Tourist Impressed by Split, but Many Were Bothered by One Detail
Travel writer Denokav filmed a video about Diocletian's Palace, but walking shirtless through the city center sparked a wave of criticism and a debate on etiquette in historic sites.
Travel writer Denokav filmed a video about Diocletian's Palace, but walking shirtless through the city center sparked a wave of criticism and a debate on etiquette in historic sites.
A video meant to be a short guide through the rich history of Diocletian's Palace in Split turned into a heated debate on dress codes. Travel writer and artist Denokav, who goes by DANZ on Instagram, posted a clip that divided his followers within hours. The reason wasn't the content about Roman heritage, but the fact that the author walked around the city bare-chested.
"Welcome to the Roman Empire. You don't need a time machine, just come to Split," Denokav said at the start of his video, urging followers not to come just to "party" but to visit the imperial palace built over 1,700 years ago. He strolled to the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Gates and pointed out that Split is Croatia's second-largest city and one of the Mediterranean's biggest passenger ferry ports.
In the caption, he highlighted the uniqueness of the palace, completed in the early 4th century after Emperor Diocletian stepped down from power. "People have built homes, shops, restaurants, and churches within the original walls. Even today, thousands of residents call this place home," he wrote, but the historical tidbits quickly took a backseat.
Under the video, comments poured in that had nothing to do with Roman history. "Welcome to Split, but the UNESCO palace and city center aren't a beach, so you should wear a shirt," one female follower told him. Others were even more blunt: "Put on a shirt; you're not at the beach but in Split's center" and "Put on a shirt or go home."
Some comments approached the issue with a historical twist. "Roman warriors wore a tunic under their armor, and Diocletian wore a toga. Civilization began when people started wearing clothes. Just saying," one local from Split wrote. Others felt that walking shirtless outside the beach was simply "a lack of culture."
Facing a wave of criticism, Denokav responded to the comments. "I've read the comments and understand why some of you reacted to me not wearing a shirt. The last thing I want is to be disrespectful to Croatia or Split," he wrote, as reported by DalmacijaDanas.
He also explained how the misunderstanding came about. "They told me it's no problem to walk shirtless along the Riva and around the city in this heat, as long as I don't enter restaurants, shops, or other enclosed spaces. So that's what I did," he added. He stressed that his goal wasn't to draw attention to his looks but to promote Split's beauty and history.
Not all comments were negative. Some followers came to his defense, calling the debate overblown. "If he'd worn a shirt, none of you would have watched the video," one commenter noted. Others welcomed him and thanked him for promoting Split, while one female follower briefly said: "He's quite handsome; there's something to see. Just enjoy yourself, you're a true Roman legionary."
The travel writer himself concluded with regret: "It's a shame there's so much talk about a shirt and so little about the video itself and the city's history. Thanks to everyone who watched for the content and shared something positive." Judging by the number of reactions, Denokav definitely succeeded in drawing attention to Split, though perhaps not in the way he originally intended.
