Earlier known as "a village a half hour walk" from Belgrade, today two centuries later, Karaburma, is a modern metropolis area. Just before the First Serbian Insurrection, first houses erected without any plan or order appeared on the barren slopes. Until that time, Turks in this area executed death penalties of disobedient rebels. Turkish term for execution in the literal translation is "wedding with death". Therefore, it is assumed, that this area got its name from a compound of words "Kara" (meaning - Black) and "Burma" (meaning - wedding ring) - "Karaburma".

At the beginning of the last century, the first factories were opened and that fact attracted workers from other parts of Belgrade and Serbia. The epithet "Worker's area" was used untill the end of the World War II. A significant influx of people from that period of time and the natural population growth, make Karaburma a densely populated area of the city.

When in the 1960s a new settlement in Karaburma was built, on the site "Rospi Cuprija", one of the oldest Celtic cemeteries was found. Iron made weapons and jewelry from this location are now in the Museum of the City of Belgrade.