Kotor Varoš

Kotor Varoš Котор Варош
Coat of arms
Location of Kotor Varoš within Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 17°22′13″E / 44.62222°N 17.37028°E / 44.62222; 17.37028Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 17°22′13″E / 44.62222°N 17.37028°E / 44.62222; 17.37028
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government
• Mayor	Dalibor Vučanović (SNSD)
Area
• Total	564,26 km2 (21,786 sq mi)
Population (2013 census)
• Total	22,001
• Density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s)	51

Kotor Varoš or Kotor-Varoš (Serbian Cyrillic: Котор Варош) is a town and municipality in north-western Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska.^[1][2][3][4]

History

Roman Ages

From the Roman period there are several sites in Šiprage at the mouth Crkvenica – in Vrbanja river ("at the field of Omer Bey Šipraga," 1891), discovered the remains of an early Christian Basilica (3rd – 5th century).^[5]

Archaeological records confirm the existence of a Roman settlement in this location, while tufa stećci has testified to the Oldbosnian (Bogomils) settlement in the twelfth century.^[5][6] The original location of stećci was confluence of rivulet Crkvenica and River Vrbanja (at the very rivers' banks).^[5] They were cut out and built in the walls of the surrounding buildings (possibly due to the beliefs of their miraculous properties). One of the best preserved stećak is submerged in River Vrbanja, in the immediate proximity of its primary location.

Middle Ages

It has been theorized that Kotor Varoš was mentioned in the De Administrando Imperio as "Katera" (Greek: Κατερα),^[7][8] a part of the "land of Bosnia".^[9]

The town was part of the Donji Kraji province of the Banate of Bosnia in the 13th century. In the 14th century, the town was the property of the Hrvatinić noble family.

Modern

Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina began in 1878 and ended with the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, later renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The town was part of the Vrbas Banovina (1929–41), while after World War II it became part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the Bosnian War (1992–95), some religious and cultural monuments and landmarks were destroyed by Serb paramilitary groups, such as a Catholic church in the centre of the town, as well as all of the mosques. In the southern Čaršija (bazaar) quarter of the town nearly all houses were destroyed. Bosnian Serb-dominated parts of the town were largely unaffected. Bosnian Serb police and military forces devastated surrounding villages too, especially those upstream along the Vrbanja to Kruševo Brdo, as well as all non-Serbs villages downstream to Banja Luka. All settlements in the Vrbanja valley were sacked and much of the Bosniak and Croat population left the municipality.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Population

Kotor Varoš (populated place), Ethnic structure

^[14][15]

Settlements

• Baština • Bilice • Boljanići • Borci Donji • Borci Gornji • Ćorkovići • Duratovci • Garići • Grabovica • Hadrovci • Hrvaćani • Hanifići • Jakotina • Kotor Varoš • Kruševo Brdo • Liplje • Maljeva • Maslovare • Obodnik • Orahova • Palivuk • Plitska • Podbrđe • Podosoje • Postoje • Prisočka • Radohova • Ravne • Selačka • Sokoline • Stopan • Šibovi • Šiprage • Tovladić • Vagani • Varjače • Večići • Viševice • Vranić • Vrbanjci • Zabrđe • Zaselje

See also

• Municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Municipalities of Republika Srpska
• Vrbanja river
• Jakotina

References

Gallery

• 
  The Swimming Dam on the Bobas is a popular attraction
• 
  The Kotor Varoš Red Cross building
• 
  The "Kocke" (Apartment Blocks) in the city
• 
  Elementary School "Sveti Sava", used to be called "Bratstvo i jedinstvo" ("Brotherhood and unity")
• 
  The Orthodox Christian church in Kotor Varoš
• 
  The Croatian catholic church, rebuilt
• 
  One of two mosques in Kotor Varos, this one is in the Kotor region
• 
  Caršija region of the city, shops litter the left side.

Features

The city also features a large monument to the local partisans who died for Yugoslavia during the fighting with the German and Ustaša forces during WW2.

Twin towns – Sister cities

Kotor Varoš is twinned with:

• Kranj, Slovenia
• Herceg Novi, Montenegro
• Kraljevo, Serbia

Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska
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
Districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brčko distrikt
Municipalities and cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital Sarajevo Municipalities and cities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cities Grad Bihać Grad Mostar Glavni grad Sarajevo Grad Široki Brijeg Grad Tuzla Grad Zenica Municipalities Banovići Bosanska Krupa Bosanski Petrovac Bosansko Grahovo Breza Bugojno Busovača Bužim Čapljina Cazin Čelić Centar, Sarajevo Čitluk Drvar Doboj East Doboj South Dobretići 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 Neum Novi Grad, Sarajevo Novo Sarajevo Novi Travnik Odžak Olovo Orašje Pale-Prača Posušje Prozor-Rama Ravno Sanski Most Sapna Srebrenik Stari Grad, Sarajevo Stolac Teočak Tešanj Tomislavgrad Travnik Trnovo (FBiH) Usora Vareš Velika Kladuša Visoko Vitez Vogošća Zavidovići Žepče Živinice Municipalities and cities of Republika Srpska Cities Grad Banja Luka Grad Bijeljina Grad Doboj Grad Istočno Sarajevo Grad Prijedor Grad Trebinje Municipalities Berkovići Bileća Brod Bratunac Čajniče Čelinac Derventa Donji Žabar Foča Gacko 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 Prnjavor Ribnik Rogatica Rudo Stanari Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Teslić Trnovo Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica Vukosavlje Zvornik Brčko District Brčko

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kotor Varoš.

Populated places in Bosnia and Herzegovina