Visocica
Encyclopedia
Bosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
: Hill Town) is a hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
famous as the site of the Old town of Visoki
Old town of Visoki
The Old Town of Visoki was a famous medieval royal castle town during the fourteenth century, located in Visoko , Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first mention of the town was on 1 September, 1355, in the charter "in castro nosto Visoka vocatum" written by Tvrtko I of Bosnia while he was a young ban...
ʋisɔki as well the recent claim that it is one of the Bosnian pyramids
Bosnian pyramids
The term Bosnian pyramids has been used for a cluster of natural geological formations sometimes known as flatirons near the Bosnian town of Visoko, northwest of Sarajevo...
.
The 213 metre Visočica hill, upon which the Old town of Visoki
Old town of Visoki
The Old Town of Visoki was a famous medieval royal castle town during the fourteenth century, located in Visoko , Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first mention of the town was on 1 September, 1355, in the charter "in castro nosto Visoka vocatum" written by Tvrtko I of Bosnia while he was a young ban...
was once sited, is roughly pyramid-shaped. The idea that it constitutes an ancient artificial edifice was publicised by Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
-based expatriate Bosnian author and metalworker Semir Osmanagić
Semir Osmanagic
Semir Osmanagić , also known as Sam Osmanagich is an author, amateur archaeologist and contractor in metalworking residing in Houston, United States....
.
Old town of Visoki
Old town of Visoki
The Old Town of Visoki was a famous medieval royal castle town during the fourteenth century, located in Visoko , Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first mention of the town was on 1 September, 1355, in the charter "in castro nosto Visoka vocatum" written by Tvrtko I of Bosnia while he was a young ban...
was a famous medieval royal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
castle town
Castle town
A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns are common in Medieval Europe. Good example include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles...
during the fourteenth century
14th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
, located in Visoko ʋisɔkɔ, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. The first mention of the town was on 1 September, 1355, in the charter "in castro nosto Visoka vocatum" written by Tvrtko I of Bosnia
Tvrtko I of Bosnia
Stjepan Tvrtko I was a ruler of medieval Bosnia. He ruled in 1353–1366 and again in 1367–1377 as Ban and in 1377–1391 as the first Bosnian King....
while he was a young ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
. The town was abandoned before 1503, because it is not mentioned in the Turkish-Hungarian treaty from the mentioned year. In the year 1626 Đorđić mentioned Visoki among abandoned towns.
Bosnian pyramids
Visočica hill became the focus of international attention in October 2005, following a news-media campaign promoting the false idea that it is actually the largest of a group of ancient man-made pyramidPyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
s, the so-called Bosnian pyramids
Bosnian pyramids
The term Bosnian pyramids has been used for a cluster of natural geological formations sometimes known as flatirons near the Bosnian town of Visoko, northwest of Sarajevo...
.
Scientific investigations of the site show there is no pyramid. Additionally, scientists have criticised the Bosnian authorities for supporting the pyramid claim saying, "This scheme is a cruel hoax on an unsuspecting public and has no place in the world of genuine science."
See also
- Historic documents written in VisokiHistoric documents written in VisokiThe primary function of old town Visoki was defense, but it was also a place where a lot of medieval Bosnian rulers wrote various documents and charters...
- Visoko
- Visoko during the Middle AgesVisoko during the Middle AgesArchaeological excavations proved that the Visoko Valley was the center of a medieval Bosnian state and later kingdom. Many royal charters were written in Visoko and surrounding locations...
- History of Bosnia and HerzegovinaHistory of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Pre-Slavic Period :Bosnia has been inhabited at least since Neolithic times. In the late Bronze Age, the Neolithic population was replaced by more warlike Indo-European tribes known as the Illyrians. Celtic migrations in the 4th and 3rd century BCE displaced many Illyrian tribes from their former...