Jajce

Jajce is a city and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 30,758 inhabitants. It is situated in the region of Bosanska Krajina, on the crossroads between Banja Luka, Mrkonjić Grad and Donji Vakuf, on the confluence of the rivers Pliva and Vrbas.

Jajce

Јајце
City
Grad Jajce
City of Jajce
Top left: Pliva Waterfall
Top right: Panorama view eastern Maršala Tita area, from Jajca Fortress
Middle right: Jajca Fortress and ancient area
Bottom left: View of Šejh Mustafe area
Bottom right: Meadow Gate and Omer Bey's Native House
Seal
Location of Jajce within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates: 44°20′30″N 17°16′10″E
CountryBosnia and Herzegovina
EntityFederation of BiH
CantonCentral Bosnia
Government
 • MayorEdin Hozan (SDA)
Area
 • Total339 km2 (131 sq mi)
Population
 (2013 census)[2]
 • Total30,758
 • Density91/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code(s)+387 30
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Ancient times
Main article: Jajce Mithraeum

Jajački Mithraeum is a temple dedicated to God of the Sun, Mithra.[3] The god was worshiped and cult spread to other parts of Roman Empire throughout the Mediterranean basin by slaves and merchants from the Orient, and by Roman soldiers who came into contact with the followers of the cult in the East. Temple is dated to the 2nd century AD and repaired sometime during the 4th century AD. This particular Mithraeum is renowned as one of the best preserved in Europe. It was discovered accidentally during the construction of private house. Temple is protected by glass walls so that visitors can see inside even without entering facility. However, for entrance and closer look visitors need to give notice of their visitation in advance by contacting the Ethnological museum of Jajce.

The Jajce Mithraeum is declared National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[3]

Bosnian Kingdom
Main article: Walled city of Jajce
Citadel above Walled city of Jajce

Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić at the time of the largest power establish the town of Jajce.[4]

Jajce was first built in the 14th century and served as the capital of the independent Kingdom of Bosnia during its time. The first references to the name of Jajce in written sources is from the year 1396, but the fortress had already existed by then. The town has gates as fortifications, as well as a castle with walls which lead to the various gates around the town. About 10–20 kilometres from Jajce lies the Komotin Castle and town area which is older but smaller than Jajce. It is believed the town of Jajce was established after Komotin was struck by Black Death. Jajce was the residence of the last Bosnian king Stjepan Tomašević, where he was slain.

The Ottomans besieged the town and executed Tomašević, but held it only for six months. At this point it was the Hungarians who looked to seize the opportunity to hinder the Ottoman expansion in the Balkans. With the Bosnian King's death opportunity opened for Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus to try and capture Bosnia before Ottomans, which consequentially lead to Siege of Jajce and suppression of Ottoman forces advancement. This derailed Ottoman plans for nearly half of century, for which time Hungarians established the Banovina of Jajce.[5]:36 Before her death in 1478 Queen Catherine restored the Saint Mary's Church in Jajce, today the oldest church in town.

Ottoman period

Skenderbeg Mihajlović besieged Jajce again in 1501, which, although siege was unsuccessful, marked approaching demise of the town and Hungarian rule in Bosnia. Mihajlović was repelled by Ivaniš Korvin, who was assisted by Zrinski, Frankopan, Karlović and Cubor.Petar Keglević in 1520 becomes Ban of Jajce.[6] In 1527, Jajce became the last Bosnian town to fall to Ottoman rule.[7] Under the Ottomans, town lost its strategic importance, as the border moved further North.

There are several churches and mosques built in different times during different rules, making Jajce a rather diverse town in this aspect.

Austria-Hungary period

Jajce passed with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the administration of Austria-Hungary in 1878. The Franciscan monastery of Saint Luke was completed in 1885.

World War II
AVNOJ Museum in Jajce

From 1929–41, Jajce was part of the Vrbas Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the Second World War, Jajce gained importance as centre of a large swath of free territory, and on 29 November 1943 it hosted the second convention of the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ). There, representatives from throughout Yugoslavia decided to establish a federal Yugoslavia in equality of its nations, and established that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be one of its constitutive Republics. The post-war economy of Jajce in socialist times was based on industry and tourism.[5]:36

At the beginning of the Bosnian War, Jajce was inhabited by people from all ethnic groups, and was situated at a junction between areas of Serb majority to the north, Bosnian Muslim majority areas to the south-east and Croatian majority areas to the south-west.

