Bileca, katolicky vojensky kostel (bez veze)

Bileća ( sr-cyrl, Билећа) is a town and municipality located in

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located ...

, an entity of

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 ...

. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants.

History

The first traces of civilization in Bileća date from the

Neolithic period The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

, although archaeological sites are insufficiently explored. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, Bileća was located on the boundary of the

župa A župa (or zhupa, županija) is a historical type of administrative division in Southeast Europe and Central Europe, that originated in medieval South Slavic culture, commonly translated as "parish", later synonymous "kotar", commonly transl ...

of Vrm and the nearby

Vlach "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 Easter ...

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

was often mentioned as an important crossroad location for caravans on the way from

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...

Nikšić Nikšić ( cnr, Никшић, italic=no, sr-cyrl, Никшић, italic=no; ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 56,970 located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot ...

and Ključ, near Gacko. The town became part of the Bosnian state for the first time in 1373, after the defeat of

Nikola Altomanović Nikola Altomanović ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Алтомановић; died after 1395) was a 14th-century Serbian župan of the House of Vojinović. He ruled the areas from Rudnik, over Polimlje, Podrinje, east Herzegovina with Trebinje, reachi ...

, but the first mention of the town under its present name is from 25 January 1387, while it appears as ''Bilechia'' in 1438. A document dated 8 September 1388 mentions that the army of the duke

Vlatko Vuković }; died ) was a 14th-century Bosnian nobleman, Duke of Hum, Grand Duke of Bosnia ( sh, Veliki vojvoda bosanski) and one of the best military commanders of King Tvrtko I, for whom he governed Hum (part of modern-day Herzegovina), which was part of ...

defeated the

Turkish army The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...

at the

Battle of Bileća The Battle of Bileća was fought in August 1388 between the forces of the Kingdom of Bosnia led by Grand Duke Vlatko Vuković, and the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Lala Şahin Pasha. The Ottoman army broke into Hum, the kingdom's sout ...

. The period from the 13th to the 16th century was marked by the building of a large number of stećci, monolith markers that weigh up to 5 tons. Bileća was held by the Turks from 1466, although it was a rebellious area that was difficult to control. Nearby lies the town of Vučji Do, in which the

Battle of Vučji Do The Battle of Vučji Do ( sr-cyr, Битка код Вучјег дола) was a major battle of the Montenegrin-Ottoman War of 1876-78 that took place on 18 July 1876 in Vučji Do, Montenegro, fought between the combined forces of Monteneg ...

took place in 1876. The

Congress of Berlin The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a diplomatic conference to reorganise the states in the Balkan Peninsula after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, which had been won by Russia against the Ottoman Empire. Represented at th ...

included Bileća in the

Austro-Hungarian Empire 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 ...

, which brought economic development to the region. The first primary school in Bileća was opened in 1880. File:Bileća - panoramio (2).jpg, Necropolis of

stećak Stećak (, ) or Stećci in plural form (, ) is the name for monumental medieval tombstones, that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found within the bo ...

tombstones in Bileća File:Stara fortifikacijska utvrda Drakuljica kod Bilece - panoramio.jpg, Old fotification Drakuljica File:Korička jama i spomenik korićkim žrtvama 11.jpg, A pit in which

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...

threw killed Serb civilians from Bileća, a part of the wider Genocide of Serbs File:Bilećki partizanski bataljon.jpg,

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

from Bileća File:Парк Народних хероја са костурницом, Билећа.jpg, Park of People's Hero

Settlements

Aside from the town of Bileća, the municipality includes the following settlements: * Baljci * Bijela Rudina * Bijeljani * Bodenik * Bogdašići * Brestice * Čepelica * Deleuša * Divin * Dlakoše * Dola * Donja Meka Gruda * Donji Davidovići * Đeče * Fatnica * Golobrđe * Gornja Meka Gruda * Gornji Davidovići * Granica * Hodžići *

Kačanj Kačanj ( sr-cyrl, Качањ) is a village in the municipality of Bileća, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known inf ...

* Kalac * Korita * Krivača * Krstače * Kukričje * Kuti * Lađevići * Milavići * Mirilovići * Miruše * Mrežica * Narat * Njeganovići * Oblo Brdo *

Orah Orah ( Serbo-Croatian for "walnut") may refer to: Places Bosnia and Herzegovina * Orah, Bileća, a village in Bileća, Republika Srpska * Orah, Rudo, a village in Rudo, Republika Srpska * Orah, Ravno, a village in Ravno, Federation of Bosnia an ...

* Orahovice * Pađeni * Panik * Plana * Podgorje * Podosoje * Preraca * Prijevor * Prisoje * Rioca * Selišta * Simijova * Skrobotno * Šobadine * Todorići * Torič * Trnovica * Vlahinja * Vranjska * Vrbica * Zasada * Zaušje * Zvijerina * Žudojevići

Demographics

Population

Ethnic composition

According to the 1910 census, the absolute majority in the Bileća municipality were Orthodox Christians (82.27%). According to the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 191 ...

1931 population census, the majority was held by Orthodox Christians ''81.27%''.

Economy

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Sports

Local football club FK Hercegovac has spent one season in the country's second tier-

First League of the Republika Srpska The First League of the Republika Srpska ( sh, Prva liga Republike Srpske / ) is a second level Association football, football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The league champion is promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

Features

* Th
Diocese of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and Littoral (official site in Serbian)Serbian Orthodox Church (official site in English)

Hydroelectric power plants on the Trebisnjica River (near Bileća)
* Lake Bileća (''Bilećko jezero'') is located south of the town.

Notable people

Tijana Bošković in attack (team Serbia, 2017)

Safet Isović Safet Isović (; 20 October 1936 – 2 September 2007) was a Bosnian singer who performed the Bosnian traditional music sevdalinka. Early life and family Isović was born into a Bosniak family in Bileća, located in the Herzegovina region of mod ...

, singer *

Beba Selimović Izeta Selimović (27 March 1936 – 10 March 2020), known by her stage name Beba Selimović, was a Bosnian sevdalinka- folk singer and was one of the leading female singers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in Yugoslavia, along with Zehra Deović, ...

, singer *

Fadil Hadžić Fadil Hadžić (23 April 1922 – 3 January 2011) was a Croatian and Yugoslav film director, screenwriter, playwright and journalist, mainly known for his comedy films and plays. He was born in Bileća in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but mainly ...

, movie director and writer * Dušan Vukotić, Oscar for best animated short in 1961 for Surogat * Karlo Mijić, painter *

Jevto Dedijer Jevto Dedijer (Serbian Cyrillic: Јевто Дедијер; 15 August 1880 – 24 December 1918) was a Bosnian-Serb writer and geographer from the Maleševci clan who was influential in the formation of the Serb Academy. He was born to a peasan ...

, writer * Nenad Mišanović, basketball player * Prokopije Čokorilo, priest *

Ervin Eleskovic Ervin Eleskovic (born 8 May 1987 in Bileća, SFR Yugoslavia) is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. Singles Titles External links * *Ervin Eleskovixon ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Prog ...

, Swedish tennis player *

Tijana Bošković Tijana Bošković ( sr-cyrl, Тијана Бошковић; born 8 March 1997) is a Serbian professional volleyball player who plays as an opposite spiker for Turkish Women's Volleyball League club Eczacıbaşı Dynavit and the Serbia women's nat ...

, Serbian volleyball player, World and European champion, silver medalist at the

2016 Summer Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bileca Populated places in Bileća