Visoko Високо | |
|---|---|
| Grad Visoko Град Високо City of Visoko | |
       Top to bottom, left to right: View fromVisočica hill, Tabačka mosque, Church of St. Procopius, Franciscan monastery of St. Bonaventure,Old town of Visoki,Fojnička River at the confluence withRiver Bosna, View from Vrela hill | |
 Seal | |
 Location of municipality within Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
  Visoko Location within Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| Coordinates:43°59′N18°10′E / 43.983°N 18.167°E /43.983; 18.167 | |
| Country |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Entity | Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Canton |  Zenica-Doboj |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mirza Ganić (SDA) |
| Area | |
• City | 230.8 km2 (89.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2013) | |
• City | 39,938 |
| • Density | 80/km2 (206/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 11,205 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 71300 |
| Area code | +387 32 |
| Website | www |
Visoko (Serbian Cyrillic:Високо,pronounced[ʋǐsɔkɔː]) is a city[1] located in theZenica-Doboj Canton of theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity ofBosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality had a population of 39,938 inhabitants with 11,205 living in Visoko town.[2] Located betweenZenica andSarajevo, Visoko lies where the riverFojnica joins theBosna.
The Visoko region has evidence of long continuous occupation, with the first traces of life dating back to the 5th millennium BC.Archaeological excavations of Okolište have found one of the biggestNeolithic settlements of theButmir culture insoutheastern Europe.[3]
It was anearly political and commercial center[4] of theBosnian medieval state, andthe site where the first Bosnian kingTvrtko I was crowned. TheOld town Visoki, located onVisočica hill, was a politically important fortress,[5] and itsinner baileyPodvisoki was an early example of a Bosnian medieval urban area.[6] After the fall of the Kingdom of Bosnia, medieval Visoko grew as anOttoman town. A key role in its development was played by the localBosnianAjas-pasha.[7]
Ottoman rule ended in 1878 when theBosnian Vilayetwas occupied byAustria-Hungary. On 11 November 1911, in the last years ofAustro-Hungarian rule, it was almost completely burned down by an accidental fire.[8] Before theBosnian War, Visoko was the largest exporter of textile and leather in socialistYugoslavia[9][10] As of 2006, Visoko attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year,[11][12][13] mainly because ofSemir Osmanagić'sclaims.[14]
The Visoko municipality covers 232 square kilometres with several characteristic, morphologically distinctive valleys formed by the foothills of theCentral Bosnian mountains including Ozren, Vranica and Zvijezda. The altitude of the region ranges from 400 to 1,050 metres. Visoko's natural environment is defined by the river-valleys of theBosna and Fojnica rivers. The municipality borders the towns ofKiseljak,Busovača,Kakanj,Vareš,Breza,Ilijaš andIlidža, and is connected by rail to theAdriatic coast.
Visoko is directly connected to ahighway along theEuropean route E73 (A1 motorway) which directly connects it with Zenica and Sarajevo, which then continues toM17 road. It is connected to other places by the regional road R443 (Visoko -Kiseljak -Kreševo -Tarčin). It is located along theŠamac-Sarajevo railway. Visokogas is a public company in charge of the supply of natural gas, which supplies majority of city itself and some surrounding local communities.