Bosnian war
Ruins of the Orthodox monastery in Jajce
Main articles: Bosnian War, Operation Vrbas '92, and Operation Mistral 2

At the end of April and the beginning of May 1992, almost all ethnic Serbs left and fled or were expelled to territory under Republika Srpska control. In the summer of 1992, the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) started heavy bombardment of the city; the town, which was defended by Croat (HVO) and Bosniak (ARBiH) forces with two separate command lines, fell to Serb forces on 29 October. Retreating forces were joined by a column of 30,000 to 40,000 civilian refugees, stretching 16 kilometres (10 miles) towards Travnik, under VRS sniping and shelling. Shrader defined it as "the largest and most wretched single exodus" of the Bosnian War.[8]

Bosniak refugees re-settled in Central Bosnia, while Croats moved either to Croatia or closer to the Croatian border due to rising tensions. By November 1992 the pre-war population of Jajce had shrunk from 45,000 to just several thousand.[9]

In the following weeks, all mosques and Catholic churches in Jajce were demolished as retribution for the HVO's destruction of the town's only Serbian Orthodox monastery on 10–11 October. The VRS converted the town's Franciscan monastery into a prison and its archives, museum collections and artworks were looted; the monastery church was completely destroyed. By 1992, all religious buildings in Jajce had been destroyed, save for two mosques whose perilous positioning on a hilltop had made them unsuitable for demolition.[10]

Jajce was recaptured together with Bosanski Petrovac in mid-September 1995 during Operation Mistral 2 by the Croatian Defence Council (HVO),[11] after VRS forces had evacuated the Serb population. Jajce became part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina according to the Dayton Agreement. Returning Bosniaks were at start blocked by a mob of Croats in early August 1996, which according to US diplomat Robert Gelbard was personally directed by convicted Bosnian Croat war criminal Dario Kordić. Bosniak refugees could return peacefully only few weeks after, being followed by many more. Dario Kordić surrendered and was flown to the Hague following political pressure on Zagreb, particularly by the United States.[12]

A significant number of Serb refugees settled in Brčko while the rest settled in Mrkonjić Grad, Šipovo, and Banja Luka.[13]

Economy and tourism

The economy of the Jajce municipality is nowadays weak. UNESCO has started to renovate the historical parts of the city together with Kulturarv utan gränser (Cultural Heritage without Borders), a Swedish organisation. The main project of the company was to renovate the old traditional houses which symbolised the panoramic view of the city and the waterfall. As of 2006, most of the houses were rebuilt.

Tourism
Waterfall, 1901

Jajce was a popular tourist destination in Yugoslav times, mostly due to the historical importance of the AVNOJ session. Tourism has restarted, and its numbers (20-55,000 tourists in 2012-2013) are relevant in relation with the municipality's population (25,000). Tourists from across former Yugoslavia still make up most of tourism in Jajce, but middle-eastern tourists have also increased since the early 2000s; organised school trips also are a significant portion of touristic influx. Spring and autumn are the main tourist seasons.[5]:40

The town is famous for its beautiful 22-metre (72 ft) high waterfall where the Pliva River meets the river Vrbas. It was damaged during the Bosnian war, by high waters and severe flooding, as the area of Jajce-1 Hydroelectric Power Station intake was at the battlefront and out of service, sudden rise in water-level and discharge created tidal wave which damaged travertine body of the waterfall.

Jajce is situated in the mountains, there is a beautiful countryside near the city, rivers such as the Vrbas and Pliva, lakes like Pliva lake, which is also a popular destination for the local people and some tourists. This lake is called Brana in the local parlance. Not far from Jajce there are mountains that are over two thousand meters high like Vlasic near the city of Travnik. Travelling through the mountain roads to the city may not sit well with some visitors, because the roads are in poor condition, but the scenery is picturesque.[14][15][16]

Panorama of the Jajce town

Demographics

In 1931 today's municipality of Jajce was part of the much bigger Jajce County (together with today's municipalities of Jezero, Dobretići and Šipovo).

