Fortress Sokograd (Sokolac)

Sokograd, Sokobanja, Serbia

Sokograd, also known as Sokolac, is a medieval town and fortress located 2 km east of the resort town of Sokobanja, Serbia. In 1982, the fortress was declared a cultural monument of great importance and is under the protection of the Republic of Serbia.

Serbia: Fortresses and Castles, a Crossroads of Empires and Religions

The fortress was founded in the 6th century during the reign of the Eastern Roman Empire Emperor Justinian I to prevent invasions by the Pannonian Avars and Slavs into the Balkan Peninsula. In 1172, it was occupied by Stefan Nemanja and became part of the medieval Serbian state. During the expulsion of the Bogomils from Serbia, Nemanja had a conflict with the ruler of Soko, who himself was a Bogomil. The Ottoman Empire occupied it in 1398. The town was destroyed as a result of an Ottoman attack, and today the only visible remains are those of the upper town with gates, walls, and three towers. Soko Grad translates as "City of Falcons." It got its name because there were many falconers in the town who paid taxes with trained falcons.

The original fortification built by Justinian was a citadel constructed on the highest part of the rock, making it virtually inaccessible to the enemy. During the subsequent development of the Serbian state, the fortress expanded around the citadel and spread down the rock. In the middle of the fortification at the summit was the citadel with a dominant main tower. From there, bastions descended toward the Moravica River, thus forming the space of the Lower Town, built in a more accessible location. The entire fortification complex had several towers, of which only a few remain today. In the Upper Town, only the first entrance tower has been preserved and is in good condition; the other towers and bastions are in ruins.

Sources:

https://nadinasarajlic.wordpress.com/2017/08/18/stari-grad-soko/sokograd-sokobanja/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soko_Grad_(Sokobanja)

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