Coordinates: 44°20′24.91″N 17°15′26.04″E / 44.3402528°N 17.2572333°E / 44.3402528; 17.2572333

Jajce Јајце
Jajce Waterfall
Location of Jajce within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government
• Municipality president	Nisvet Hrnjić (SDA)
Area[1]
• Total	339 km2 (131 sq mi)
Population (2007 est.)[2]
• Total	24,455
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s)	+387 30
Website	http://www.opcina-jajce.ba

Old part of Jajce

Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity. It is on the crossroads between Banja Luka, Mrkonjić Grad and Donji Vakuf, on the confluence of the rivers Pliva and Vrbas.

History[link]

Jajce was first built in the 14th century and served as the capital of the independent Bosnian kingdom during its time. The town has gates as fortifications, as well as a castle with walls which lead to the various gates around the town. Skenderbeg Mihajlović besieged Jajce in 1501, but without success because he was defeated by Ivaniš Korvin assisted by Zrinski, Frankopan, Karlović and Cubor.^[3] When the Bosnian kingdom fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1463, Jajce was taken by the Ottomans but was retaken next year by Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. About 10–20 kilometres from the Jajce lies the Komotin Castle and town area which is older but smaller than Jajce. It is believed the town of Jajce was previously Komotin but was moved after the black death.

During this period, Bosnian queen Katarina Kosača-Kotromanić restored the Church of Saint Luke in Jajce, today the oldest church in town. Eventually, in 1527, Jajce became the last Bosnian town to fall to Ottoman rule.^[4] There are several churches and mosques built in different times during different rules, making Jajce a rather diverse town in this aspect.

The Franciscan monastery of Saint Luke was completed in 1885. Jajce gained prominence during the Second World War because it hosted the second convention of the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia on November 29, 1943, a meeting that set the foundation for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after WWII.

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.

At the end of April and the beginning of May 1992, almost all Serbs left the city and fled to territory under the Republika Srpska control. The Serbian Orthodox Church (Crkva Uspenja Presvete Bogorodice) was blown up in the night between 10th and 11 October 1992.^[5] In the summer of 1992, the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) started heavy bombardment of the city. Serb forces entered Jajce on October 29, 1992, apparently due to lack of cooperation between Bosnian government and Croat forces. The Bosniak and Croat population escaped through Divičani into Travnik. In the Bosnian/Croat counteroffensives of August–September 1995 the town was taken by Bosnian/Croatian forces with most of the Serb population fleeing. Jajce became part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina according to the Dayton Agreement.

Settlements[link]

• Bare • Barevo • Bavar • Biokovina • Bistrica • Borci • Božikovac • Bravnice • Brvanci • Bučići • Bulići • Carevo Polje • Cvitović • Čerkazovići • Ćusine • Divičani • Dogani • Donji Bešpelj • Doribaba • Drenov Do • Dubrave • Đumezlije • Gornji Bešpelj • Grabanta • Grdovo • Ipota • Jajce • Jezero • Kamenice • Karići • Kasumi • Klimenta • Kokići • Kovačevac • Krezluk • Kruščica • Kuprešani • Lendići • Lučina • Lupnica • Ljoljići • Magarovci • Mile • Peratovci • Perućica • Podlipci • Podmilačje • Prisoje • Prudi • Pšenik • Rika • Selište • Seoci • Smionica • Stare Kuće • Šerići • Šibenica • Vinac • Vrbica • Vukičevci • Zdaljevac i Žaovine.

Sport[link]

• NK Maestral '95
• NK Elektrobosna Jajce
• RK Jajce
• NK Jajce
• KKVK Jajce
• Auto moto klub Jajce
• KK Vodopad
• Mountaineering Club Cuisine
• Fishing Club Zlatovcica
• Hunting Club Lisina
• Hunting club Kuna Jajce

Demographics[link]

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 and Muslims from Jajce are documented to be killed in Jasenovac concentration camp.^[7]

1991[link]

In the town itself, there was 13,579 people, with distribution by ethnic groups:

• Bosniaks - 5,277 (38.86%)
• Bosnian Serbs - 3,797 (27.96%)
• Yugoslavs - 2,217 (16.32%)
• Bosnian Croats - 1,899 (13.98%)
• others and unknown - 389 (2.88%)

1995[link]

According to the Dayton agreement, municipality borders were changed, and included some villages with the Bosnian Croat majority before the war (Mrkonjić Grad and Skender Vakuf municipalities) and excluded some villages with the Bosnian Serb or Bosniak majority before the war.

Jajce today[link]

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, a Swedish organisation (Cultural Heritage without Borders). 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.

