Vratnik (Sarajevo)
Vratnik, also known as Stari grad Vratnik, is a local community within the Stari Grad municipality and is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History
Developed by the Ottomans since 16th century, its core was redeveloped into in the fortified "walled city" in 18th century, after Prince Eugene of Savoy brief terror-raid into Ottoman-held Bosnia which culminated in sacking and burning of undefended open city of Sarajevo.The Walled city of Vratnik represents urban core within the wider neighbourhood of Vratnik and is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2005.
Vratnik is of Slavic origin and is derived from the form Bratnik, which appears in the Turkish documents in the second half of the 15th century. Others believe, Vratnik name comes from the word "vrata". The old Vratnik fort is associated with its location alongside the roads by which persons and goods entered the town from east at that time. The "Imperial Road", road from Sarajevo via Višegrad to Istanbul, led over Vratnik for centuries.
Up until the brief but devastating terror-raid of Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1697, when the city was sacked and numerous buildings burnt and rest of it severely damaged, Sarajevo was an open city. The event prompted governor Ahmed-paša Rustempašić Skopljak in 1727, to order Vratnik town and most of its core to be redeveloped into the fortified "walled city". Vratnik is a tourist attraction primarily due to its old town architecture and Sarajevo city view lookouts.
Heritage
The Walled city of Vratnik represents urban core within the wider neighbourhood of Vratnik. Since 2005 the KONS designated walled area of the neighborhood a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.It includes features such as Visegrad Gate as the main entry point to a town and is one of the three city gates in the Vratnik Old Town with the other two being Širokac Gate and Ploča Gate. It was built between 1727 and 1739, in limestone and a special Bosnian stone "hreša" with roof shingles. Traffic went east via the main road towards Visegrad and continued further to the east towards Istanbul.
Ploča Gate is transformed into the Alija Izetbegović Museum, in commemoration to a former first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, and opened on 19 October 2007.
Along the perimeter walls thera are several forts, such as Bijela Tabija, Žuta Tabija. The fortress overlooks Sarajevo with the panoramic views of the eastern entrance to Sarajevo, the Miljacka River canyon and the city itself.
Žuta Tabija is a cannon fort at Jekovac part of the neighborhood, close to the Jajce Barracks and the Jekovac water reservoir. It served as one of the defense points against the Austro-Hungarian troops in 1878.
Other important forts are Strošićka Tabija, Tabija na Ravnim Bakijama, Tabija na Zmajevcu.