Klobuk fortress (Trebinje)

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Klobuk fortress is a medieval fortress in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the karst plateau of Mirotinske grede near the village of Klobuk and the town of Trebinje. It sits on a rocky rise above the Sušica valley and is part of a dramatic landscape with steep cliffs to the south.

The fortress was built before the 10th century, likely using local limestone. It is first mentioned in old sources in the 10th century and continued to play a key role through the medieval period. Over the centuries, control of Klobuk passed through several powers: it was part of the Nemanjić state until 1321, then held by the Sanković family, later by the Pavlović family from 1395 to 1442, and then taken by Stjepan Vukčić Kosača in 1442. The Ottomans captured Klobuk in 1477, and an Ottoman garrison stayed there until 1878.

Klobuk gained strategic importance after the Peace of Karlovac in 1699, serving as a key point toward Venetian Dalmatia and Montenegro. Inside the fortress, the area near the former church once supported a mosque built on the church foundations, and a stećak tombstone of Vukosav Zemlić lies nearby with the inscription “Here lies Vukosav Zemlić.” Today only towers up to about 6 meters high and fragments of walls remain. The site is protected as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is open to visitors.