Travnik is a town and a municipality in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

. As of 2013, the town had a population of 15,344 inhabitants, while the municipality had 53,482 inhabitants. Historically, it was the capital city of the governors of Bosnia from 1699 to 1850, and has a cultural heritage dating from that period.

Geography

Travnik is located near the geographic center of Bosnia and Herzegovina at . The river Lašva passes through the town, flowing from west to east before joining the Bosna. Travnik itself is built in the large Lašva valley, which connects the Bosna river valley in the east with the Vrbas river valley in the west. Travnik is found above sea level. Its most distinguishing geographic feature are its mountains, Vilenica and Vlašić. Vlašić, named after the

Vlachs "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easte ...

, is one of the tallest mountains in the country at . A large

karst spring A karst spring or karstic spring is a spring (outflow of groundwater) that is part of a karst hydrological system. Description Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as a ''To ...

, the Plava Voda wellspring, rises under Vlašić mountain, just below Travnik Castle, in the very center of Old Town of Travnik.

Climate

Travnik has a continental climate, located between the Adriatic sea to the South and Pannonia to the North. Average summer temperature is . Average winter temperature on the other hand is a cold . It snows in Travnik every year.

History

Although there is evidence of some settlement in the region dating back to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, the true history of Travnik begins during the first few centuries AD. Dating from this time there are numerous indications of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

settlement in the region, including graves, forts, the remains of various other structures, early Christian basilicas, etc. In the town itself, Roman coins and plaques have been found. Some writing found indicates the settlement is closely connected to the known Roman colony in modern-day Zenica, away. In the Middle Ages the Travnik area was known as the'' župa Lašva'' province of the medieval Bosnian Kingdom. The area is first mentioned by

Bela IV of Hungary Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal * Bela, Janakpur ...

in 1244. Travnik itself was one of a number of fortified towns in the region, with its fortress ''Kaštel'' becoming today's old town sector. The town itself is first mentioned by the Ottomans during their conquest of nearby Jajce. After the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in the 15th century, much of the local population converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

. The town quickly grew into one of the more important settlements in the region, as authorities constructed mosques, marketplaces, and various infrastructures. During 1699 when

was set afire by soldiers of Field-Marshal Prince Eugene of Savoy, Travnik became the capital of the Ottoman province of Bosnia and residence of the Bosnian viziers. The town became an important center of government in the entire western frontier of the empire, and

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth co ...

s were established by the governments of France and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. The period of Austrian occupation brought westernization and industry to Travnik, but also a reduction of importance. While cities such as

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. ...

, Tuzla, and Zenica grew rapidly, Travnik changed so little that during 1991 it had a mere 30,000 or so people, with 70,000 in the entire municipality. A large fire started by a spark from a locomotive in September 1903 destroyed most of the town's buildings and homes, leaving only some hamlets and the fortress untouched. The cleanup and rebuilding took several years. From 1922 to 1929, Travnik was the capital of the

Travnik Oblast Travnik Oblast ( sh, Травник област, translit=Travnik Oblast) was one of the oblasts of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from 1922 to 1929. Its administrative center was Travnik. History The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and ...

. From 1929 to 1941, Travnik was part of the Drina Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the Bosnian War, the town mostly escaped damage from conflict with Serbian forces, hosting refugees from nearby Jajce, but the area experienced fighting between local Bosniak and Croat factions before the Washington Agreement was signed in 1994. After the war, Travnik was made the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton. Travnik Fort

Administration

Travnik is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Travnik, whose area of jurisdiction covers the town of Travnik itself and 89 other rural settlements. Travnik is also the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton, one of the ten Cantons of Bosnia. The municipality government has various bureau's dedicated to help in the running of the region, ranging from the bureau of urbanization and construction, to the bureau of refugees and displaced persons.

Economy

The economy of the Travnik region suffered greatly during the war period of the early 1990s. In 1981 Travnik's GDP per capita was 63% of the Yugoslav average. Nowadays, most of the region deals with typical rural work such as farming and herding. As for urban industry, Travnik has several factories producing everything from matches to furniture. Food processing is also a strong industry in the region, especially meat and milk companies.

