Hutovo fortress or Hadžibegov Grad ( the Hajji bey fort),[ Priča o hutovskom gradu Čapljinski portal/hum.ba, Nedjelja, 06 Siječanj 2013][ Povijest poznavanja Dinarskog krša na primjeru Popova polja Ivo Lučić, disertacija, Nova Gorica: Sveučilište u Novoj Gorici, 2009.]
Location and name
The fortress is located along a narrow road leading from
Hutovo Blato to
Neum, below Žaba mountain and southwest of Hutovo.
[ Povijest poznavanja Dinarskog krša na primjeru Popova polja Ivo Lučić, disertacija, Nova Gorica: Sveučilište u Novoj Gorici, 2009., str. 200] Strategically situated atop a hill overlooking the Prešjeci pass, it was often traversed by salt
Station wagon from
Ston traveling inland. The name
Hadžibegov Grad is derived from the last lord's name, Hadžibeg Rizvanbegović.
Description
The structure forms an irregular pentagon.
There is a total of nine towers, each in a corner of the fortress. Solid and high walls enclose an area of flat land.
The fortification runs east to west 70 m. The eastern portion of the fortress is roughly 50 m in width, while the western portion is 30 m in width. Its walls were constructed in such a way that soldiers armed with firearms could defend every angle of the fortress.
History
A massive circular building, which was later encircled with walls, existed in 1714 as a tower in Captaincy of
Stolac. A retinue of 7-8 guards guarded the pass and collected
. Between 1795 and 1802, Hajj-Mehmed-Beg commanded the
Fortification, and was entitled to a cut of the taxes paid by
Nevesinje. He turned the building into a proper fortification before 1802. There are two stone tablets placed at the fort (8 in total in the town).
Hajji-Mehmed-Beg-Rizvanbegović, was a son of captain Zulfikar-bey Rizvanbegović. In XVIII century Rizvanbegović tribe took the captainy over from the Šarić family.
When the Herzegovinian uprising of 1875 began, the Ottoman army conquered the Hutovo fortress. In one of the assaults by the rebels, under the leadership of Ivan Musić, the city itself was set on fire and every wooden construction was no more. The fort itself was abandoned during the Herzegovinian uprising of 1875–1878.
Contemporary usage
The society of
Friends of the Old Hutovo use town historical settings for local celebrations.
Protection
Revitalization of the fort was started in 1969 by the National museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[ Povijest poznavanja Dinarskog krša na primjeru Popova polja Ivo Lučić, disertacija, Nova Gorica: Sveučilište u Novoj Gorici, 2009., str. 180]
On May 10, 2004, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina designated it a National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
See also
-
List of fortifications in Bosnia and Herzegovina
-
Hutovo Blato
