-kind temples with the width of 5.25 m and the length of 9.5 m . It is made up of logs on a rectangular base , with a semi-circular apse. Out of the old iconostasis the following icons have been preserved: the Doorway of the Tsar, the throne icon of Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Icon of  Mother of God with Jesus Christ and the icon of holy Vasilius of Ostrog with  Holy John the Baptiser. In the church yard and in the nearby forest  there are the so called „sorbasice“ –log houses dating back from 1840.
             The church in Sirigojno was built in 1764 and it is dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Pavle.It  is situated within the mountain complex to which the Open Air Museum “Old Village’ also belongs, ant it is protected by the state.The founder of the church was Georgije Smiljanic. The church is covered with a two-line  wooden roof and it has a single-nave base.A massive belfry was joined to  the western side of the church at the end of IX century.The biggest value of the church is an iconostasis which is the first work of the biggest Serbian                    painter of icons Simeon Lazovic. In the churchyard there are tombstones from IX century with unique artistic pictures and texts and they have been under the state protection.
           The birth house of Dimitrije Tucovic  is situated in the village of Gostilje , 30 km from Uzice. Dimitrije Tucovic, the leader of the Socialist Workers’ Movement in Serbia, was born and lived in it. The house is of a wood-cabin type and it has been under the state protection.

         Ethnographic features of the inhabitants of this region are expressed as a characteristic religious culture ,and  alongside with  the natural beauties they make a complete whole  which is a great tourist attraction.
        The settlers adapted their traditional clothes, brought from Herzegovina, to the new conditions and the new way of life. Due to the changed climatic conditions and  being hired coachmen frequently, in the summer  the men used to wear long pants made of hemp with wool from the inside. They wore “opanci”(peasant shoes) , embroidered socks up to the knee length , and  a fur hat or a cap on their head. In the winter they would add “ koporan “ (a jacket) , and solemn clothes consisted of waterproof cloth with embroidered silk braid.
         A typical woman peasant costume consisted of a loose and long skirt with silver embroidery at the rim and a sleeveless jacket made of white cloth with silver embroidery and braids. There was also a white blouse under the jacket, with or without embroidery, ant the women from Zlatibor used to cover heir head  with a scarf, or occasionally with a “tepeluk”(a type of braid on top of a cap or hat).
        From his old homeland a man from Zlatibor also brought the specific folk music.The songs are uniform  and verbose, the so called songs “by shouting”
Old houses, national costumes, tools and the old way of life and customs are preserved from oblivion with outmost commitment , by the employees in the” pearl” of Zlatibor tourism “the Old Village” in Sirogojno.
       What the man created and what makes a typical ambience of  the houses from Zlatibor are the houses made of pine wood , better known as log cabins or “osacanke”. They are made exclusively by using hand tools and put on the stone base. The beams and logs were joined by notches in the corners, and the roof construction fastened with wooden nails. They have a shingle , even the chimney has a specific ornament. The windows are small, only allowing the head to come out, and two doors are opposite each other, as if following the rule. There are usually two, rarely three rooms in the house. The house includes the room with the hearth  in the middle and a floor on the ground , without a ceiling, from which one can enter the other room with wooden floor and a ceiling. The furniture in the houses and some parts of pottery were wooden ones and hand made.