Triglav (Italian: Tricorno, German: Terglau) is the highest mountain in Slovenia (and, formerly, in all of Yugoslavia) and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. While its name, meaning "three-headed", can describe its shape as seen from the Bohinj area, the mountain was most probably named after the Slavic god Triglav. This hypothesis has been disputed, as the nature of this deity remains obscure, and its worship is not documented among the pagan ancestors of Slovenes. The mountain is the preeminent Slovene national symbol. A stylized depiction of its distinctive shape is the central element of the Slovenian coat of arms, and is in turn featured on the flag of Slovenia (and, formerly, on the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia). A photorealistic relief of the mountain is the design on the national side of the Slovenian 50 eurocent coin. Aljaž Tower The first recorded ascent of Triglav was made on 26 August 1778, by Luka Korošec, Matija Kos, Štefan Rožič and Lovrenc Willomitzer, on the initiative of baron Sigismund Zois. Its height was first measured in 1808 by Valentin Stanič. At the top of the mountain stands a small metal structure, the Aljaž Tower (Slovene: Aljažev stolp), symbolic of Slovene territorial sovereignty and a national symbol itself. The tower's namesake was the priest, mountaineer and patriot Jakob Aljaž, who around 1900 purchased the Kredarica waypoint and the summit for the sum of five Austro-Hungarian florins. Since 1961, the mountain has ...

• published: 01 Sep 2009
• views: 1076
• author: hlavicka1971