KOZNIK

The Master of Rasina and Župa

As you head west from Aleksandrovac, along the road that leads over the northern edge of the Kopaonik massif to the Jošanička Banja and further into the Ibar River valley, you will come across an imposing hill, on top of which rise the remains of the fortified city of Koznik. Known as a fortress with one of the geographically most prominent locations in Serbia, Koznik is also considered one of the most preserved and most beautiful achievements of Serbian mediaeval defence construction. As with the majority of fortified cities from that period, little is known about the origins of Koznik, but the lack of historical data is compensated by numerous interesting tales and legends, which have inspired the imagination of travellers and travel writers for centuries until today.

The exact time when the city was founded is not known, but it is presumed that it was built in the second half of the 14^th century, in times of intensified attacks by the Ottomans, as the seat of one of the powerful Serbian nobles. In folklore, there is a tale that it was founded by Jerina the Cursed and that it was constructed by the builder Najdan. Erected at the place where the Župa’s vineyard meets the mountain massifs of Kopaonik and Željin, with its outstanding strategic position, it dominated over the valley of Rasina and the important route that passed through it. The first mention of the noble Koznik in historical documents dates from 1381., as the place of issuance of the charter of Prince Lazar to the Lavra St. Athanasius on the Holy Mountain, in which he gave this monastery an annual help of 100 litres of silver. It is known that in the year 1402. Princess Milica resided in Koznik, and three years later her son, the Despot Stefan Lazarević, as well.

ABOVE: Map of the site

ABOVE: The remains of the upper town were surrounded by a rampart with eight defensive towers

It is considered that at the end of the 14^th and the beginning of the 15^th centuries, the town became the centre of the Rasina district, and that it was fortified and used by the then district sovereign, lord Radič Postupović, the čelnik (a high court title) of the Despot Stefan Lazarević, and later the Grand čelnik (count palatine) of the Despot Djuradj Branković. The properties of the nobleman Radič, who was also a big ktitor (founder), were scattered all over Serbia, and it was recorded that Despot Djuradj verified his estates that he had during Despot Stefan’s rule, among which were two villages in close vicinity of the town of Koznik: Budilovina and Milentija. Remembered for his courage, determination and wisdom, Radič Postupović was sung in epic folk poetry under the names of Rade Oblačić, Oblak Radosav, and even as Rajko of Rasina.

View of Koznik from the village of Koznica

ABOVE: Koznik was built on a steep, conical tump at an altitude of 920 meters

The Ottomans seized Koznik in 1433, briefly returning it to Despot Djuradj Branković in 1444 and again in 1451. Due to its strategic position, the town was neither burnt to the ground nor demolished, unlike many nearby fortifications. Until the second half of the 16^th century, a permanent military crew remained stationed in the fortress, when, due to the breakthrough of the Ottomans into Central Europe, the border moved further north, and Koznik lost its significance. At the end of the 17^th century, that is, in 1689., Koznik was seized by Serbian rebels, indicating that it remained an active fortification at that time. Afterwards, until the beginning of the 19^th century, there was the Koznik nahiya (district), and after the liberation from the Ottomans, the Koznik county with its administrative seat in Brus.

One of the towers and part of the rampart

ABOVE LEFT: View from the fortress to the Rasina River valley

ABOVE RIGHT: The remains of one of the smaller, eastern towers that was used for the circumference wall reinforcement

Koznik belongs to the group of fortifications established during the period of Moravian Serbia. Unlike most of the cities from that period, such as Kruševac, Stalać, and Smederevo, which were erected near flat plains, Koznik, according to old construction practices, was built on a steep, conical hill at an elevation of 920 meters. The town’s layout was irregular, with eight towers of varying dimensions and a robust rampart that followed the configuration of the terrain. The two largest towers, located on the northern side, served both defensive and residential purposes, while the one considered a castle keep was originally four stories tall, reaching a height of 18 meters. The northwestern tower, initially intended as an entrance, was walled up during construction so that the only entrance was on the northeastern wall.

