BiH - Castles and Fortresses
This is the new version of the Alpe-Adria thread with the same name. For the old thread and discussions go to http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=608591 (Croatians and Slovenians are welcome to use my Croatian and Slovenian parts in starting their respective threads).
Bosnia has ca 300 registered fortresses and castles. Some more spectacular than others. Unfortunately many are unmanaged, because of lack of resources i suppose. I hope that they will one day be refurbished. Below follows a couple of ones.
Many of them are from medieval times whereas some were founded even before both the slavs and romans, thousands of years ago, and have since been further enhanced in increments.
Information about some of the below objects can be found here http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheri...cuments_en.asp
http://www.seecorridors.eu/?w_p=27&w_l=2&w_c=3
Tesanj Castle
The foundation of this fortification was started even before the romans conquered the region. Exact dates are unknown. It was later enhanced by the romans, slavs and the the ottoman forces. It has been primarily a defensive fortification.
Doboj Fortress
The first iteration of this fortress was bult in the 10th/11th century and was strengthened with stone strucutres in the 13th century. (This is all during the same period during which Bosnias earliest known university was built in Visoko, also being one of the oldest universities in Europe for studies of Theology, Ethics, Cosmology and Medicine). It was a place for an important battle as the hungarians were heavily defeated there by the joint Bosnian Nobolity army and the Ottomans in the early 15th century. After which it was enhanced and adapted for cannons with another wall and other improvements.
Pre war image
Today (it has been refurbished)
Srebrenik Fortress
Another central bosnian fortress, this one was built in 1333. It was once considerably larger but some of its walls and structure has since collapsed. This fortress was occupied by the Ban of the Bosnian Banate, Stjepan Kotromanic until his death in 1352.
Visoki Castle
Built near the settlement Visoko, it was an important fortress in medieval Bosnia and used by the royalty of Bosnia. Many important medieval documents were signed here, at a height of ca 800m. If i recall it correctly the oldest known bosnian document, written by Ban Kulin, was found in this area of Bosnia. Also being the oldest written state document known in the south slavic languages.
A reconstruction/model of the orignal castle
Overhead illustration
Gradacac Castle
Finished in the 19th century, by the same general who with his army was able to defend Bosnia from attacks from the north in a time when the ottomans could not. In 1831 the same general rallied the Bosnians against the turkish occupation and drove the ottomans out to Kosovo, winning Bosnia its sovereignty for the coming year. Hence this fortification has great historic importance for bosnians. It has been recently renovated.
http://www.gradacac.net/pages/gradaca7.JPG
http://www.gradacac.net/images/gradacacka_gradina_jpg.jpg
I also found some photos here http://community.webshots.com/user/serhatlic
http://image58.webshots.com/658/9/16/59/2198916590072054912GiMuAZ_fs.jpg
http://image.bayimg.com/cajkgaabj.jpg
I guess the dragon... had dragons
Eminagica Konak
Its estimated that this building was built in the early 19th century.
Mogorjelo Villa
Bobovac fortification
Was during a period in medieval times the seat of the Bosnian royalty. Little of the original objects are left.
Even though there are more remnaints, many from older times, few of them are really fortifications, or castles.
Maybe the bridge in Mostar could be called a fortification since it seems to have guard towers, protecting the route.