Prijepolje is a city with a rich history, and its importance was particularly pronounced in the Middle Ages.
You are in a city in the southwest of Serbia, in the valley of the Lim River, in a town that has been an important strategic and trade center throughout history.
In the area of Prijepolje, there are remains of human habitation from prehistoric times, and it is still a wonderful place to live.
Roman time
In the era of the Roman Empire, the area around Prijepolje was part of Roman provinces. One of the most significant archaeological sites in this area is the Dvorine site, where a large number of items made of ceramics, glass, bronze, silver, and gold have been discovered, dating back to the Roman period.
The first mention of Prijepolje under this name dates back to 1332, according to the writings of Guillaume Adam. It is later referenced in the annals of the Dubrovnik Republic in 1343.
Middle Ages
Prijepolje was developed in the Middle Ages as the market square of the Mileševo Monastery and was located on the so-called Dubrovnik Road, which connected the central Adriatic coast with the east and central parts of the Balkan Peninsula. The development of Prijepolje is closely correlated to the merchants who passed through it and traded there since the Middle Ages.
At the tomb of Saint Sava in the Mileševo monastery, Ban Tvrtko crowned himself as a „King of Bosnia and Serbia,“ distinguishing himself as the successor of Nemanja’s idea and work and the new Serbian king. Later, in 1448, in Mileševo, Stefan Vukčić Kosača proclaimed himself Duke of Saint Sava, after whom Herzegovina was named.
Turkish Period
The collapse of the Serbian medieval states and the arrival of the Turks in this region also affected Prijepolje, which only gained its freedom in 1912 during the First Balkan War. Throughout this time, the Mileševa Monastery served as the spiritual and cultural center of the Serbian people in this area. In the 15th century, it was the seat of the Mileševa Metropolis, and in the 16th century, one of the oldest Serbian printing presses worked there.
Early 20th Century
Although the Turks remained in this region until 1912, this area actively participated in significant battles of the Serbian people during the 19th century, from the First Serbian Uprising to the Rebell in Prijepolje (Babička buna) (1875), the Javor War (1876), and the Raonić Rebellion, all the way to the Balkan Wars and final liberation.
According to the decisions of the Berlin Congress, the Raška region remained part of the Ottoman Empire, which held civil authority, while Austria-Hungary held military authority, preventing the unification of the two Serbian lands, Serbia and Montenegro. From 1880 to 1912, Prijepolje was part of the Pljevlja Sanjak (in Serbian – sandžak – historical and geo-political region in the Balkans). During this period, a small Catholic chapel was built on a rock by the Lim River in Prijepolje.
World War II
During World War II, the famous Battle of Prijepolje occurred in this area, where German forces attacked the partisan hospital on the left bank of the Lim River. The remains of the hospital have been preserved as a memorial complex dedicated to the fallen patriots who fought against the occupiers. Above Prijepolje, at the Jabuka Pass, during an attack on the Chetniks (a term referring to the remnants of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s army during WWII), one of the youngest national heroes, the renowned boy bomber Boško Buha, was killed. He was only 17 years old at the time.
