Vranduk Fortress: where history, faith, and architecture merge

Somewhere in the 14th century, about 15 kilometers away from the city of Zenica, a fortress was built for defense purposes overlooking the gorge of the Bosnia River from the top of the hill. This same fortress with time became the highest government official city and a royal city, at which, local kings welcomed delegations and signed important contracts.

Vranduk fortress was built in one of the 7 parishes of medieval Bosnia which made it an important historical and religious center, and together with close by Varošište village, a tradesmen’s heaven.

Vranduk Fortress, Photo: Dragan Tomic, Pixabay

Once fully developed and strong, Vranduk fortress, King Tomaš built a church right next to the fortress in order to protect it. However, once Vranduk was defeated and then occupied by the mighty Ottoman Empire, the church was adapted into a mosque and it is known today as Sultan Mehmeda II El Fatiha Mosque.

In the late 18th century and early 19th, the Vranduk Fortress was used as a prison for guilty political parties.

Although dating from the medieval ages, the fortress kept its original shape with slight modifications and renovations all these years. Much later, with additional investigation, numerous archaeological findings were found, and are now stored in the City Museum of Zenica.  You can visit them every day from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.