Ivan’s Tower

Ivan’s Tower (Ivan Kula) is a small medieval fortress located in the village of the same name, 33 km southeast of Kursumlija, on the western slopes of Radan Mountain. The tower can be reached by a road that separates from the main road Nis-Pristina near Sastavci, then turns northeast near the village of Vuce and reaches the center of the village on macadam, and then along a steep path to the fortification itself.

The tower was built on top of a volcanic cone, has a rectangular base, measures 7.78 x 5.80 m and has been preserved to a height of about 14 m. It was built of hewn stone, which was bonded with good lime mortar. On the north side of the tower, the foundations of another building can be seen, which was demolished to the ground. It is a typical Serbian late medieval fortress of a great man, which was built in dominant and difficult to access places. In historical sources, Ivan’s town is mentioned in 1412.

According to folk legend, the tower was ruled by Ivan Kosancic, a hero from Toplica from the battles in Kosovo. Arnaut legend says that Ivan-beg’s residence was in Ivan Kula. After the Battle of Kosovo, Sultan Bajazit appointed him lord of Kosanica and who planted the whole valley with walnut trees. Legend has it that Ivan Kosancic had a sister, Jana, who was abducted by the Turks during one of the campaigns and dragged to the village of Vuce, where she died. A small church was built on that place, the foundations of which still stand today. From the Ivan Tower there is an extraordinary lookout point on all four sides of the world. The site has been declared a cultural monument.