Location: Klis Map
Open: Jun– Sep: 9am–7pm daily
Oct– May: 9am–5pm Sat–Sun
Cost: 10 kuna for adults
5 kuna for children
Constructed: 3rd
century BC
Klis Fortress is one of the most complete examples of
fortification architecture in Croatia. It is located in a
strategically important position in the town of Klis in the
split-damatin County, located on the pass between Kozjak on the west
side and Mosor on the east side. Due to its strategic position at
the transition from Split to Zagora and Bosnia, for centuries there
have been battles for supremacy over it. Klis Fortress is one of the
most prominent forts in Croatia, and it was first mentioned in the
5th century. for centuries, but it deserves its glory mostly from
the time of the Turkish wars, when the captain of the fortress Petar
Kružić with his uskoks resisted the attempts of the Turkish conquest
for decades, until 1537. years in the hands of the Turks. Until
then, Klis with its close surroundings remained the only free part
of the Croatian Kingdom in the south, a real enclave. Klis pass is
the most convenient point of communication between Central Dalmatian
cities and hinterland, which will gain further importance in the
time of Ottoman presence in these areas.
Klis Fortress is a
protected cultural property.
The settlement of Croats in these areas is
undoubtedly an important event in the Klis ' past, because two
centuries later the Klis Fortress is a royal property, one of the
Centers of the Croatian state. Klis is at 9. for centuries it was
the seat of Croatian princes and Kings from the trpimirović dynasty,
i.e. in that capacity it was the Croatian capital. Later it belonged
to various Croatian feudal lords. At the end of 11. the Croatian
national dynasty of Trpimirović died away, Klis came under the rule
of Hungarian-Croatian Kings who often gave it to their princes and
bans. Early twenties and thirties 13. for centuries, the Croatian
nobleman Domald managed to rule Klis, but both times the Šubićs took
it away from him and returned it to the King's rule.
Because
of its prominent position, it was a difficult fortress to conquer
for a long time. Medieval Klis was the seat of the uskoks, Croatian
fighters against Turkey and the Venetian invasion. The conquest of
1537. in the year, the Turks managed to reach and capture Solin and
penetrate the Kaštela on the southern slopes of Kozjak, but they
never managed to capture Split. The Turks fortified it and built a
mosque with a minaret. For their authorities, it was the seat of the
administrative unit of Kliski Sandžak. The remaining Klis uskoci,
after the fall of the fortress, moved to Senj (senjski uskoci).
Klis was briefly liberated in 1596., and finally in 1648., for
the duration of the Candian War, when it was conquered by the
Venetians. They build the city and turn the mosque into a church.
Today's appearance of Klis comes from the time of the last Venetian
renovation. A newer settlement arose after the retreat of the Turks.
There is an old Turkish fountain in the village. The historical
collection from the Fortress was moved to the split City Museum.
The fortress was built on a rocky gorge that runs in the direction of northeast-southwest and from a distance it is almost impossible to discern that it is a building, all the more so that the walls that rise in cascades in three belts are built of limestone blocks on limestone rocks. It is inaccessible on three sides – the only access is on the Northwest Side. The north side is extremely steep, while from the south side the terrain descends into a slightly gentle slope. These features definitely influenced quite a number of failed attempts to capture the Fort. A key position for the artillery attacks was an upland Ridge north of the fort itself. The Fort's ground plan is elongated and narrow, causing upgrades to destroy some of the earlier layers. On the site of the fortress there was an Illyrian fortress in antiquity. Most of today's appearance comes from the period of Venetian and Austrian administration when the fortress was modernized. During the Ottoman period there were no fortifications. Parts of the fortress dating from the period of Ottoman administration (1536 — 1648.) are the mosque, today the Church of Saint Vida, and the fountain.