| Population of Visoko municipality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census | 2013 | 1991 | 1981 | 1971 | ||
| Bosniaks | 36,697 (91.88%) | 34,373 (74.46%) | 28,838 (70.50%) | 25,683 (72.34%) | ||
| Serbs | 286 (0.71%) | 7,471 (16.18%) | 6,831 (16.70%) | 7,166 (20.18%) | ||
| Croats | 576 (1.44%) | 1,872 (4.05%) | 1,879 (4.59%) | 1,914 (5.39%) | ||
| Yugoslavs | 0.00 (0.00%) | 1,464 (3.17%) | 2,783 (6.80%) | 392 (1.10%) | ||
| Others | 2,062 (5.16%) | 980 (2.12%) | 570 (1.39%) | 348 (0.98%) | ||
| Total | 39,938 | 46,160 | 40,901 | 35,503 | ||
The Visoko region shows evidence of long continuous occupation, with the first traces of life dating back to Paleolithic.[15] Because of the two rivers that go through Visoko, theBosna and Fojnica, the Visoko basin was always fertile land for agriculture.[16] In theNeolithic period, the area of CentralBosnia played an important role as a mediator between the settlements ofAdriatic Coast and the centralBalkans. These metropolitan areas were connected byNeretva andBosna rivers. Since Visoko was situated on the Bosna River, it has gained a lot of economic traffic between the two larger cities.Neolithic emplacements were founded on the shores of the rivers in places known today as Arnautovići, Donje Moštre, Okolište, Zbilje, Ginje, and Dvor. Arnautovići and Okolište were identified as part ofKakanj culture.
In September 2007 theNational Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina continuedarchaeological excavations of Okolište, where it is estimated that around 3,000 people lived in the fortified settlement during the Neolithic Age making it one of the biggest inSoutheastern Europe.[16] This settlement belonged to theButmir culture. The age of settlement is estimated byRadiocarbon dating to be around 4700 to 4500 yearsBC. Later on, neolithic cultures came in contact with other cultures likeBaden. Around 3000 B.C.E. first signs ofChalcolithic culture appear which can be contributed toVučedol culture of south Bosnian type, with findings in Donje Moštre and at the location ofOld town of Visoki.
The Visoko area was inhabited by theIllyirian tribe ofDaesitiates. They descended fromBronze Age andIron Age culture calledCentral Bosnian culture group which was closely related toGlasinac culture. Best known archaeological evidence is grave of group of warriors dated to 4 B.C.E. found in Gornji Skladovi, Vratnica.[17][18] TheRoman Empire established its rule in 9 AD and built roads and fortresses in places like Kralupi, Seoča and Mokronozi. Area of Visoko was part of Roman provinceIllyricum.
Migration period saw introduction of new people to the Balkans -Slavs. NativeIllyirian tribes through time becameslavicized, but a lot oftoponyms remained Illyirian in origin, like in example name of theriver Bosna, which is namesake of country itself, but also a term for settlement which was used to reference the place called Bosna that existed in today's area of Visoko.[19] It is considered that this area in Visoko basin was nucleus of new medieval Bosnian state which emerged in around 1000 AD.[20] Only later on with construction ofOld town of Visoki the termBosna for the settlement would be rarely used.
Visoko is named after theVisoki Castle and the town of Visoki, which occupiedVisočica hill.Podvisoki,Mile (today's Arnautovići), Biskupići and Moštre – together known as Visoko valley - were the early center of themedieval Bosnian kingdom. Many historicalcharters were made and written in Visoko valley, including the charter of first Bosnian kingTvrtko I Kotromanić in 1355,in castro nostro Vizoka vocatum which was also the first direct mention of the town of Visoki. Visoki was also a place where many important documents and legislation of medieval Bosnia were signed and written. The town of Visoki had a defensive role in protectingtrade center Podvisoki (Subvisoki) which was located just below the town and was one of earliest examples of themedieval urban environments in Bosnia. Podvisoki was long time main trade center in medieval Bosnia.
TheRusag met at Mile, whereTvrtko I was crowned in 1377 and eventually buried alongside his uncle,Stjepan II Kotromanić, theBan of Bosnia who preceded him. The Medieval Bosnian State Archive was also located there. Mile is today known for its many ornamented tombs of kings, bans and other former rulers.Ban Kulin's Plate (dating from 1193) was discovered at Biskupići, along with the remains of another medieval church, grave sites and the foundations of several other contemporary structures. Moštre's university was knows for its scholarship in medicine, theology,cosmogeny and ethics, although because of its connection to theBosnian Church, nothing remains of its archives. Its existence is documented only by a handful of references in theVatican archives of its enemy, theCatholic Church.
