Vratnik (), also known as ( 'old town Vratnik'), is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
,
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 ...
.
History
Developed by the Ottomans since 16th century, its core was redeveloped into in the
fortified "walled city" in 18th century, after
Prince Eugene of Savoy brief terror-raid into Ottoman-held Bosnia which culminated in sacking and burning of undefended open city of Sarajevo.
The ''Walled city of Vratnik'' represents urban core within the wider neighbourhood of Vratnik and is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2005.
Vratnik is of
Slavic origin and is derived from the form Bratnik, which appears in the Turkish documents in the second half of the 15th century. Others believe, Vratnik name comes from the word "vrata" (gateway or door). The old Vratnik fort is associated with its location alongside the roads by which persons and goods entered the town from east at that time. The "Imperial Road" (Carska Džada), road from Sarajevo via
Višegrad
Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav (Drina), Rzav river. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,668 in ...
to
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 ...
, led over Vratnik for centuries.
Up until the brief but devastating terror-raid of
Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1697, when the city was sacked and numerous buildings burnt and rest of it severely damaged, Sarajevo was an
open city. The event prompted governor Ahmed-paša Rustempašić Skopljak in 1727, to order Vratnik town and most of its core to be redeveloped into the
fortified "walled city". Vratnik is a tourist attraction primarily due to its old town architecture and Sarajevo city view lookouts.
File:Sarajevo, turecký dům.jpg, Old house of Bosnian architecture
File:Vratnik City.JPG, Tight street spaces
File:Old Vratnik town architecture.JPG, Old Vratnik town architecture
File:Mišćina džamija in Vratnik.JPG, Mišćina mosque (2010)
File:Old city wall (4686345048).jpg, Fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
walls and Sirokac Tower (May 1987)
Heritage
The ''Walled city of Vratnik'' represents urban core within the wider neighbourhood of Vratnik. Since 2005 the
KONS designated walled area of the neighborhood a
national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It includes features such as Visegrad Gate as the main entry point to a town and is one of the three
city gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway.
Uses
City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...
s (
towers) in the Vratnik Old Town ''(The old Vratnik fort)'' with the other two being Širokac Gate and Ploča Gate. It was built between 1727 and 1739, in limestone and a special Bosnian stone "hreša" with roof shingles. Traffic went east via the main road towards Visegrad (thus the name) and continued further to the east towards
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 ...
.
Ploča Gate is transformed into the
Alija Izetbegović Museum, in commemoration to a former first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Alija Izetbegović, and opened on 19 October 2007.
File:Sarajevo, muezum Alije Izetbegoviće.jpg, Ploca Tower, now Museum Alija Izetbegović
File:Sarajevo Vratnik Širokac kula.jpg, Širokac tower-gate
Along the perimeter walls thera are several forts, such as Bijela Tabija (), Žuta Tabija ( and smaller bastions. Bijela Tabija is a cannon bastion/fortress which also served to accommodate soldiers. It is assumed to have been built at the site of a small medieval town "Hodidjed" (central fortress of the
Vrhbosna Parish). The fortress overlooks Sarajevo with the panoramic views of the eastern entrance to Sarajevo, the Miljacka River canyon and the city itself.
Žuta Tabija is a cannon fort at Jekovac part of the neighborhood, close to the Jajce Barracks and the Jekovac water reservoir. It served as one of the defense points against the
Austro-Hungarian troops in 1878.
Other important forts are Strošićka Tabija (),
Tabija na Ravnim Bakijama (),
Tabija na Zmajevcu ().
Other features
Jajce barracks is the name of the former
Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy-Carignano (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736), better known as Prince Eugene, was a distinguished Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty durin ...
barracks in Sarajevo.
Barracks
Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
were built in 1914 for the need of the Austro-Hungarian army, and name "Jajce Barracks" carries from 1915 when one Austro-Hungarian military hospital was moved to the Barracks.
See also
*
Višnjik
*
Skenderija
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Stari Grad, Sarajevo
Neighbourhoods in Grad Sarajevo