In elections of 2007 Bosniak parties won majority in Jajce municipality.^[8]

Surroundings[link]

The waterfall in Jajce

The town is also famous for its beautiful waterfall where the Pliva River meets the river Vrbas. It was 30 meters high, but during the Bosnian war, the area was flooded and the waterfall is now 20 meters high. The flooding may have been due to an earthquake and/or attacks on the hydroelectric power plant further up the river.

The historical and cultural richness of Jajce and its municipality is attested by the presence of 24 national monuments [1]: the fortification sistem; "Burić"'s house; orthodox church "Presvete Bogorodice"; "Saint John" church in Podmilačje; the church of "Sv. Marija" with "Sv. Luka"'s tower bell; women's mosque; AVNOJ Museum; "Esma Sultanija"'s mosque; "Kraljev grob" (royal grave) in Zastinje; Jajce, and its ancient district; "Katakombe" and the underground church; "Kapetanović"'s house; "Kršlak"'s house; temple of the God "Mithra"; "Musafirhana"; necropolis with "stećci" in Vinac; "Omer-bey"'s house; the watermills complex on the Pliva's Lakes; Roman Catholic cemetery; "Sarač" house, the financial building, and the first elementary school; "Sinan-bey"'s mosque; "Hadžihafizadić"'s fountain; the fortress in Vinac; the fortress of Jajce. Jajce also lies near Pliva lake and the rivers Pliva and Vrbas flow through the city. Jajce has a rich history and many remains of old times like the St Luke church and the fortress. Jajce was always known for its rich history but it was in the year 2006 that the city was first nominated to be listed as a UNESCO heritage site.

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 2000 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.

Fishing is very popular on the Pliva lake and river. A part of the 16th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championship was held on the lake.

Twin towns[link]

• Alaçati in Turkey

References[link]

External links[link]

• Everything about Jajce(Bosnian)(Croatian)
• Image of Town and Waterfall
• Official Website(Bosnian)(Croatian)
• Tourism in Jajce(Bosnian)(English) (Italian)(German)
• Agency for Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage and Development of Tourist Potential of Town Jajce(Bosnian)(Croatian)(English)
• Tragovima bosanskog kraljevstva - Tourist route for medieval Bosnia (English)
• Trail of the Bosnian Kingdom - Cultural Tourism in Jajce
• Jajce Tours by Sarajevo Funky Tours - Jajce Tours (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

v t e Municipalities of the Central Bosnia Canton Bugojno Busovača Dobratići Donji Vakuf Fojnica Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Jajce Kiseljak Kreševo Novi Travnik Travnik Vitez

v t e Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina v t e Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska v t e Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina      Una-Sana  Central Bosnia  Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva  Tuzla  West Herzegovina  Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo  Bosnian Podrinje  Canton 10 v t e Districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brčko distrikt v t e Municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital Sarajevo Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Banovići Bihać Bosanska Krupa Bosanski Petrovac Bosansko Grahovo Bugojno Busovača Bužim Čapljina Cazin Čelić Centar, Sarajevo Čitluk Drvar Doboj East Doboj South Dobratići Domaljevac-Šamac Donji Vakuf Foča-Ustikolina Fojnica Glamoč Goražde Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Gračanica Gradačac Grude Hadžići Ilidža Ilijaš Jablanica Jajce Kakanj Kalesija Kiseljak Kladanj Ključ Konjic Kreševo Kupres Livno Ljubuški Lukavac Maglaj Mostar Neum Novi Grad, Sarajevo Novo Sarajevo Novi Travnik Odžak Olovo Orašje Pale-Prača Posušje Prozor-Rama Ravno Sanski Most Sapna Široki Brijeg Srebrenik Stari Grad, Sarajevo Stolac Teočak Tešanj Tomislavgrad Travnik Trnovo (FBiH) Tuzla Usora Vareš Velika Kladuša Visoko Vitez Vogošća Zavidovići Zenica Žepče Živinice Municipalities of Republika Srpska Berkovići Bijeljina Bileća Brod Bratunac Čajniče Čelinac Derventa Doboj Donji Žabar Foča Gacko Grad Banja Luka Grad Istočno Sarajevo Gradiška Han Pijesak Istočni Drvar Istočna Ilidža Istočni Mostar Istočni Stari Grad Istočno Novo Sarajevo Jezero Kalinovik Kneževo Kostajnica Kozarska Dubica Kotor Varoš Krupa na Uni Kupres Laktaši Ljubinje Lopare Milići Modriča Mrkonjić Grad Nevesinje Novi Grad Novo Goražde Osmaci Oštra Luka Pale Pelagićevo Petrovac Petrovo Prijedor Prnjavor Ribnik Rogatica Rudo Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Teslić Trebinje Trnovo Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica Vukosavlje Zvornik

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jajce