Samobor

The fortified town of Samobor was built as a border town of the Serbian Kosaca family for the purpose of protecting the Principality of Herzegovina. It is located on the rocky top of Borovska mountain above the river Janjina, which flows into the river Drina. It was named after a lone pine tree that grew on that cliff. Samobor provided the possibility of controlling a large area around the fortress.

Name: Samobor

Location: Novo Gorazde (Republika Srpska)

Purpose: Border fortress and customs control

Year of construction: 1397

Builders: Kosaca family (Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca)

Year of destruction: 1465

Samobor Fortress was built as a fortress of border and customs type and never developed into a trading town. Its purpose is to control the trade routes that passed through the Principality of Herzegovina. It was built by the Kosaca family, led by the Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca. It is the largest fortress of the Kosaca family, which stretched for almost 400 meters and about 350 meters wide. It also served as the summer residence of the Kosaca family. The Kosaca family stayed there in the summer and rested. There are historical documents that claim that Serbian Duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca was treated there. The city was surrounded by thick walls on the east, south and north sides. The west side was protected by steep cliffs. It occupied an area of ​​almost one hectare. At the very top, there was a tower 18 meters high from which a large space could be seen. Control of the Drina and Janjina river valleys as well as trade routes. Samobor Fortress is the best-preserved medieval fortress of the Kosaca family in the Republika Srpska, although it is in a very bad condition. The only access to the fortress is from the southwest, through an inaccessible medieval road, the valley of the river Janjina.

The first mention of Samobor is in Dubrovnik documents on January 13, 1423. years. There are Dubrovnik deputies who visited the Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca. After that, they are very rarely mentioned for the purpose of trade charters.

In 1435, after the death of the Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca, the fortress was inherited by the Duke of St. Sava Stefan Vukcic Kosaca. The fortified town of Samobor is becoming his favorite summer residence.

02/19/1444 year in the charter of the Aragonese-Neapolitan king Alfonso V is mentioned as one of the cities belonging to the Kosaca family under the rule of the Duke of St. Sava Stefan Vukcic Kosaca. It lists his estates and the cities he rules. It is a question of recognition of the state of the Principality of Herzegovina.

01/20/1448 In the charter of the Roman king Frederick III, it is also mentioned as one of the cities ruled by the Kosaca family headed by the duke. And this is the recognition of the independence of the Principality of Herzegovina by Rome.

The fortress consisted of four parts:

The southwestern part belonged to the entrance zone of the fortress. The entire space was controlled by a tall three-sided tower with walls 1.8 to 2.1 meters thick. Along the east side there is a rampart that climbs to the northeast. The thickness of the ramparts is 1.5 meters. On that rampart there is a gate from which steep roads leading up to 400 meters long lead.

The eastern part is extremely inaccessible because it has steep cliffs and vertical cliffs on three sides. To the west, the fortress was protected by a gate on which guards were stationed. There was also a natural notch that was suitable for the construction of wooden buildings, houses for soldiers. Wooden buildings collapsed over time. The protruding points of the north side had carved guard posts in the living rocks. There are remnants of those guard posts. There was another central gate that protected the central part of the fortress. It no longer exists today. There are only the remains of the foundations of the central gate. The central gate had two towers 8 meters high, on which the guard was stationed.

The central part included the area around the Serbian church, which was located 20 meters from the entrance. The church was built during the time of the Serbian duke Sandalj Hranic Kosaca. It was destroyed after the arrival of the Turkish invaders. In this part, four stone chairs were built, which were carved into the living rock. They are located along the road to the upper part of the city. All four were turned in opposite directions so that the environment could be controlled from them. At the very top, the central tower, which was 18 meters high, has been preserved. However, with the passage of time, it also collapsed and the stones ended up in the gorge of the river Janjina.

The southern fortress is located 150 meters south of the central plateau. It was connected to the central part by a rampart of broken lines, which was adapted to the terrain. At the bottom are the remains of two towers that collapsed over time. It had four walls, but in time they collapsed and ended up in the gorge of the river Janjina.

03/10/1466 year in the letter of the Duke of St. Sava Stefan Vukcic Kosaca, which was sent to Dubrovnik, it is stated that the city of Samobor was conquered by the Turkish conquerors and that it is no longer under his rule. These are trade correspondence with Dubrovnik in order to define customs regulations.

After the conquest by the Turkish conquerors, the physiognomy of the fortress changed somewhat. The Serbian church was destroyed and a church of another faith was built on the foundations. The city was abandoned in 1832. After that it served as a prison until the occupation of these areas by the Austro-Hungarian invaders when it was finally abandoned.

DOCUMENTATION: