Mostar is situated in the valley encircled by the Hercegovinian mountains. It was named after the guardians of the bridge on the banks of the Neretva river.
The broader area of the present day Mostar was inhabited even in the prehistoric period, which is confirmed by the numerous archaeological sites (over 150) from the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze and Iron Age. They contain, among others, inhabited caves, graves, weapons and pre-Roman coins.
The founding of the town of Mostar is connected with construction of two towers/fortresses, which took place in the middle of the 15th century. The fortress on the right bank of the Neretva river was named Tara, whereas the other one situated on the left bank was named Helebi. The Hercegusa tower was built close to the Tara fortress, and served not only for the purpose of defensive operations, but also to protect the former suspension wooden bridge. It was built during the rule of Herceg Stjepan, after whom it was named.
The town is well known for its famous Old Bridge, which was built in the 16th century. The Old Bridge is the first cultural monument of Bosnia and Hercegovina which entered in the UNESCO’s list of protected world cultural monuments.
