Zvečaj fortress is a ruined castle in Rekavice,

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

. It was a strategically very important fortress in

medieval Bosnia The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages refers to the time period between the Roman era and the 15th-century Ottoman conquest. The Early Middle Ages in the Western Balkans saw the region reconquered from barbarians (Ostrogot ...

. Its ruins can still be found on the southern side of the steep slope in the Vrbas canyon. They are located about 10 km upstream from

Banjaluka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the traditional centre of the densely forested ...

, or 40 km downstream from

Jajce Jajce ( sr-Cyrl, Јајце) is a town and municipality in the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 7,172 inhabitants, wi ...

History and significance

Bearing in mind (for construction at that time) the unfavorable configuration of the terrain, Zvečaj was a spacious, irregularly shaped fortress, purposefully integrated into the rocky environment. Its crumbling remains are neglected and decaying. This fortress was located in a very significant position, near the upstream entrance to the Vrbas canyon, in the ''Tijesno'' locality (behind Krupa on Vrbas). This is evidenced by the remains of three well-fortified towns: Zvečaj, Bočac and Greben. The entrance to the Vrbasa canyon, on the Banjaluka-Jajce route, is narrow and to this day the rest is really narrow, because a vertical and high rock rises right next to the bed of the Vrbasa. Zvečaj was first mentioned on January 15, 1404, as the court of the

Grand Duke of Bosnia Grand Duke of Bosnia (, ) was a court title in the Bosnian medieval state, with its first holders being recorded around the middle of the 14th century. The title was bestowed by the monarch to its highest military commander, rarely two, usually ...

Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (c. 1350–1416) was a medieval Bosnian nobleman and magnate, Grand Duke of Bosnia, Knez of Donji Kraji, and Duke of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Hrvatinić noble family, and one of the major feu ...

, when an alliance was signed with the people of

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

against King

Stjepan Ostoja Stephen OstojaHis name in Bosnian is rendered Stjepan Ostoja (), while in Croatian it is Stjepan Ostoja. In Serbian, he is called Stefan Ostoja (). ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Stjepan Ostoja, Стјепан Остоја; died September 1418 ...

. After 15 years (March 15, 1419), Ostoj's son received the Dubrovnik envoys there and confirmed their previous privileges.Truhelka Ć. (1904): ''Kraljevski grad Jajce''. Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja, Sarajevo.Kreševljaković, H. (1953): ''Stari bosanski gradovi''. Naše starine I.: 7-44, Sarajevo. When Ključ fell in 1463, Zvečaj was occupied by 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 ...

, who stationed a crew of 50

janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

and 30 other soldiers and appointed Konstantin of Ostrovica, writer of a well-known chronicle, as the commander. At the end of the same year, along with some other Bosnian towns, it was occupied by King

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...

. He also stayed in Zvečaj during his invasion of the Balkans in 1480. In the Ottoman-Hungarian treaty of 1519, Zvečaj, Banjaluka and Vrbas (Orbasz; Banya Lwka, Zweczay cum castro Verbaz) are also mentioned as having belonged to King Louis II. The Ottomans recaptured Zvečaj in 1528, during the governorship of Gazi Husrev-bey, when Andrija Dresneky surrendered it without resistance. That is why King Ferdinand I declared him a traitor and confiscated his possessions in Požega County, as evidenced by a document signed on 10 February 1528. There are no documents about the further fate of Zvečaj, until

Battle of Banja Luka The Battle of Banja Luka (, ) took place in Banja Luka, Ottoman Bosnia, on 4 August 1737, during the Austro-Russian-Turkish War. An Austrian army under Prince Joseph Hildberghausen was defeated, as it attempted to besiege the town, when it ...

. Zvečaj played an extremely important role in many defensive battles around Banja Luka and in Bosnia in general, including the Battle of Banja Luka in 1737. The battle took place under Banja Luka on 4 August 1737, and the Bosnian Ottoman army won a key victory in five assaults against

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. Around 1,300 dead were left behind on the side of the defeated Austro-Hungarian army. In the battle, the Bosnian Ottoman army won key victories in spite of an order from

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

that they should not offer resistance and Austria-Hungary having called on the Christian population not to participate in the defense of Bosnia. Bosnian

Vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

Hećimoglu Ali Pasha (Turkish: Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa) expected that the Austrian army would attack Bosnia. On his own initiative, he summoned all the captains and ajans to a meeting in

Travnik Travnik ( cyrl, Травник) is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

. Since he could not get help from Istanbul, he organized the defense of Bosnia with his own forces. Relatively quickly, he gathered around 10,000 soldiers on a grassy field just outside of Banja Luka. All the captains in the Ottoman Bosnian army responded to the call. The Austrian forces consisted of about 14,000 well-equipped soldiers.Pelidija E. (2002): ''Banjalučki boj iz 1737 - Uzroci i posljedice''. El-Kalem, Sarajevo. Although they were attacked from several directions, from the North across the

Sava The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...

and from the East across the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...

, Ali Pasha and the other leaders organized an effective defense, and in a counterattack completely beat the enemy army. For the next 150 years, Austria-Hungary would not attempt to enter Bosnia. Only in 1878, after the

Congress of Berlin 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 ...

and during the decline of the Ottoman Empire, would Austria-Hungary again enter Bosnia.

References

External links

{{National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Castles in Bosnia and Herzegovina Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina architecture Hrvatinić noble family National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina

History and significance

See also

References

External links