Cultural Corridors of South East Europe

Heritage by Period / Modern Times

Gradascevica Kula

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Gradascevica Kula

About the site


Corridor: Diagonal Road
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bijela
Type: Fortress
Epoch: Modern Times
Theme: Fortresses
World Heritage:
Modern TimesFortressesFortress

The architectural ensemble of Gradascevica kula (tower) is situated in the hamlet Bijela, at the lowest slopes of Majevica Mountain and it is composed of the main fortification structure, summer kitchen, two wells and the court-yard walls.
Based on the name itself, Gradascevica Kula is believed to have been built by a member of the bey family Gradascevic, one of the richest families in Bosanska Posavina. There are grounds to believe that the family came from Hungary and did not belong to the medieval Bosnian feudal lords.
Despite the fact that the available sources do not offer information on who built the tower in Bijela, there are grounds to believe it was built by Osman pasha Gradascevic by the end of 18th or the beginning of 19th century.
The tower is a residential and fortification building belonging to a specific type of buildings that appeared during the middle ages in this region. The first three floors of the tower were used for defence purposes and had loop holes in their walls. Only the fourth and fifth floors are used as living quarters. The living quarters were physically separated with special doors from the rest of the building.

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