Near the city of Kraljevo, on a narrow plateau on top of a rocky ridge by the river Ibar, stand the remains of the medieval city of Maglič. Originally built in the 13th Century, the fortress was reconstructed by Archbishop Danilo II between 1324 and 1337, who founded a monastic school here.
The builders of the city’s massive ramparts, up to two metres wide, followed the shape of the mountain as they built, giving the fortress its irregular polygon shape. The excellent strategic position of this medieval city, surrounded by the river on three sides, made Maglič ideal for defending the nearby monasteries of Žiča and Studenica from the onslaught of the advancing Turkish army. When it eventually fell to Ottoman Turks, Maglič became the centre of the nahiye comprised of its wider area.
Today, strong stone walls and seven large towers stand on the rock rising above the Ibar gorge. The relatively well-preserved keep tower gives visitors a good view of the environment in which the fort’s masters lived and worked in olden times.
Inside the city’s walls remains of a bakery, a water tank and a church dedicated to Saint George with gothic architectural elements have been found.