Vranduk (Zenica)


Vranduk is historic village in the municipality of Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Geography

It is situated on the Bosna River canyon, just downstream from town of Zenica, at the site called the Vranduk Pass. The main road Sarajevo-Zenica-Doboj pass through the canyon and the village. On 14 February 1971 a rail crash in the tunnel near Vranduk occurred, 34 people were killed and 113 injured.

History

Archaeological excavations to date on the site of the fort showed no signs of fortifications dating from the prehistoric period or antiquity, or prior to the medieval times. Village itself is one of the oldest and well preserved settlements of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dating back to 14th century and times of medieval bans and later kings of Bosnia. Vranduk village is established around medieval citadel of the same name, and together constitute protected architectural assembly, and as such a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a well preserved and maintained in good condition by local and state commissions for national monuments, and managed by local tourist organization. A small mosque was erected below citadel after Ottoman conquest of the Bosnian Kingdom, which still standing today in good condition. The mosque was dedicated to and named after Sultan Mehmed II El Fatih, conqueror of Bosnia, and is also referred to as the Imperial Mosque or Emperor’s Mosque. In 1963, excavations were undertaken by Branka Raunig to explore the impact of the Roman empire on the village.

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