Havala Fortress

Havala Fortress - Stari grad Havala, Kulen Vakuf, Una-Sana Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Opposite Ostrovica, across the Una river valley where Kulen Vakuf is located, are the ruins of the old Havala fortress. It was built around the middle of the 17th century, and it is assumed that the fort was built by Sultan Ahmed III. This defensive fort consisted of a stone entrance and one tabia1, and its eastern side was surrounded by a wall 5 m high and up to 1 meter thick. Above the main entrance was a masjid2, as evidenced by the still visible mihrab3, and to the left of the entrance there were two towers. Throughout the centuries, Havala was a strategically very important fortress from which the bridge over the Una River and the entire Kulen Vakuf (formerly Džisr-i-kebir – the Great Bridge) were monitored, as well as road communication on the right side of the river that connected Lika and Dalmatia with other destinations in the region and beyond. West of Havala is a Muslim cemetery with the grave of Smailbeg Kulenović, one of the dizdars (commanders) of Havala. The graves are built in the form of sarcophagi with two nišans (tombstones) and, like many old tombstones in this area, are made of local bihacite stone, which is very durable and very suitable for carving. Although they are not maintained, the inscriptions on them are still clearly visible today, and are written in Arabic letters and Turkish.

Sourse: www.bihac.org