Tourism

Like many Bosnian towns, Travnik's tourism is based largely on its history and geography. Nearby Mount Vlašić is one of the tallest peaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and an excellent spot for skiing, hiking and sledding. Whilst tourism is not very strong for the town, Mount Vlašić is probably its chief tourist attraction. The town is also of interest: numerous structures dating to the Ottoman era have survived in near perfect condition, such as numerous mosques, oriental homes, two clock towers (''sahat kula''; Travnik is the only town in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have two clock towers) and fountains. The town's old town dates back to the early 15th century, making it one of the most popular widely accessible sites from that time. Plave vode mlin

Demographics

Population

Ethnic composition

Culture

Travnik has a strong culture, mostly dating back to its time as the center of local government in the Ottoman Empire. Travnik has a popular old town district however, which dates back to the period of Bosnian independence during the first half of the 15th century. Numerous mosques and churches exist in the region, as do tombs of important historical figures and excellent examples of Ottoman architecture. The town museum, built in 1950, is one of the more impressive cultural institutions in the region. One of the main works of Ivo Andrić, a native of Travnik, is the ''Bosnian Chronicle'' (or ''Travnik Chronicle''), depicting life in Travnik during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

and itself written during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The Bosnian Tornjak, one of Bosnia's two major dog breeds and national symbol, originated in the area, found around Vlašić mountain.

Sport

The local football team is NK Travnik, established in 1922.

Notable people

* Ivo Andrić, writer and the 1961 winner of the Nobel Prize for literature * Miroslav Ćiro Blažević, professional football manager and player * Nura Bazdulj-Hubijar Bosnian poet and novelist. *

Josip Josip () is a male given name found among Croats and Slovenes, a cognate of Joseph. In Croatia, the name Josip was the second most common masculine given name in the decades up to 1959, and has stayed among the top ten most common ones throughout ...

and Zlatko Pejaković, artist brothers, actor and musicians * Davor Džalto, artist, art historian, theologian and philosopher * Nikša Bratoš, composer and arranger of contemporary music * Oliver Frljić, theatre director * Vjekoslav Kramer, chef *

Sena Jurinac Srebrenka "Sena" Jurinac () (24 October 1921 – 22 November 2011) was a Bosnian-born Austrian operatic soprano. Biography Jurinac was born in Travnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina (then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), the daughter of a Croatian fa ...

, operatic soprano *

Solomon Gaon Solomon Gaon (1912–1994) was Sephardic Rabbi and Hakham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of the British Commonwealth. Biography Solomon Gaon was born in Travnik, Yugoslavia in 1912 and studied at the yeshiva in Sarajevo. Both his parents were ...

, Sephardic Rabbi and Hakham * Mirosław Ferić, fighter pilot * Nikola Mandić, politician * Zlata Bartl, scientist and is the creator of Vegeta * Frano Zubić, Bosnian Franciscan * Larisa Cerić, judoka and European Championship silver medalist * Mladen Solomun, DJ and music producer * Vildana Selimbegović, journalist and editor of Oslobođenje

Twin towns – sister cities

Travnik is twinned with: * İzmit, Turkey * Karpoš, North Macedonia * Kırıkkale, Turkey *

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

, Germany * Makarska, Croatia * Pendik, Turkey * Police nad Metují, Czech Republic * Yalova, Turkey

Gallery

File:Suleimania Mosque.JPG, Suleimania Mosque File:Suleimania Mosque.jpg, Suleimania Mosque File:Suleimania Mosque 02.JPG, Suleimania Mosque File:Suleimania Mosque 03.JPG, Suleimania Mosque File:Sahat Kule 01.JPG, Sahat Kula, Clock Tower File:Sahat Kule 02.JPG, Another Clock Tower File:TravnikCastle01.JPG, View from Travnik Castle File:Travnik Ivo Andric1.jpg, Birthplace (home) of Ivo Andrić File:Travnik street 01.jpg, Poturmahala. File:Travnik 02.jpg, Old Town File:Travnik 06.jpg File:Travnik entry.png, Entry to Travnik from eastern side

References

External links

Travnik official website

Dnevnik srednje bosne

Internacionalni Univerzitet Travnik

Information about town

Travnik
— A town guide {{Authority control Populated places in Travnik