Tešanj

Tešanj is a town and municipality located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 43,063 inhabitants, while the town of Tešanj has a population of 5,257 inhabitants. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Geography
Tešanj is located at an altitude of 230 meters and was built around the river Tešanjka. The town is surrounded by many hills.

History
The present name of the city was mentioned for the first time in 1461 in a charter from King Stephen Tomašević to his uncle Radivoj. The charter stated that King Stephen Tomašević grants him, among other possessions "i na Usori grad Tešanj -- the city of Tešanj, in the Usora region".

Between the second half of the 15th and the first half of the 16th century, the history of Tešanj was rather chaotic. Since Bosnia was a buffer state between the Ottomans and the Hungarians, parts of it changed rulers quite often, alternating between Ottoman and Hungarian occupation. Between 1463 and 1476 Tešanj was the center of the Bosnian Kingdom and the residence of Duke Radivoj Kotromanić.

From 1512 (or 1520-21) onwards, Tešanj was under the continuous rule of the Ottoman Empire. The most influential Ottoman ruler of Tešanj was the Bosnian Sandžak-bey Gazi Ferhad Pasha. It was under his authority that the city rapidly developed. His most significant contribution was the Ferhadija Mosque (1563), which still stands in the old town, dating back to the 16th century. Gazi Ferhad-bey died in 1568 and was buried in the yard of the mosque. The epitaph on his tombstone was in Arabic, and is the oldest Islamic record in Tešanj.

The old Eminagić House is the oldest house in Tešanj, still standing the test of time, and is said to have been built at the end of the 17th century.



The Old Town is dominated by the well-preserved fortress, called "Gradina" or simply Tešanj Castle, that overlooks the entire city. The Upper Town Center expands around the castle, rather than the bottom of it. Very early on this castle became the center of economic and cultural life of Tešanj. It was developed along with retail and trade in Tešanj. The town center developed rapidly in the 17th and 18th century, when there were around 40 stores and workshops operating.

The clock tower was built in the 17th century, standing at 18.5 meters tall. Out of a total of 21 clock towers that were built throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, this tower is one of four that are still working properly. Up until 1890 this tower had shown alaturca time, but the same year Fehim-beg Smailbegović introduced a new time which showed European time.

The grave of the poet Musa Ćazim Ćatić is located in "Obješenica" cemetery in the town center. Even though he was born in Odžak in 1880, he dedicated his whole life and work to the town of Tešanj, where he died in 1915.

From 1929 to 1941, Tešanj was part of the Vrbas Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Tešanj Castle
The establishment of this fortification had begun even before the Romans had conquered the region. Exact dates are unknown. It was later enhanced by the Romans, Slavs and the Ottoman forces. It had primarily been a defensive fortification. Tešanj Castle is one of the most significant and biggest castles in Bosnia, with an area of about 6,296 square metres.

During the Ottoman period, the castle had a permanent garrison.

Ethnic composition
The town of Tešanj itself had 5,253 residents in 1981, and 6,058 in 1991. Note: Bosniaks are Bosnian nationals with a Muslim religious and/or cultural background.

Settlements in the municipality
Bukva, Blaževci, Bobare, Cerovac, Čaglici, Čifluk, Dobropolje, Drinčići, Džemilić Planje, Jevadžije, Jelah, Jablanica, Jelah Polje, Kalošević, Karadaglije, Koprivci, Kraševo, Lepenica, Logobare, Lončari, Ljetinić, Marin Han, Mrkotić, Miljanovci, Medakovo, Mekiš, Novo Selo, Novi Miljanovci, Orašje Planje, Piljužići, Potočani, Putešić, Raduša, Rosulje, Ripna, Šije, Tešanj, Trepče, Tešanjka, Tugovići, Vrela, Vukovo, Hrvatinovići, and Dubalji.

Notable people

 * Nisim Albahari (1916-1991), Yugoslav partisan
 * Enis Bešlagić (born 1975), Bosnian actor
 * Musa Ćazim Ćatić (1878-1915), Bosnian poet
 * Alma Hasanić Grizović (born 1989), Bosnian-Norwegian handball player
 * Numan Kurdić (born 1999), Bosnian footballer
 * Otto Lang (1908-2006), Bosnian-American film producer
 * Admir Ljevaković (born 1984), Bosnian footballer
 * Ademaga Mešić (1868-1945), Ustaša Deputy-Leader
 * Jasmin Muharemović (born 1965), Bosnian pop-folk singer
 * Ajdin Mujagić (born 1998), Bosnian footballer
 * Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1517-1601), Ottoman statesman
 * Esad Plavi (born 1965), Bosnian pop-folk singer
 * Sanela Redžić, Bosnian athlete
 * Edin Šaranović (1976-2021), Bosnian footballer
 * Anid Travančić (born 1993), Bosnian footballer
 * Avdija Vršajević (born 1986), Bosnian footballer