Borač (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: Борач), also known as Borač na Kršu is a medieval town and fortress. The remains of the Borač fortress lie on top of a rocky hill 10km northwest of

Knić Knić () is a village and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. According to 2022 census, the population of the town is 1,942, while population of the municipality is 11,729. History Rocky hills above the village of ...

and are protected as a cultural monument of great importance.

History

Archeological findings confirm that the area of Borač hills has been inhabited for thousands of years. The first fort was built by the

Romans 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, who used it as an observation post of an important Roman road. Although the town of Borač existed as a center of a Serbian ''župa'', or a district since 12th century, the fortification was first mentioned in the records from 1389 as a residence of

princess Milica Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née Nemanjić ( · ca. 1335 – November 11, 1405) also known as Empress (''Tsaritsa'') Milica, was a royal consort of Serbia by marriage to Prince Lazar, who fell in the Battle of Kosovo. After her husband's de ...

after the death of her husband, prince

Lazar of Serbia Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Хребељановић; – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, referre ...

Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Murad I. It was one of the largest battles of the Late Middl ...

earlier that year. Despot

Stefan Lazarevic Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

promulgated a charter to the people of Dubrovnik in Borač in 1405. In that period, it was one of the most significant fortifications in the dominion. After the fall of

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

and

Golubac Golubac ( sr-Cyrl, Голубац, ; ) is a village and municipality located in the Braničevo District of eastern Serbia. Situated on the right side of the Danube river, it is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to the west and ...

, whilst building

Smederevo Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, ...

, despot

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Vuković Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Ђурађ Вуковић Бранковић, ; 1377 – 24 December 1456) served as the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456, making him one of the final rulers of medieval Serbia. In 1429, Branković was form ...

additionally fortified Borač. In 1438, the fortress was conquered and razed to the ground by sultan

Murad II Murad II (, ; June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1421 to 1444 and from 1446 to 1451. Early life Murad was born in June 1404 to Mehmed I, while the identity of his mother is disputed according to v ...

Characteristics

The fortress was built on Borački krš which is a section of an inactive volcano within the Rudnik massive that was formed 20 million years ago. The local quarry features tough stones used for fortress walls. The only well preserved object from the time of the despot Stefan, is the Saint Archangel Mihailo orthodox church just under the hill. The walls were incorporated and well blended within the rocks, which serve as natural protection. The fortress consisted of the Big Town, located northeast and the Small Town, located southwest. The only features that currently remain of the fortress are the ruins of the bulwarks, several buildings and towers with irregular bases – three of them on the outside of the Big Town and one on the bulwark separating Small Town from the Big Town.

References

External links

Section Fortress - Borač (ENG)Soko Grad article
in

Politikin Zabavnik ''Politikin Zabavnik'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Политикин Забавник) is a popular magazine in Serbia, published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines. The first issue came out on 28 February 1939. In the beginning it was printed in the ...

Forts in Serbia Ruins in Serbia Medieval Serbian architecture Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia) {{Serbia-struct-stub

History

Characteristics

See also

References

External links