9J4Q+WQ Bela Stena, Serbia
Brvenik is a fortress in Serbia, the remains of which are located 8 km north of Raška, near the settlement of the same name. Brvenik is situated on one of the peaks (599 meters) of the Gradina elevation, above the confluence of the Brvenica River with the Ibar. It is unknown when it was built, and in the Middle Ages it was the area and residence of the Brvenica parish. Today, very little remains of it, and its entire territory is overgrown with dense vegetation.
It is unknown when it was constructed, but nearby are monasteries dating back to the pre-Manichean era, the old Pavlica and Ibarski Gradac, as well as the churches of Saint Nicholas in Baljevac (late 13th or first half of the 13th century) and a gift from an unknown landowner, the church of Saint Nicholas in Šumnik (late 13th or early 14th century). Beneath the fortress itself are the remains of a small church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, which preserved interior frescoes into the early 20th century.
It is first mentioned in sources in 1280, where the presence of Kotor and Dubrovnik merchants is noted. They had their own colony in Brvenik, where they built a church dedicated to Saint Tryphon, mentioned in sources dated 1346. Their presence is linked to the proximity of mines, primarily Ostrac and Koporich, and there is a record from 1355 when a man from Kotor sold a house in Brvenik to another for 110 perpers.
The town and parish belonged to Prince Voislav Vojinović, who owned it in July 1363 and exchanged it with leader Musa for Zvečan and its parish. On this occasion, Emperor Uroš issued a charter officially formalizing this exchange and listed the villages of the Brvenica parish, which included the middle course of the Ibar and the course of the Brvenica River. At that time, Prince Voislav was the most powerful feudal lord in Serbia, and this exchange rounded out his territory, being much more advantageous for him strategically.
From that time, Brvenik became the center of the domain of leader Musa, who was married to Dragana, sister of Lazar Grebeljanović, and later to his sons Stefan and Lazar Musić. Together with their mother, they built their new Pavlica near the fortress. After the Kosovo defeat in 1389, the fallen Musić brothers were buried there, and the body of Prince Lazar also spent the night in the church during its transfer from Kosovo to Ravanica.
After 1389, Brvenik most likely became part of the district of Vuk Branković and was captured by the Ottomans in 1455. In 1476, the fortress became the residence of the kadi (a Muslim religious judge) in the Smederevo sanjak.
It is depicted on an Austrian map from 1690, and in Ottoman sources until the early 19th century it is mentioned as a settlement. Until the First Balkan War, it housed the border guard of the Ottoman Empire.
Today, very little remains of the former fort above ground, which is now overgrown with tall vegetation, and the entire area is covered with many stones. At the highest point of the fortification was the citadel with an elongated ellipsoidal base, of which only parts of the wall on the rock remain. To the north began a rampart descending to a round tower, and on the side where the approach to the fortress was easiest, there was a dry moat.
The fortification extended south from the citadel to a slightly lower peak (about 500 meters above sea level), on which stood a projecting semicircular tower. On this side was the old road leading to the fortress. On the eastern side of the fort was a lagum (underground passage), which connected the town with the Ibar and probably served to supply the wooden hut with water in case of a siege.
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