Attractions and Places To See around Nacionalni park Una - Top 20

Kulen Vakuf je u osmanskim dokumentima iz 18. veka zvan Džisr-i-kebir, što znači “Veliki most.” Naselje je tako nazvano zbog velikog mosta i važnog prelaza preko Une.

Vakuf means a religious or charitable foundation/property in the Islamic world; in place names, it often means that the area was linked to such a foundation. And Kulen Vakuf refers to a vakuf that was connected to the Kulenović family or Mahmut-paša Kulenović.

Džisr-i Kebir is not a Bosnian word, but an Ottoman-Turkish name with Arabic roots. -Džisr / jisr: Arabic for “bridge”. -kebir / kabir: Arabic/Ottoman for “great” or “magnificent”. So Džisr-i-Kebir literally means, as Anton also mentions, “the great bridge”.

Sultan Ahmedova džamija jedna je od najprepoznatljivijih historijskih građevina u dolini rijeke Una, u mjestu Kulen Vakuf. Izgrađena je između 1603. i 1613. godine, u vrijeme sultana Ahmeda I, po kojem je i dobila ime. Ono što je čini posebno zanimljivom jeste njen neobičan položaj i arhitektura – džamija je podignuta iznad prostora sa dućanima i prolazima sa svih strana, a u nju se ulazi kamenim stepeništem, što joj daje jedinstven izgled u cijelom regionu. Kroz historiju je više puta stradala i obnavljana. U ratovima i požarima rušena je nekoliko puta, a posljednja obnova izvedena je 90-ih godina, kada je vraćena u svoj prvobitni oblik i dimenzije, iako je umjesto kamena korištena cigla. Smještena u starom urbanom jezgru, džamija je svjedok bogate prošlosti Kulen Vakufa, mjesta koje se u osmanskim dokumentima iz 18. stoljeća spominje kao Džisr-i-kebir – „Veliki most“. Nekada je grad bio izgrađen na vještačkom otoku, ispresijecan rukavcima Une, s kućama i trgovinama podignutim iznad vode na drvenim stubovima. Džamija danas ne predstavlja samo vjerski objekat, već i snažan simbol opstanka, kontinuiteta i identiteta ovog kraja, u kojem se isprepliću priroda, historija i duhovnost. Izvor: https://go-bosnia.com/entitet/sultan-ahmedova-dzamija/

beautiful view of the river

Beautiful. If you have time, also do a longer hike.

Kulen Vakuf has one of the most fascinating and eventful histories in all of northwestern Bosnia. Its origin is closely linked to the securing of the borders of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of one of the most powerful Bosnian noble dynasties. Here is the historical development summarized chronologically: 1. The Beginnings: Life in the Shelter of Giant Castles (Middle Ages) Before the town existed in the valley, life took place high up in the mountains. In the Middle Ages, the region was part of the Hungarian-Croatian Kingdom. The all-dominating Ostrovica Castle controlled the Una Valley [🌱, 🏰]. People lived primarily in the shelter of these fortress walls at that time. In 1523, the Ottomans conquered the castle and developed it into one of their most important border fortresses. 2. The 18th Century: The Birth of the Town on the Water The actual history of Kulen Vakuf in the valley began in 1703 after the Peace of Karlowitz [🌱]. The Ottoman Empire lost territories in present-day Croatia, and the Una became the hard-contested outer border with the Habsburg Empire. The Fortress in the Valley: Sultan Ahmed III ordered the construction of a new defensive settlement directly on a strategic Una bridge [🌱, 🏰]. The Artificial Island: To provide protection from attackers, an artificial river island was created. The water of the Una flowed completely around the newly built city walls – Kulen Vakuf was practically a water fortress with two large gates [🌱, 🏰]. The Original Name: At this time, the town was still called Palanka Mahmut-paše Kulenovića (the fortress of Mahmut-Paša Kulenović). He was the first military commander (Kapetan) of the region.

Gate 1 is the start, a friendly man greets you and you have to pay 16 BM, which also includes the visit to the waterfalls. A pretty good trail leads you first 4 km uphill before it goes down for about 10 km, down to the waterfalls. Here the gravel path ends.