The rule of Klis also meant the supervision of intensive trade between Split as the main port of central Bosnia and the hinterland towards Sinj and further towards Bosnia, which was in the interest of both The Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire. The fortress reached its glorious peak at 16. century during the Ottoman-Venetian conflicts, and as the brightest period should be noted the defense of Captain Petar Kružić (1520). – 1537.) of the numerous Ottoman incursions-as many as fifty of them. During the Ottoman rule Klis was one of the strongest forts on the entire western border of the Ottoman Empire, and it formed a defensive unit with three other smaller surrounding forts: Donje or Lončarić (Gradina in Solin), Vrankovci (probably Vrankuk in Ozrna) and Kozjak. In terms of demographic changes, with the arrival of the Ottomans, a large part of the local population emigrated mainly to Senj and the central Dalmatian islands, and the Muslim population migrated. In the first wave of immigration Asker-the army, and only later the other social strata-craftsmen, merchants, farmers, etc. Thus, for a certain period of time, the continuity of the life of space, primarily economic. In defters from that time, many villages are considered mezra – wastelands with traces of earlier settlement. The klisko suburb is located on the western side of the Fort. In the defter of 1574 klisko podgrađe has the status of a town-a market place with a majority Christian population, and according to the defter from 1604. it has gained the status of a Kasaba – a trading post with a majority Muslim population. The Ottoman presence also affected toponomastics. To this day, the names of the settlements at the foot of the fortress on the western side – Varos and Megdan have remained.
The mosque is located within the third defensive wall of the fort between the Bembo and Malipiero bastions built during the Venetian rule. It has a square floor plan and small dimensions because it was intended exclusively for the crew of the Fort. It was built just after the fall of Klis in 1537. year. In honor of the conqueror of Klis Murat-beg Tardić, the mosque bore his name. The tradition was to name mosques either according to the currently reigning sultan (in Croatian territory, therefore, they mostly bear the name of Suleiman The Magnificent), or according to the person who financed and encouraged the construction of the mosque, as is the case in Klis. Recent research has shown that there was an early medieval Church of St. Mary. The mosque is built of rough stone, surmounted by a dome, and it is an extremely interesting solution of the transition from the square ground plan to the circular base of the dome with a double Tambour – first octagonal with four spacious, somewhat improbably executed trompa, and then with a ring Tambour. On trompi we encounter an interesting decorative element called mukarna-a typical Oriental decorative element that is regularly used to fill spherical surfaces – domes, calots, trompes, etc. Here they are applied in a highly reduced form. Interestingly, the later conversion into the mukarne church was not removed. However, with a necessary change in the orientation of the church, the old entrance to the mosque was walled up, and a new one was opened on the Southwest Side. Also, the minaret on the western side was demolished, where the Quartermaster was built for Venetian officers, and only the foundations were preserved. An interesting inscription is on the site of the former minaret niche, i.e. above the present entrance: "what piety builds, piety and preserves."By the way of articulation of architecture and the execution of certain structural and decorative elements, we can conclude that this object is by no means a Supreme architectural achievement. After all, its function-conditioned dimensions, but also its location within the defensive fortification, justify it. The church, the Church of St. Vida, has been restored by recent restoration works.
Another preserved object is a fountain between the ridge and the gorge at the foot of the fort which remains in use to this day. The locals call it the Three Kings. The name was mentioned at 17. a century on Eraut's depiction of the fortress under the Fontana dei Tre Regi. The cistern is carved with an open porch and an oriental vault with pointed arches. It belongs to the type of" mihrab česme " – a fountain with a niche. This is not the only example of Turkish tap in Croatia. A large number of them have been preserved and most of them remain in use. Water supply is a basic need of the Islamic community, and it is also important in the practice of religious life. Water plays an important role in Islamic religious ceremonies. The prayer is always preceded by ablution – a religious cleansing in which water is used. The Sharia Laws of Fiqh describe as many as four types of water and eight types of impurities. However, the water supply also played an extremely important practical role during prolonged sieges. Loss of water (and food) would generally mean forced surrender as well. In addition to the fountain at the base of the fort, there were several cisterns that were built as needed.
In the area of Klis Fortress there is a great wealth of flora. There are 16 endemic species of plants growing here, Adriatic Gray-tailed deer, Dalmatian sharp-tailed deer, Dalmatian yellow-tailed deer, Dalmatian flea beetle, medicinal sage, pyramidal Bellflower, Dalmatian perunica and blue hazel.