365 Serbs from Jajce are documented to have been murdered at the Jasenovac concentration camp during World War II.[17]

Population
Population of settlements – Jajce municipality
Settlement 1931. 1948. 1953. 1961. 1971. 1981. 1991. 2013.
Total 48,510 34,488 35,002 41,197 45,007 30,758
1 Bare 225 252
2 Barevo 1,616 680
3 Biokovina 512 225
4 Bistrica 1,236 909
5 Bravnice 868 323
6 Bučići 457 458
7 Bulići 1,400 1,014
8 Carevo Polje 1,875 1,189
9 Divičani 1,257 1,065
10 Donji Bešpelj 834 536
11 Doribaba 651 588
12 Gornji Bešpelj 783 310
13 Ipota 372 310
14 Jajce 6,853 9,127 11,918 13,579 7,172
15 Kasumi 319 219
16 Klimenta 411 447
17 Kruščica 913 685
18 Kuprešani 1,106 770
19 Lendići 703 621
20 Lupnica 1,064 817
21 Mile 1,270 1,056
22 Peratovci 372 331
23 Podmilačje 674 430
24 Prudi 614 420
25 Pšenik 411 328
26 Rika 901 376
27 Seoci 423 250
28 Šibenica 925 861
29 Smionica 470 271
30 Vinac 1,341 1,085
31 Vlasinje 1,133 845
32 Vrbica 652 602
33 Vukičevci 475 271
Bosnian-style wooden mosque (Ramadan begova džamija), reconstructed

Ethnic composition
Ethnic composition – Jajce town
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 7,172 (100,0%) 13,579 (100,0%) 11,918 (100,0%) 9,127 (100,0%)
Croats 3,273 (45,64%) 1,899 (13,98%) 1,991 (16,71%) 2,148 (23,53%)
Bosniaks 3,267 (45,55%) 5,277 (38,86%) 4,068 (34,13%) 4,220 (46,24%)
Others 435 (6,065%) 389 (2,865%) 80 (0,671%) 101 (1,107%)
Serbs 197 (2,747%) 3,797 (27,96%) 3,046 (25,56%) 2,403 (26,33%)
Yugoslavs 2,217 (16,33%) 2,632 (22,08%) 184 (2,016%)
Montenegrins 58 (0,487%) 38 (0,416%)
Albanians 22 (0,185%) 15 (0,164%)
Macedonians 8 (0,067%) 3 (0,033%)
Slovenes 6 (0,050%) 12 (0,131%)
Hungarians 6 (0,050%) 3 (0,033%)
Roma 1 (0,008%)
Ethnic composition – Jajce municipality
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971. 1961. 1931.
Total 30,758 (100,0%) 45,007 (100,0%) 41,197 (100,0%) 35,002 (100,0%) 34,488 (100,0%) 48,510 (100,0%)
Bosniaks 13,269 (48,68%) 17,380 (38,62%) 15,145 (36,76%) 14,001 (40,00%) 7,545 (21,88%) 14,205 (29,28%)
Croats 12,555 (46,06%) 15,811 (35,13%) 14,418 (35,00%) 12,376 (35,36%) 13,733 (39,82%) 10,080 (20,78%)
Others 933 (3,423%) 657 (1,460%) 375 (0,910%) 192 (0,549%) 198 (0,57%)
Serbs 501 (1,838%) 8,663 (19,25%) 7,954 (19,31%) 8,132 (23,23%) 8,670 (25,14%) 24,176 (49,84%)
Yugoslavs 2,496 (5,546%) 3,177 (7,712%) 208 (0,594%) 4,342 (12,59%)
Montenegrins 72 (0,175%) 47 (0,134%)
Albanians 32 (0,078%) 15 (0,043%)
Macedonians 10 (0,024%) 3 (0,009%)
Slovenes 7 (0,017%) 18 (0,051%)
Hungarians 6 (0,015%) 4 (0,011%)
Roma 1 (0,002%) 6 (0,017%)

