1993History in Stone - Mostar - Full sheets

MOSTAR, the political, economic and cultural centre of the Croatian community of Herceg – Bosna. Lies at the foot of the Velež, Hum and Čabulja mountains in the Neretva valley. It was first mentioned in 1452 as castelli de ponte, referring to what must have been a wooden suspension chain – bridge. The castels, or towers, at either end of the bridge were guarded by mostars ( in Croatian meaning bridge guards), hence its name of Mostar. The town began to thrive in the fifteenth century, but in the second half of the century it fell to the Turks and became a Turkish garrison town, it was important in the sixteenth century in the wars against the Venetian Republic, Mostar became an administrative and municipal district, and a provincial seat, a khadiluk, in 1519, In it lived the leading civilian, military and ecclesiastical officials of the region. In 1875 the Hercegovians began an uprising against the Turks that culminated in Austria occupation.