Ostrovica Castle

For other uses, see: Ostrovica.

The Ostrovica Castle (Stari grad Ostrovica; Stari grad Ostrovica; Ottoman Turkish: Ostroviçe kalesi) is a large medieval building structure situated above the small village of Ostrovica near Kulen Vakuf, Bihać municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Having been built on a woody ridge of a steep hill overlooking left bank of the shallow Una river, the castle was located on a strategic site connecting the northern and southern parts of the long Una valley. Modern-day castle was built most probably in the 15th century on the foundations of ancient fortification which dates back to ancient Roman times or even earlier.

History
In the Middle Ages, Ostrovica belonged to the Kingdom of Croatia and its Lapac County. It was possessed by the Kurjaković noble family (later renamed Karlović), known as Princes of Krbava (Knezovi krbavski), who came out from one of chieftain cadet branches of the old Croatian tribe of Gusić. After them, proprietors of the castle were also Juraj Mikulčić (who died in 1495), Ivan Keglević, members of Frankopan and Kulenović noble family etc.

The almost permanent Ottoman threat to Ostrovica began after the fall of the medieval Kingdom of Bosnia in 1463. Still, the castle resisted until december 1523, as the Ottoman Turks conquered it.

The long period of Ottoman rule lasted until 1878. In that period the castle was enlarged and reinforced, serving as Ottoman military stronghold. Military units situated there were commanded first by dizdar (16th and 17th century) and then (from the beginning of the 18th century) by captain. A significant enlargement of the castle occurred during the reign of sultan Ahmed I at the beginning of the 17th century. Present-day look of the castle was finally given at the beginning of the 18th century. It measures 117 meters long and 83 meters wide. The main entrance is situated on the south side, while the auxiliary one is put at the north side of the fortification.

During the Ottoman period Ostrovica was seat of „Kapetanija Stara Ostrovica“ (Old Ostrovica captaincy), also comprising smaller strongholds like Orašac, Havala, Džisri-kebir (modern-day Kulen Vakuf), Čovka and Donji Lapac. Long-term captains were members of the Kulenović noble family (titled begs), one of the most prominent family in Ottoman Bosnia. After Donji Lapac had been returned to Croatian control (being within Habsburg Monarchy), the Ottomans moved the seat of captaincy away from nearby Croatian-Bosnian frontier to Prkose, stronghold in the same-named village situated northeast of Ostrovica.

In 1737, the fort was unsuccessfully besieged by the army of the Habsburg Empire., during the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39).

The Austrian Empire took over governing Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, but despite Croatian demands, Ostrovica was not returned to Croatian Kingdom, which part it was before the arrival of Ottoman Turks. Moreover, the whole territory of Turkish Croatia, including Ostrovica, Bihać, Banja Luka and so on, was given to direct Habsburg imperial control, as a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Today the castle and its surrounding belongs to the Una National Park, being occasionally renovated in the recent years in order to be more attractive to tourists.