The oldest written mention of the toponym Drniš was recorded in 1494 in a notary document written by Grgur, a notary from Šibenik. Thanks to this record, theories about the Ottoman foundation of Drniš were rejected. With the Ottoman conquest in 1522, Drniš gradually developed into a town settlment of borough type (16th century) and kasaba type (17th century). During the two-century Ottoman rule, it became an important religious, military-defense and commercial center. Under the Venetian administration (1684-1797), Drniš continued to develop and the boundaries of the “old” part of the city took on their own shape. The loss of the original function of the fortress and the construction of Venetian barracks in the area of Poljana square in the 18th century, led to the formation of a new city center. Thanks to the increase in the number of inhabitants during the 19th century, a new parish church, a number of representative residential buildings, etc. were built in the city. The population grew even more intensively in the 20th century. The immigration of the new population resulted in the development of industry, the construction of residental buildings, and the development of transport and communal infrastructure. Thus, during the 20th century, there was an intensive urban expansion of the city, but also an increase in the standard of living in the area of the city of Drniš.