Leskovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Лесковац, pronounced [lěskoʋats]) is a city and the administrative center of the Jablanica District in southern Serbia.

Untamed rivers would often flood the area leaving swamps that once dried would spout hazelnut trees, or "leska" in Serbian, whilst "-ovac" is a common Slavic suffix, hence Leskovac.

[3][4] Archeological findings on Hisar Hill, located at the rim of Leskovac valley between the Jablanica and Veternica rivers, have established continual habitation between the Bronze Age until the 19th century.

Hisar served as a fortification for many centuries and its surrounding plateau are abundant in Iron Age pottery largely associated with the Brnjica culture.

The area Glubočica, later Dubočica and a synonym for Leskovac was first mentioned in the 12th century as lands bestowed upon the Nemanjić dynasty by Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.

[9][10][11][12][3] The vicinity of modern-day Leskovac was contested territory during a series of conflicts fought between the Bulgarian Empire and medieval Serbian states between the 9th and 14th centuries.

Endowments by the ruling Ottoman aristocracy which financed the construction of mosques, tekije, madrasa, meter and Turkish baths marked the area.

This cosmopolitan milieu was supplemented by officials, clergy, sipahi, and soldiers interlaced with Jewish, Greek, Vlach, Albanian and Ragusan traders.

Following the failed uprising many Serbs migrated north after the Ottomans recaptured Leskovac, razing the Serbian quarters as reprisals for collaboration.

[21] In the war almost the entire Muslim civilian population of Leskovac was expelled and the advancing Serbian Army and chetas entered the town on December 24, 1877.

[22] Independence initially had a negative impact though trade barriers, tariffs and open hostilities between Serbia and Bulgaria necessitated the acquisition and development of technology for rope and industrial hemp processing.

[23][24] The establishment of a railway line linking Leskovac with Belgrade, Skopje and Thessaloniki in 1886 also significantly contributed to the development of the town.

A vocational textile school opened 1890 and in 1903 the second hydroelectric power plant in Serbia was built on the nearby Vučjanka River.

The growing customs dispute with Austria-Hungary following the May Coup precipitated protectionism throughout the 1900s which served to nourish the local economy.

[32] Bulgaria capitulation to the Entente on 30 September 1918, and Leskovac was liberated on 7 October 1918 in an offensive led by Field Marshal Petar Bojović's 1st Serbian Corps, which repelled the Austro-Hungarian 9th and German 11th Divisions.

Cheering crowds gathered to welcome the Serbian Army's Dinarska and Dunavska divisions as they entered the city accompanied by French cavalry units.

[36][37] Despite the rise of Leskovac as a regional manufacturing centre the town still lacked basic infrastructure during the interwar period such as a running water supply, sewerage system, paved streets (with only three asphalted in 1938) and a permanent marketplace.

Leskovac experienced a significant influx of largely peasant workers leading to poor housing conditions with many affected by squalor, alcoholism, a high mortality rate and labour exploitation.

Despite several attempts at assassination and sabotage the town remained relatively docile throughout the Nedić administration, with the exception of the Arapova Dolina massacre of 310 mostly Romani civilians.

Pockets of Partisan insurgency remain limited to the surrounding countryside which began experiencing noteworthy military engagements during the Battle of Serbia with the July–August 1944 Toplica-Jablanica Operation.

[44][45][46][47] Leskovac fell to the 47th Serbian Division of the National Liberation Army (Partisans) on October 11, 1944, following a German withdrawal during the Niš Operation.

The annual Roštiljijada grilled meat barbecue festival held since 1989 is the cities biggest tourist attraction drawing in thousands of visitors from both Serbia and abroad.

Despite a modest increase in mostly foreign capital enterprise with some government support, issues of corruption, high unemployment, ageing workforce and community, unreported employment, and population decline still persist.

Around the valley are mountains Radan and Pasjača the west, Kukavica and Čemernik in the south and Babička Gora, Seličevica and Suva Planina to the east.Leskovac has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with continental influences, with long, hot summers and short but cold, cloudy winters.

Once the second largest city in Serbia, today Leskovac is blighted by economic problems with many working age people migrating out of the area.

[51] There are 144 villages located within the municipality: Roštiljijada (Barbecue week) is a grilled meat festival that has been organized in Leskovac for many years and takes place annually at the beginning of September.

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):[65] Leskovac is a traffic junction.

The company Porr Werner & Weber for Serbia, began construction of the center for collecting and recycling waste, and is the first city in the Balkans, where starting this job.