Climate
Climate data for Jajce (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.6
(61.9)		 21.4
(70.5)		 26.6
(79.9)		 29.4
(84.9)		 33.4
(92.1)		 34.6
(94.3)		 37.6
(99.7)		 37.0
(98.6)		 37.0
(98.6)		 29.4
(84.9)		 23.2
(73.8)		 19.8
(67.6)		 37.6
(99.7)
Average high °C (°F) 3.1
(37.6)		 6.4
(43.5)		 11.1
(52.0)		 16.0
(60.8)		 21.0
(69.8)		 23.9
(75.0)		 26.3
(79.3)		 26.2
(79.2)		 22.7
(72.9)		 17.3
(63.1)		 10.6
(51.1)		 4.2
(39.6)		 15.7
(60.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.8
(30.6)		 1.8
(35.2)		 5.5
(41.9)		 10.1
(50.2)		 14.5
(58.1)		 17.4
(63.3)		 19.2
(66.6)		 18.7
(65.7)		 15.4
(59.7)		 10.8
(51.4)		 5.7
(42.3)		 0.7
(33.3)		 9.9
(49.8)
Average low °C (°F) −4.7
(23.5)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 0.1
(32.2)		 4.1
(39.4)		 8.2
(46.8)		 11.4
(52.5)		 12.5
(54.5)		 12.4
(54.3)		 9.9
(49.8)		 5.7
(42.3)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 4.6
(40.3)
Record low °C (°F) −25.4
(−13.7)		 −18.6
(−1.5)		 −15.2
(4.6)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −1.5
(29.3)		 1.2
(34.2)		 5.4
(41.7)		 4.8
(40.6)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 −5.8
(21.6)		 −14.8
(5.4)		 −18.8
(−1.8)		 −25.4
(−13.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 60.2
(2.37)		 61.3
(2.41)		 65.7
(2.59)		 70.3
(2.77)		 87.4
(3.44)		 96.5
(3.80)		 81.8
(3.22)		 77.9
(3.07)		 74.8
(2.94)		 68.4
(2.69)		 91.5
(3.60)		 80.5
(3.17)		 916.2
(36.07)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 12.0 11.3 13.0 13.7 14.5 14.4 10.0 10.0 10.1 9.6 11.5 12.8 143.1
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) 15.4 11.5 4.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5 11.5 46.4
Average relative humidity (%) 82.7 79.4 75.1 72.3 75.2 76.9 75.8 76.8 78.8 80.2 81.9 84.4 78.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 52.5 71.1 115.3 147.7 180.7 197.3 243.8 221.2 165.6 120.5 72.0 44.2 1,631.9
Source: Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina[18]

Settlements

Twin towns
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Notable people
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References
  1. "Osnovne informacije o kantonu". Služba za statistiku za područje Srednjobosanskog kantona u Travniku. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  2. Estimation of the population of the Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina, june 30, 2007 (PDF), Federalni zavod za statistiku, 2007-06-30, archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007, retrieved 2007-10-11
  3. "The historic (antique religious) monument of the Mithraeum in Jajce". old.kons.gov.ba (in English and Bosnian). Commission to preserve national monuments. 12 January 2003. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. Amer Sulejmanagić, Vol. 54 No. 65, 2012. Coins of Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, https://hrcak.srce.hr/190275 #page=57
  5. The wider benefits of investment in cultural heritage: Case studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Council of Europe, 2015
  6. JOSIPA ADŽIĆ, History department, KEGLEVIĆI BUŽIMSKI U 16. STOLJEĆU, 2018 https://repozitorij.unipu.hr/islandora/object/unipu:2759/preview #page=9
  7. Pinson, Mark (1996) [1993]. The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Historic Development from Middle Ages to the Dissolution of Yugoslavia (Second ed.). United States of America: President and Fellows of Harvard College. p. 11. ISBN 0-932885-12-8. Retrieved 6 May 2012. [...] in Bosnia Jajce under Hungarian garrison actually held until 1527
  8. Shrader, Charles R. (2003). The Muslim-Croat Civil War in Central Bosnia: A Military History, 1992–1994. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-261-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link), p. 3
  9. Toal, Gerard; Dahlman, Carl T. (2011). Bosnia Remade: Ethnic Cleansing and Its Reversal. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-19-973036-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  10. Walesek, Helen (2013). "Destruction of the Cultural Heritage in Bosnia-Herzegovina: An Overview". In Walasek, Helen (ed.). Bosnia and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage. London, UK: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-1-40943-704-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) pp=82, 292
  11. Richard Holbrooke, To end a war, Random House 1998, p. 158
  12. Richard Holbrooke, To end a war, Random House 1998, p. 350
  13. A Tale of Two Cities: Return of Displaced Persons to Jajce and Travnik (PDF) (Report). International Crisis Group. 3 June 1998. pp. 2–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  14. Visit Jajce
  15. BiH Tourism
  16. Bradt Guide
  17. cp13.heritagewebdesign.com Serb victims at Jasenovac Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 16 May 2015.
  18. "Meteorlogical data for station Jajce in period 1961–1990". Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
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