In a deep, thickly wooded valley, the River Bosna turns abruptly almost 180 degrees creating a sharp ridge on which this little 15th-century Vranduk castle sits in the midst of a tiny, charmingly coherent village. Vranduk represents one of many medieval Bosnian towns with intensive political, economic and cultural life. The castle is composed of a citadel with the main tower and a protective wall, surrounding the interior of the medieval town.
After taking the city in the 15th century, the Turks built a mosque alongside to the citadel. During Eugene of Savoy’s devastating campaign in 1697, he bypassed the fortress completely as it posed too great an undertaking, leaving it the only fortification left unconquered. Today, Vranduk offers visitors an authentic taste of Bosnian history, in both the museum set up in the great tower, and the traditional Bosnian meals.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.