Sokolac Fortress

Sokolac Fortress - Sokolačka kula, Sokolac, East Sarajevo, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The old town of Sokol was built on a high and steep hill, where in prehistoric times there was a hillfort, traces of which are still visible in the immediate vicinity of its walls. It is a solidly built town whose entire defense was based on the high and strong Sokolac tower built on the most prominent position in the town, on a rock that fell steeply towards the Una and Bihać from the north and east side of the town. Sokol was first mentioned in sources in 1369. The chronicler Ivan Tomašević believes that this town was built in 1020. It had its own castellan, a garrison and estates that served to support the garrison. It was under the jurisdiction of the ban and the garrison of Sokol consisted of soldiers whose support in the 14th century was provided by the estates of Brekovica and Omršal, located between Bihać and Ostrožac on the left bank of the Una, and a large estate in the Bihać field. At the head of the crew stood the castellan, who also had judicial powers over the subjects living on the fort's estates. Despite the fact that according to Sigismund's court, Sokol was one of the most important fortresses in these parts, in the great wars at the beginning of the 15th century, Sokol, together with Bihač and Ripč, was first pledged to Pavlo Čupor in 1410, and then to Nikola and Stjepan Frankopan in 1431, due to a lack of money in Sigismund's treasury. At the end of the 15th century, Sokol belonged to the Croatian ban Ivaniš Korvino, and at the beginning of the 16th century, its owners were Orlovići and Kerečeni. After 1527, Sokol was guarded by royal soldiers commanded by a captain from Bihać. So in 1563 there was a crew of 12 guards in the city. Sokol came under Ottoman rule in 1592, and a permanent military crew was immediately installed in it, whose commander was the cehaja (assistant) of the Bihać captain. At the beginning of the 16th century, it had a small garrison of 19 men. Later, the garrison was moved, and they are not even mentioned in the 1643 census. In the mid-18th century, the garrison numbered 20 men, and the fortress had two small cannons for defense. Until recently, Sokolac was one of the best-preserved old towns in this area. In 1898, it was restored by the then head of the Bihać district, Count Lothar Berks, and has been open to visitors since then. Later, a tavern was set up on one floor of the Sokolac Tower, where postcards and basic information about the town could be purchased.

Sourse: www.bihac.org