The White Fortress is located on a hill near Sarajevo’s city area Vratnik. Tabia was erected on the site where medieval fortress was built around 1550. The fort is believed to have been built on the remains of the city of Hodidjed. White Foretress was named after the white stone it was made of, and it is believed that the stones were bound with white while the walls were smeared with milk. Archaeological research has shown that the oldest part of the fort was built in the Middle Ages, at the end of the fourteenth century, and that some parts of the fort were added during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. It is known that the upper part of Tabia, highlighted by large stone blocks, was created during the Austro-Hungarian rule. The fort was of great importance for the defense of Sarajevo during the attack of the Austrian Prince Eugene of Savoy in the seventeenth century, and for the defense of the Austro-Hungarian army in 1878.
The fort had a rectangular base with four towers in the corners. The fortification had similarities with Central European fortifications, followed by a strong influence of the Gothic-Hungarian style of construction. Across the walls, there are openings for cannon tubes. A mosque called Sultan Mehmed Fatih mosque was built inside White Tabia. However, the mosque was later demolished.
The fact that it was the first location where, after signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, UN forces formed their military stronghold and raised their flag is also indicative of the importance of White Tabia.
Moric brothers were executed in White Tabia because they rebelled against additional taxes. Mullah Mustafa Baseski also wrote about this in his "Chronicle", associating the earthquake which occurred in Sarajevo with the execution of Moric brothers. The locals linked the earthquake to the murder and believed that this was a sign from God that Moric brothers had been unjustly killed.
The White Fortress is a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and because of its incredible view, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Sarajevo.
Ticket price for White Tabia
Regular ticket price is: 5€.
Working hours of White Tabia
The White Fortress is open for visits every day from 10:00h to 19:00h
