THE NORIN TOWER

The Norin Tower

(Norin Tower)

One of the most important monuments of Ottoman architecture in Croatia is the Norin Tower , originally built on the right bank of the Neretva River, at the confluence of the Norin River into the Neretva, and today located on the left bank. It was built at the very beginning of the 16th century, and thus at the beginning of Ottoman rule in the Neretva Valley, by Kodža Mustafa-paša Ušćuplija. It was part of the defense system on the Neretva River along with the Počitelj and Gabela defense systems. The tower was described in detail in the 17th century by the famous Ottoman travel writer Evlija Çelebi, who says that the tower itself has seven floors, and the complex consisted of a mosque, a dock for ships, and a warehouse for weapons and food. It is interesting that Neretva oral tradition also records the legend of a tower with seven floors, most of which sank. Towards the end of the 17th century, during the Turkish-Venetian wars, the tower was damaged several times, so that its current appearance is certainly not the original one from the beginning of the 16th century, which is also evident from its stylistic features that are characteristic of Venetian fortification architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, in whose possession the Tower remained until the abolition of the Venetian Republic. After that, the Tower became the property of the Neretva noble family Nonković, and, according to legend, a mill powered by a windmill later operated in it, and at the beginning of the 20th century, a memorial plaque was placed on it on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the liberation of the Neretva Valley from Turkish rule, and as such it is one of the symbols and the most famous monument of the Neretva Valley.

Tower of Norin

(Tower of Norin)

One of the most important monuments of the Ottoman architecture in Croatia is the Tower of Norin (Tower of Norin), originally built on the right bank of the Neretva river, at the mouth of the Norin stream into Neretva, while today it is on the left bank. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century and in the beginning of the Ottoman rule in the Neretva valley by Kodza Mustafa Pasha Uscupli. It was a part of the defense system on the Neretva river, along with the defense systems Počitelj and Gabela. In the 17 th century, the tower is exhaustively described by Evliya Çelebi, an eminent Ottoman travel writer, who says that the tower itself had seven floors, while the complex was comprised of the mosque, a pier for the ships and a weapons and food warehouse. It is interesting that the Neretva oral tradition notes a legend on the tower with seven floors of which the majority sank. At the end of the 17th century , during the time of the Turkish and Venetian wars, the tower was damaged several times so that its appearance today is certainly not the original one from the start of the 16th century , which is also visible according to its style features typical for the Venetian fortification architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries . It was owned by the Venetians until the Venetian Republic ended. After that, the Tower became the property of the noble family Nonković in the Neretva region, while later, according to legend, there was a windmill in it; at the beginning of the 20 th century, a plaque was placed on it on the occasion of the 250 th anniversary of the liberation of the Neretva valley from the Ottoman rule and as such it is one of the symbols and the most famous monument of the Neretva valley.