Žabljak Crnojevića (

Montenegrin Cyrillic The Montenegrin alphabet is the collective name given to "" ( Montenegrin Latin alphabet; in Cyrillic) and "" ( Montenegrin Cyrillic alphabet; in Latin), the writing systems used to write the Montenegrin language. It was adopted on 9 June 2009 ...

: Жабљак Црнојевића, ), commonly referred to as Žabljak, is an abandoned medieval fortified town (fortress) in

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

. The fortress is located on the confluence of the

Morača river The Morača ( cnr-Cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers ...

lake Skadar Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-Latn, Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero, )also called Lake Shkodra (and ''Lake Shkodër'')lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is n ...

History

It is believed that this fortress was founded in the 10th century during the reign of the Vojislavljević dynasty in then-known Dioclea, whereas the first known written testimony of the fortress originate from mid-14th century. The fortress served as the capital of

Zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; , , classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived from the Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician letter zay ...

under the Crnojević dynasty from 1466 till 1478, being the seat of Stefan and

Ivan Crnojević Ivan Crnojević ( sr-Cyrl, Иван Црнојевић, italics=no, lit=Ivan the Black) was the lord of Zeta and Montenegrin-Serbian leader from 1465 to 1490. Having formed an alliance with the Republic of Venice, he led the resistance against the ...

. However, Ivan Crnojević was forced to move the capital in 1478 when the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

seized the town during the

siege of Shkodra The siege of Shkodra () took place from May 1478 to April 1479 as a confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and the Venetians together with the League of Lezhë and other Albanians at Shkodra (Scutari in Italian) and its Rozafa Castle durin ...

, holding it until the decision of the

Berlin Congress At the Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878), the major European powers revised the territorial and political terms imposed by the Russian Empire on the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878), which had ended the Rus ...

in 1878 when it fell under Montenegrin administration once again after 400 years of Turkish rule. The town has tall walls with towers, as well as one gate. Within the walls can be found: Ivan Crnojević's court, Church of

Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

(was turned into a mosque during Ottoman rule), housing and military facilities, a warehouse for clothes and a water tank, most of which are preserved. In the early 17th century, the town was under Ottoman rule. The fortress had only one resident, the Dizdar Aga (Turkish official). In the past Žabljak was home to a significant

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

community. They were largely expelled in different waves during the late 19th century expulsion of the Albanians fleeing to

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

(

Pristina Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and District of Pristina, district. In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdo ...

) and

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

.''Albania: From Anarchy to a Balkan Identity''; by Miranda Vickers & James Pettifer, 1999 ; p. 181

Demographics

Gallery

File:Zabjak Crnojevica - hrad zalozeny v 14. stol na ostruvku v b.jpg, View of the castle from the village File:View from Zabljak Crnojevica.jpg, View from the castle to the

Skadar lake Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-Latn, Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero, )also called Lake Shkodra (and ''Lake Shkodër'')lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is n ...

File:Ceklini memorial on Zabljak Crnojevica.jpg, Monument to

Kenjo Janković Kenjo Stankov Janković (Serbian cyrillic: Кењо Станков Јанковић; 1797 in Ceklin – 12 May 1861 in Ceklin) was a Serbian warrior and military leader. Janković is most notable for leading a small band of Montenegrin rebels whic ...

and

Ceklin Ceklin ( Montenegrin/Serbian Cyrillic: Цеклин; ) is a historical tribe (''pleme'') and region in Montenegro. It is divided into two clans: Gornjaci (the Upper) and Donjaci (the Lower). The Gornjaci are descendants of Leka, who came from t ...

rebels File:Zabjak Crnojevica - stejnojmenna viska v podhradi, v zime pr.jpg, The village church and graveyard under the castle

References

* Istorijski leksikon Crne Gore, 5. dio: ''Žabljak Crnojevića''
Montenegro.com: Zabljak Crnojevica

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabljak Crnojevica Populated places in Montenegro Crnojević noble family Cetinje Municipality Former capitals of Montenegro