Ostrožac Castle ( Bosnian) is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

located in

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 ...

in the Una-Sana Canton on the outskirts of the town of

Cazin Cazin ( sr-cyrl, Цазин) is a city located in Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in northwest Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Bosanska Krajina region, near the border ...

, in the village of Ostrožac. The castle dates back to the 13th century when Ostrožac was part of property of the noble house of Babonić family. In 1592 it was captured by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and established as an Ottoman province of Bosnia. The castle was rebuilt between 1900 and 1906 by Major of Bihać Lothar Von Berks as a birthday present for his wife, member of the Habsburg family. On a session held on 7 November 2013, the Commission for National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to designate Ostrožac castle the National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a category of the architectural ensemble. The castle hosts a 55-year old event known under the name '' Colony of sculptors Ostrožac''. This event produced number of monumental sculptures carved in bihacite stone, of which more than 150 is left in the castle courtyard as a permanent exhibition, forming the open-air '' Sculpture Park Ostrožac'', unique in

Southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

. According to the decision of the Commission for National Monuments, the sculptures are an "integral and inalienable" part of the architectural ensemble as a wider

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

. Tourism and civic organizations of

and Ostrožac use the castle grounds for shows, concerts, performances and variety of events. For the time being, the castle complex is being repaired at slow pace and only most urgent repairs have been done, although comprehensive plans for restoration of entire complex exist.

References

Castles in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ottoman architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina Buildings and structures in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cazin National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina architecture {{BosniaHerzegovina-castle-stub

See also

References