Kruševac Fortress
Encyclopedia
Kruševac Fortress or City of Prince Lazar (Serbian
: Крушевачки град or Kruševački grad) was a medieval fortified
town in Kruševac
, Serbia
, former capital of Prince Lazar
. Within the city there is the court
church so called Lazarica. Today, all that remains of the town is very small ruins.
or he significantly expanded and strengthened an earlier fortress that was there. It is then located princes capital, from which he ruled his country as attested signature and record in a Charter
issued in 1387 which states:
After the Battle of Kosovo
Turks
briefly took control of the city, but fortress was soon returned to Serbs
.
Lazar's son and successor Stefan
managed Despotate
from Kruševac
until 1405, when the capital was moved to Belgrade
, which in 1403 began to renew and fortified. However Kruševac didn't lost its importance, because the despot in it met with Sultan
Mehmed I
in 1413.
Struggle over control of the city have ceased during the entire first half of 15th century, and it was given to the Turks briefly in 1413, and in 1427 (Despot Stefan gave it before the end of his life). In 1437 Hungarians occupied the fort. After signing Agreement on the restoration of Despotate Đurađ Branković Smederevac regain Fortress in 1444, but Turks definitely win it in 1454, when fort was renamed Aladža Hisar, Turkish
for Colorful City, because of the diversity of materials from which the fortress was built.
s capital of the palace church of St. Stephen
, Lazarica
. In addition it is very little left of the Hard town of Kruševac, as it is called by Constantine of Kostenets
. Today, the survival remains are Donjon Tower, through which you entered the city and part of Eastern wall
. Inside the walls of the towers today are still a hallway with staircase, through which arrived on the higher levels and exited on the city walls. One of the curiosities of this particular tower was platered with pebbles, which is rare and probably one of the reasons for the Turks to give the name of the whole fortress Colorful City. The area of the former fortress was turned into a park where there is now a museum. The park is almost entirely neglected, except around the church. Walls and the remains of other buildings are very poorly preserved, unmarked and in no way are protected from vandals. Part of the walls in the last century was torn down to build houses whose construction probably used stone from the fortress.
But, later, Kruševac Fortress was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
in 1979, and it is now protected by Republic of Serbia.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Крушевачки град or Kruševački grad) was a medieval fortified
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
town in Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, former capital of Prince Lazar
Lazar of Serbia
Lazar Hrebeljanović , was a medieval nobleman that emerged as the most powerful Serbian ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is...
. Within the city there is the court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
church so called Lazarica. Today, all that remains of the town is very small ruins.
Past of the City
Fort in Kruševac was first mentioned in 1381, so it was probably built by Prince LazarLazar of Serbia
Lazar Hrebeljanović , was a medieval nobleman that emerged as the most powerful Serbian ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is...
or he significantly expanded and strengthened an earlier fortress that was there. It is then located princes capital, from which he ruled his country as attested signature and record in a Charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
issued in 1387 which states:
After the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
briefly took control of the city, but fortress was soon returned to Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
.
Lazar's son and successor Stefan
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
managed Despotate
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
from Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
until 1405, when the capital was moved to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, which in 1403 began to renew and fortified. However Kruševac didn't lost its importance, because the despot in it met with Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Mehmed I
Mehmed I
Mehmed I Çelebi was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. He was one of the sons of Bayezid I and Valide Sultan Devlet Hatun Mehmed I Çelebi (Ottoman: چلبی محمد, Mehmed I or Mehmed Çelebi) (1382, Bursa – May 26, 1421, Edirne, Ottoman Empire) was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
in 1413.
Struggle over control of the city have ceased during the entire first half of 15th century, and it was given to the Turks briefly in 1413, and in 1427 (Despot Stefan gave it before the end of his life). In 1437 Hungarians occupied the fort. After signing Agreement on the restoration of Despotate Đurađ Branković Smederevac regain Fortress in 1444, but Turks definitely win it in 1454, when fort was renamed Aladža Hisar, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
for Colorful City, because of the diversity of materials from which the fortress was built.
Kruševac Fortress today
The best preserved part of the former Prince LazarLazar of Serbia
Lazar Hrebeljanović , was a medieval nobleman that emerged as the most powerful Serbian ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is...
s capital of the palace church of St. Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, Lazarica
Lazarica
Lazarica is a village in the municipality of Kruševac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 1521 people....
. In addition it is very little left of the Hard town of Kruševac, as it is called by Constantine of Kostenets
Constantine of Kostenets
Constantine of Kostenets , also known as Konstantin Kostenechki and Constantine the Philosopher , was a medieval Bulgarian writer and chronicler...
. Today, the survival remains are Donjon Tower, through which you entered the city and part of Eastern wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
. Inside the walls of the towers today are still a hallway with staircase, through which arrived on the higher levels and exited on the city walls. One of the curiosities of this particular tower was platered with pebbles, which is rare and probably one of the reasons for the Turks to give the name of the whole fortress Colorful City. The area of the former fortress was turned into a park where there is now a museum. The park is almost entirely neglected, except around the church. Walls and the remains of other buildings are very poorly preserved, unmarked and in no way are protected from vandals. Part of the walls in the last century was torn down to build houses whose construction probably used stone from the fortress.
But, later, Kruševac Fortress was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
Monuments of Culture of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)
Cultural Monuments of Exceptional Importance are the monuments in the Republic of Serbia that have the highest level of the State protection, and some of them are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites....
in 1979, and it is now protected by Republic of Serbia.
See also
- Monuments of Culture of Exceptional ImportanceMonuments of Culture of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)Cultural Monuments of Exceptional Importance are the monuments in the Republic of Serbia that have the highest level of the State protection, and some of them are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites....
- Tourism in SerbiaTourism in SerbiaSerbia stretches across two geographic and cultural regions of Europe: Central Europe and Southeast Europe. This boundary splits Serbia roughly in a ratio of 1:2 alongside the Danube and Sava rivers. The northern parts of the country are Central-European lowlands while the southern and central...
- Prince Lazar
- LazaricaLazaricaLazarica is a village in the municipality of Kruševac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 1521 people....
External links
- Association of fortresses and remnants of fortified towns in Serbia, Kruševac
- Church of St. Stefan Lazarica with Kruševac Fortress SANU web-site, at www.spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs