| Soko Grad; Sokolac Соко Град; Соколац | |
|---|---|
| near Sokobanja | |
| Remains of Sokolac | |
| Coordinates | 43°38′06″N21°53′35″E / 43.63500°N 21.89306°E |
| Type | Strategic fortification |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 6th century |
| Built by | Justinian I |
| Materials | Stone |
Soko Grad (Serbian Cyrillic: Соко Град), also known as Sokolac, is a medieval city and fortress 2 km east of the spa town of Sokobanja, Serbia. The fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1982, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia. [1]
The fortress was founded in the 6th century during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I, to prevent incursions of Pannonian Avars and Slavs into 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 clash with the administrator of Soko, who was a Bogomil himself. Ottoman Empire occupied it in the year 1398. The town was destroyed in a violent Ottoman attack,[ citation needed ] and today the only thing visible is the remains of the upper town with a gate, walls, and three towers. Soko Grad translates as "falcon city". 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 the citadel built on the tallest part of the rock, rendering it practically unreachable by the enemy. During the subsequent development in Serbian state, the fortress expanded around the citadel and spread lower down the rock. In the middle of the fortification on the top was a citadel with a dominant main tower. From there bulwarks were lowering toward Moravica, forming that way space of Lower town, that was built on more reachable ground. The entire fortification complex had several towers, of which only a few remain today. Only the first entrance tower in Upper town is preserved and in good shape, while other towers and bulwarks are in ruins.
Sokobanja is a spa town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of the eastern Serbia. As of 2022, the population of the town is 7,188, while population of the municipality is 13,199.
The Belgrade Fortress, consists of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, Serbia. Located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad, the fortress constitutes the specific historical core of the city. As one of the most important representatives of Belgrade's cultural heritage, it was originally protected right after World War II, among the first officially declared cultural monuments in Serbia. The fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and is protected by the Republic of Serbia. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade, with Skadarlija being the second. Since the admission is free, it is estimated that the total number of visitors is over 2 million yearly.
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Stari Grad is a fortress near the city of Užice, in central Serbia. Today in ruins, it is an example of typical medieval Serbian architecture. Historians believe it was built in the second half of the 14th century to control movement along nearby roads, and the town of Užice. Stari Grad was declared Protected Monument of Culture in 1983, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia. Though in ruins, the fortress is considered a symbol of Užice.
Vučje is a town in southern Serbia, located some 15 km south from the city of Leskovac, its municipal seat. The population of the town is 2,865 people. It is known for its archaeological site, Zelen grad, ruins of a medieval town.
Soko Grad may refer to:
Prizren Fortress is a hilltop fortification in Prizren in Kosovo. It overlooks the Prizren River which flows through Prizren, which developed around the fortress. The site of the fortress of Prizren has seen habitation and use since the Bronze Age. In late antiquity it was part of the defensive fortification system in western Dardania and was reconstructed in the era of eastern Roman Emperor Justinian. Byzantine rule in the region ended definitively in 1219–20 as the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty controlled the fort until 1371.
Soko Grad is a former town and medieval fortification near the village of Sokolac, east of Ljubovija, western Serbia. The fortress was notable for never being conquered by an army.
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Sokograd, also known as Pliva or Plivski grad, Pliva-Soko, Sokol-grad, Soko-grad, or simply Soko or Sokol, is a medieval fortress with a castle town in the Pliva river valley, between Gerzovo and nearby Šipovo, in Šipovo municipality, Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a very important fortress for the medieval Bosnian state, and the center of the župa Pliva. It was built in a canyon on a steep slope high above the river Sokočnica, which flows into Pliva in Šipovo.