Other notable medieval settlements in the vicinity included Sebinje town, Čajan town in Gračanica – which protected the roads between Visoko andBobovac – and the town of Bedem i Goduša.
The area of Visoko was conquered byOttoman Empire around 1463, and it is from this time period that modern Visoko was formed. The founder of the town of Visoko was Ajas-beg (pasha), who was originally from Visoko but converted toIslam fromBogomilism. Visoko was a municipality at that time. From 1483, avoivod served at the head of the Visoko municipality, who together with theserdar (military commander) was the representative of the military and administration. The mainimam (reisu-l-eimme), who existed in Visoko, fulfilled religious duties and duties to society. The court (or judicial) administration was carried out by the naib (or judge), who received help for bringing decisions by a jury of respected people from Visoko. The naib effected the law and his court according tosheriat.
During his rule, up to 1477,Ajas-beg builthammam, a religious primary school (mekteb), anaqueduct, bridge on theriver Bosna, and amadrassa (Islamic high school), and also foundedDervishtekke (monastery), which is preserved to this day. In a short period, Visoko developed into the administrative center of the municipality and into the heart of trade andcrafts, as well as the heart of cultural and spiritual life in the region. Visoko by then had the imbibe look of anIslamic oriental-style town with all the religious and cultural institutions.
TheVilayet of Bosnia wasoccupied by Austro-Hungary in 1878 (officially annexed in 1908) and only small localmilitias showed resistance and fought. In the early years ofAustro-Hungarian rule, Visoko did not significantly change and kept its oriental-style look. In 1882, Visoko was an organized settlement with developed trade,offices, and other institutions. Increasing contact withwestern culture directed Visoko's style in a slightly different way such that buildings of that time were built inPseudo-Moorish style. The Tabhana mosque was founded in Visoko center and the city itself was expanded further to the banks of the Fojnica River. The main street was developed towards the town of Jalija, located at the delta of and a bridge across the Bosna River.
The first buildings of this period included the train station from 1882, the court building from 1895, a church with aFranciscan gymnasium (1899–1900), the municipality office, and a primary school from 1910. All were mainly built in the pseudo-Moorish style. Further development of the city was stalled byjangija, the big fire in 1911. The upper city area was completely burned, as well all the houses down the main street alongside Beledija, Shadrvan mosque and the high school. In all, 450 homes, stores and other small buildings were burned down. In the spring of 1912, the rebuilding of the city started and the government decided that all houses would be built with bricks and a tile roof in atraditional Bosnian style. After the mayor rebuilt Visoko, it had a unique mix oforiental andWestern styles. Some houses from this time period still stand in the old district of the town.
AfterWorld War I and the defeat ofAustria-Hungary in 1918, Visoko was incorporated into the newKingdom of Yugoslavia. In the new state, the structure of houses did not change nor did the town develop. At the outbreak of theSecond World War, Visoko was included in the newly formedNazi Germany-sponsoredIndependent State of Croatia.Allied bombers pursued German and NDH forces and dropped nine bombs in the Visoko area, destroying strategic targets. Throughout the war, the town was not a battlefront and did not suffer much damage from the war itself. However, of the 1205 soldiers from the Visoko area, 142 of them were killed during the war. Visoko was liberated on 7 April 1945 by the 7th, 9th and 17th Krajina brigades from the Tenth division of the forces of theYugoslav Partisans.
AfterWorld War II, Visoko, like many other towns inBosnia, began industrialisation and further urban expansion. From 1950, the town expanded to the extensivelowlands alongBosna and Fojnica shores, which were mostly used as farms. For ages, Visoko was known for its quality leather industry and with new age of industrialisation, the biggest leather company in Yugoslavia, KTK, had its headquarters in Visoko. Besides the leather industry, Visoko was distinctive for its textile, trade, metal and food industries, making the town one of the largest exporters in Socialist Yugoslavia. By 1991, Visoko had 92,5 million dollars ofexported good, with 80 million of that from KTK's leather industry. Due to the economic success of Visoko, Yugoslav presidentJosip Broz Tito came to Visoko to visit the factories and the town itself.
