Ribnica (fortress)

The Ribnica Fortress (Serbian: тврђава Рибница, romanized: tvrđava Ribnica) is an Ottoman fortress, located in the Stara Varoš neighborhood of Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro.

Ribnica
Рибница
Podgorica, Montenegro
Ribnica Fortress rarely seen covered with snow
RibnicaРибница is located in Montenegro
RibnicaРибница
Ribnica
Рибница
Coordinates42.438999°N 19.259127°E / 42.438999; 19.259127
TypeFortress
Site information
Open to
the public
Yes
Site history
Built15th century
MaterialsLimestone

History

The fortress was built in late 15th century (around 1477), during the period of Ottoman reign. It was built above the confluence of Ribnica and Morača rivers, and was one of two fortresses surrounding Stara Varoš.[1]

For a long time, Depedöğen (Turkish; Serbian: Депедоген, romanized: Depedogen) was used as an ammunition warehouse. It was severely damaged in 1878, when a thunder strike triggered an explosion which destroyed a large part of the fortress's interior and exterior.[2]

It is believed that the fortress stems from the 12th century, and that it is the birthplace of Stefan Nemanja – the founding father of the Nemanjić dynasty. Therefore, many call the fortress Nemanjin Grad or Nemanjića Grad (Nemanja's Town in Serbian), and Orthodox ceremonies are often held at the location.[3] The name Nemanjin grad for this site is believed to have originated from King Nikola of Montenegro, who popularized this name upon freeing Podgorica from the Ottoman Empire in 1879.[4]

References

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