ABOVE LEFT: Northwestern tower in which the entrance was walled up during construction

ABOVE RIGHT: Detail of the northwest tower wall

In the southern part of the fortification, a brick-tiled fireplace and the town’s water supply system were situated. Specifically, atmospheric water was collected in a circular cistern with a diameter of five meters, which was internally insulated with a thick layer of clay. The cistern contained four wells built with slab stones, with the interspace between them filled by a gravel filter. Notably, during the exploration of the site, three of the four wells still contained clear water.

View from Koznik to the surrounding peaks

ABOVE LEFT: View from Koznik to the Kopaonik and Željin mountain tops

ABOVE RIGHT: The view from the highest part of the town reaches all the way to the Rtanj pyramid on the east

The abundance of mobile archaeological material, including elements of Moravian-style architectural ornamentation, fresco fragments, and a skeletal grave located on the exterior side of the wall, suggests the presence of a church at the site of a partially explored structure in the northeastern sector of the town. This building dates to the earliest phase of construction, specifically the second half of the 14^th century. South of the fortress, on a gentle slope, lies a suburbium (outer settlement) with a plaza and one defensive tower, the remains of which are still partially visible today. Archaeological excavations and conservation efforts at the fortress have been carried out on several occasions. The unearthed artefacts are now housed in the National Museum of Kruševac and the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Kraljevo, with a smaller collection held at the Local History Museum of Župa.

Meadows and orchards at the foot of Koznik

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: Today, the wavy hillsides around Koznik are covered with meadows, vineyards, and orchards

Interesting findings

“Directly by the entrance to the southwestern tower, in an area no larger than two square meters, archaeologists found a storage room that contained 2.275 pieces of Middle Age arrow heads. The pyramid shaped arrow heads, with a thorn for inserting into wooden shafts, were made out of wrought iron. All discovered arrow heads are very small in size; their dimensions range from 2.5 to 5 centimetres.

Revealed storage room with arrow heads can be connected with data from 1516., which says that the village of Strelar gave 30.000 arrow heads annually to the fortress of Koznik. Arrow heads from Koznik’s storage room can be dated to the specified time period.”

(Lj. Vasiljević, Srednjovekovno utvrđenje Koznik, Feljton: Reporter iz prošlosti (17), Štampani nedeljnik Grad broj 189, Kruševac, 9. decembar 2005, 22. )

ABOVE: Koznik at sunset

From the ancient writings

“To the north from Neradja, on the right side of the river Rasina, but high above it, on one loopy mountaintop that can be easily approached only from one side, this strange city was built. There are tales about it: that, when it was built, goats carried the stones, and in one goat a goatling bleat because of the heavy load. Another story says that those who sieged it smeared the goats’ horns with some kind of fuel, set them on fire, then let goats go up the slope, so the beseiged got frightened of that and surrendered themselves.

Mountain top, on which the Koznik is settled, is 2,725 feet high, according to Ami Buy. Koznik’s walls are still in very good condition. The entrance door is still in its place, as are five square towers on the side. Its interior is quite spacious, but also uneven due to the rocks it was built upon.

There is a wonderful view from Koznik in all directions, as far as the eye can see. They say that our fathers, during their fighting for liberty, held there their guard’s watchtower, that was monitoring the enemy’s movements.”

(From the book of Milan Dj. Milicević Kneževina Srbija, published in Belgrade in 1876.)

ABOVE: Koznik is considered one of the most beautiful and photogenic Serbian fortresses

The Lake of Jerina the Damned

“In our folklore, Koznik is known as the Jerina’s town. According to a tale, it was built by Jerina the Damned, later called out as The Mighty One, remembered for her coldness and insensitivity. Upon her request and wish, by the Koznik bridge (where is nowadays located the Skačak tavern), there was a big dam, which accumulated water, forming a lake. That lake spread out to the north across the Pleš, all the way to Mitrovo polje, where now also, in the hamlet Čolići, you can find bindings in the shape of iron rings for ships in which Jerina used to sail a long time ago.

Under the place called Skačak, it is believed that there is a tunnel that used to lead to the fortification on the hill, underneath which was hidden an even bigger underground city. Upon a tale, in a tunnel there was a golden carrier, but local folks don’t want to talk about it because they are afraid it will bring them ill fate. Recently, one of them, who dared to look for a mysterious tunnel, under impression of what he saw and experienced in it, lost his mind and died soon after.“

(Upon the story of Jasna Vujisić from the Koznica village in 2019.)

List of References