During this period, the town developed necessary institutions like a post office, police andfire stations, health care, hotels, supermarkets, sport stadiums, and halls. Culture bloomed with the founding of a theatre, museum, cinema and library. Education was also improved by building three new schools: a primarySafvet-beg Bašagić, two high schools with a gymnasium and mixed high school center,Hazim Šabanović. In 1983 Zlatko Ugljen receivedAga Khan Award for Architecture forŠerefudin's White Mosque. The late 1980s and early 1990s were years of hasty urbanization and building of whole settlements likeLuke which represents the most densely populated area of Visoko.
In 1953, Visoko's handball club,RK Bosna, (previouslyVitex) was founded and eventually competed in the first Yugoslavia handball league. A football club calledBosna was created in 1953 by merging two existing clubsJadran (founded 1923) andRadnički (founded 1934). Aero clubIzet Kurtalić is also one of the successful clubs which won numerous gold and other medals in Yugoslavia.
On 6 April 1992, a state of emergency was proclaimed, withlocal Serbs already armed and surrounding the town. Local residents began to arm themselves or were armed by theBosniakSDA party. The quick reaction of the local population prevented the town's capture by seizing two localJNAbarracks finally on 26 April, where newly formed local TO (territory defence) forces captured most of the arms in the barracks, which was a turning point at the start ofthe war in the Visoko area.
The end of January embarked conflict between theBosnian CroatHVO andArmy of Bosnia & Herzegovina (which succeed TO). On 27 January Visoko and neighbouring units prevented the blockade ofFojnica. On 2 November ARBiH units captured nearby HVO-heldVareš. The last days of 1994 brought a ceasefire between HVO and ARBiH, forming a unitedFederation and begin concentrating the fight on the much better-armedVRS (Army of Republika Srpska).
On 15 June Visoko was center of preparations for breaking the blockage on nearby Sarajevo. The action was however executed but with no significant gains, only some portion of the territory was liberated but Sarajevo stayed besieged. This big manoeuvre helped ARBiH forces outside Sarajevo to capture whole several towns and villages.
Finally, theDayton agreement removed all front lines who were all 4 years dangerously close to town itself but never changed considerably, and only changes were made by Visoko's forces by capturing nearby Zimča and other minor hills which only prevented town being surrounded which was accomplished. Visoko itself was heavily damaged; especially, economic resources and factories were purposely hit, damaged and destroyed. The damage to the economy was about $200 million. For four years of war Visoko area units lost 297 soldiers, 600 were wounded and disabled. 23 soldiers from Visoko area got highest ranking in ARBiHZlatni Ljiljan (Golden Lily), and 19 members of police gotGolden Police Star. Civilians also suffered, many of them wounded or killed, although, throughout the whole war, Visoko served as a center for refugees across Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it was considered well defended by their units, thus Visoko was a logistical center of Army BiH because it had industrial capacity and an improvised aerodrome.
Visočica is a hill overlooking the town of Visoko. In October 2005, Bosnian native and authorSemir Osmanagić claimed that this hill and several surrounding hills concealedpyramids.[21]
Scientific investigations of the site show there is no pyramid.[22][23][24] Additionally, scientists have criticised the Bosnian authorities for supporting the pyramid claim saying, "This scheme is a cruel hoax on an unsuspecting public and has no place in the world of genuine science."[25]
Bosnian archaeologists have asked that the government cancel the digging permits given to Osmanagić and concentrate on work on the medieval town.[26]
Visoko, experienced intensive modernization during the socialist era until 1991 with industrial exports accounting for a significant proportion of the town's economic activity. Official Yugoslav data from 1991 state that Visoko achieved over 1 million dollars worth of export. The town's economy was led by 20 sizable enterprises operating in the leather and textile industrial sectors led by KTK and Vitex.
