The Three towers - In the Ottoman period, the Tara tower stretched as an ammunition depot on the east bank of the Neretva River, and the Halebija tower, ie the Ćelovina tower, stretched on the west bank. The Tara tower was built in the shape of a half-cylinder and the thickness of the tower walls is more than 3 meters. It was built in 1676 and until the period of the Austro-Hungarian occupation in 1878, it served as a warehouse for gunpowder and ammunition. Today, the Tara Tower houses the Old Bridge Museum. It opened in 2006 during a celebration of the renovation of the Old Bridge in Mostar. The museum consists of three different works. The first part, an exhibition of objects of archaeological significance found during the 2002 renovation.
The second part shows the existing remains of archaeological significance below the tower. These are the remains of two wooden bridges from the period before the stone bridge and the foot of the Old Bridge. The third part, ie the Labyrinth, contains a photo gallery dedicated to the Old Bridge with damaged towers and their phases of restoration.
The Halebija Tower used to be a prison, that is, a cell located on the lower floor. It housed various prisoners, some of whom were sentenced to death. Until 1716 it was also a dungeon.
Behind Tara on the left side of the Neretva is the tower of Herceguša, built during the reign of Duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača in the 15th century. Architectural research shows that these towers used to be very small, but that they were extended during the renovation periods
Author of the aricle
Amila Hasečić - contact: [email protected]
