Maglic
Encyclopedia
Maglič is a medieval fortress in Ibar
gorge 20 km south from Kraljevo
in Serbia
. It is placed atop a hill around which the Ibar River makes a curve, about 100 m above river level. The fortress protected the only caravan
road that connected the Morava Valley and Kosovo polje
. Its name means The Foggy One from the Serbian word "Magla" (Магла), meaning fog
.
Maglič Fortress was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
in 1979, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia.
tower connected with walls. The towers are typical for a medieval fortress in the Balkan peninsula with three solid sides and wooden fences on inner side. Maglič has one gate
placed in the north, and one small sally port
in one of the towers in the southeast part. Inside the fortress are remains of a palace
, barracks
, and a church of Saint George
. There is also a large reservoir for water and a well. In the southern part of the fortress, three towers are placed next to each other to give better protection from attacks.
Maglič was probably built in the first half of the 13th century by Stephen the First Crowned
or his son Urosh I
. During the Serbian empire
it was the seat of Archbishop Danilo II
, who wrote his famous hagiographies
and regiographies in Maglič.
After capturing Smederevo
on June 20, 1459, the Ottoman Empire
occupied Maglič and held it until its recapture by Serbs during the Great Turkish War
. After the defeat of the Serbian uprising the Ottoman Turks
took it back, but they abandoned it soon after.
During the Second Serbian Uprising
Voivod Radoslav Jelečanin ambushed Turks in it and stopped their advance from Novi Pazar
.
, but main restoration of it took place in late 1980. During that restoration wooden floors in its towers and fences along the walls
were restored. Today they are a potential danger because some of them are rotten.
Every year the bottom of the Maglič is the starting point of for the "Merry Ride" , a popular voyage down the Ibar River to Kraljevo
. All types of river-worthy vessels are used during it, and politicians often join the festivities. Usually more than 3,000 vessels take part in this whole day voyage.
The Maglic Fortress has been kept in the family and is currently owned by Serbian physicist, Bogdan Maglich
(disputable, according to Serbian Institute for protection of historical monuments - department Kraljevo
, fortress is public good, and owned by Republic of Serbia).
Ibar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
gorge 20 km south from Kraljevo
Kraljevo
Kraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...
in 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...
. It is placed atop a hill around which the Ibar River makes a curve, about 100 m above river level. The fortress protected the only caravan
Caravan (travellers)
A caravan is a group of people traveling together, often on a trade expedition. Caravans were used mainly in desert areas and throughout the Silk Road, where traveling in groups aided in defence against bandits as well as helped to improve economies of scale in trade.In historical times, caravans...
road that connected the Morava Valley and Kosovo polje
Kosovo Polje
Kosovo Polje or Fushë Kosova is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of central Kosovo, at 42.63° North, 21.12° East, or approximately eight kilometres south-west of the capital Pristina...
. Its name means The Foggy One from the Serbian word "Magla" (Магла), meaning fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
.
Maglič 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 protected by Republic of Serbia.
Structures in Maglič fortress
The fortress consist of seven towers and one dungeonDungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
tower connected with walls. The towers are typical for a medieval fortress in the Balkan peninsula with three solid sides and wooden fences on inner side. Maglič has one gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
placed in the north, and one small sally port
Sally port
The primary modern meaning for sally port is a secure, controlled entryway, as at a fortification or a prison. The entrance is usually protected in some way, such as with a fixed wall blocking the door which must be circumvented before entering, but which prevents direct enemy fire from a distance...
in one of the towers in the southeast part. Inside the fortress are remains of a palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
, barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, and a church of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
. There is also a large reservoir for water and a well. In the southern part of the fortress, three towers are placed next to each other to give better protection from attacks.
History
Stephen II of Serbia
Stefan II Nemanjić or Stephen the First-Crowned was Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196, and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228...
or his son Urosh I
Stefan Uroš I of Serbia
Stefan Uroš I was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav.-Life:Stephen Uroš was the youngest son of Stefan the First-Crowned and Anna, the granddaughter of Enrico Dandolo, Doge of Venice....
. During the Serbian empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
it was the seat of Archbishop Danilo II
Saint Danilo II
Saint Danilo II the Serb is a saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He was originally an archbishop during the heyday of the Serb Nemanjić state under Tsar Dušan Silni in the 14th century...
, who wrote his famous hagiographies
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
and regiographies in Maglič.
After capturing Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
on June 20, 1459, the Ottoman Empire
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...
occupied Maglič and held it until its recapture by Serbs during the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
. After the defeat of the Serbian uprising the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
took it back, but they abandoned it soon after.
During the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
Voivod Radoslav Jelečanin ambushed Turks in it and stopped their advance from Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
.
Maglič today
The fortress was partly restored after World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but main restoration of it took place in late 1980. During that restoration wooden floors in its towers and fences along the walls
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
were restored. Today they are a potential danger because some of them are rotten.
Every year the bottom of the Maglič is the starting point of for the "Merry Ride" , a popular voyage down the Ibar River to Kraljevo
Kraljevo
Kraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...
. All types of river-worthy vessels are used during it, and politicians often join the festivities. Usually more than 3,000 vessels take part in this whole day voyage.
Bogdan Maglich
Bogdan Castle Maglich is a nuclear physicist and the leading advocate of a purported non-radioactive aneutronic fusion energy source. Maglich's Migma fusion would use colliding ion beams. He is the son of a lawyer and elected member of the Yugoslav Royal Parliament...
(disputable, according to Serbian Institute for protection of historical monuments - department Kraljevo
Kraljevo
Kraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...
, fortress is public good, and owned by Republic of Serbia).
See also
- List of fortresses in Serbia
- Monument 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...