Bosnian War left much of industry destroyed where damages are estimated at around 400 million KM (Convertible mark). Still, even the heavy bombardment byartillery and aircraft didn't stop Visoko's industry from producing goods for the army and civil population of Visoko and area.
Post-war economy still relies on leather industry asPrevent employs over 1500 workers and makes products mainly for export for Europeanautomobile industry. Food industry Vispak receivedGuinness certificate on 29 July 2005 for making largestcoffee pot in the world. Visoko is traditionally known for itsdried meat products likesujuk, and was made at least from the 1750s.[27][28] Best known product is "Visočka pečenica" which is permanent charcuterie product obtained from high quality parts ofbeef, dry salted only with kitchen salt and cold smoked and dried. Association of meat processors from Visoko was founded which goal is to create and geographically protect "Visočka pečenica" as a brand[29][30] with official application submitted on 29 January.[31]
From 2006, tens of thousands[11][12] of tourists have visited Visoko because ofSemir Osmanagić discreditedBosnian pyramid claims. The city invested around €250,000 (500,000KM) for tourism in 2018[32]
There is not much detailed data aboutmedieval universities in the Visoko area, orthe place called Bosnia as it was referred to in one of theVatican archives. It was in 1175 when the university was first mentioned, the high academy of Bosnian religious organization (seeBosnian Church). This university was known for its scholarship in medicine, theology,cosmogeny and ethics. There are four documents that directly or indirectly point to existence of the high academy in the Visoko area. Modern education started with introduction of Rüşdiye's —Ottoman parallel to Europeanhigh schools of that time, built in 1870, closed after Austro-Hungarian annexation in 1879. Around 1881. new authorities establishedMunicipal schools where classes were held in various houses. In 1910 first proper school was built by the Austro-Hungarian authorities, which still stands today. In 1900Franciscangymnasium was relocated from Guča Gora to Visoko. As leather industry played big part in Visoko's economy, in 1929.Leather school was formed.
There are 6National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Visoko:
Šerefudin's White Mosque is of greatarchitectural importance to the city and area. The mosque'sarchitect wasZlatko Ugljen. Its most notable award came in 1983, when it received theAga Khan Award for Architecture.[39]
In Visoko there is a homeland museum which exhibits the cultural and historic heritage of the Visoko area, and Bosnia. Most of the exhibits are related to themedieval Bosnian state, because the Visoko valley was notable political and economical centre forBosnian kings. In Goduša there is an extension of the museum where there are antique works of old Goduša's crafts, which are mostlywoodcarving.
Visoko has ahealth centre withpolyclinic which was built in 1953. In 2006 polyclinic was modernized with modern laboratory and computer equipment.
In nearby Mulići there is Sevdah Institute of Omer Pobrić, whose mission is to preserveBosniak music, tradition, andsevdalinka.
Organized sports began to emerge with the opening of confessional and state schools. In 1909, theSoko society was formed and supported many sports activities. The building of the sports center on 16 June 1934 let developing men and women play volleyball, football, and laterhandball. Handball clubRK Bosna Visoko has wonHandball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1997 and 1999, andHandball Cup of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1998 and 2001. In season 1999–2000 they achieved their best international result, losing 48–44 in Eight-finals ofEHF Cup, to eventual championsRK Metković Jumbo.
Football clubNK Bosna Visoko was the winner of theBosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup and theSupercup of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999. In Yugoslavia, the club managed to enter theSecond League in 1963.Aero club "Izet Kurtalić", formed in 1960, was the most successful team in the country, winning numerous domestic and international events.
From 28 February to 2 March 2008 Visoko's hallMladost was host of Group 2 qualifiers for2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup inBrazil.
| Club | Leagues | Venue | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| RK Bosna Visoko | Premier handball league | Hall "Mladost" | 1953 |
| NK Bosna Visoko | Second League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Luke Stadium | 1923 (Jadran), 1934 (Radnički); Merged in1953 |
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