Tourexpi
Serbia’s southwestern
region of Sandzak is hosting natural beauties and interesting legends to be
discovered.
Home to a large
Bosniak community, Sandzak is one of the unique natural beauties of the Western
Balkans with its canyons, mountains, and rivers as, well as wildlife for
tourists.
Uvac Canyon is one of
the main attractions that draws attention with its curved structure and is home
to a special species of griffon vulture.
Pester, the highest
plateau in the Balkans with an altitude of 1,200 meters (3,937 feet), is seen
as one of the important tourist spots of the region.
Uvac Canyon Nature
Conservation official Miloje Kovacevic told Anadolu that nests of griffon
vultures under protection in the canyon are everywhere.
"This place was
taken under protection in the 1990s. At that time, there were five pairs of
griffon vultures. Now more than 500 are flying in the sky," said
Kovacevic.
He added that most of
the tourists come to the region to see the griffon vultures but Uvac Lake also
attracts the attention of nature lovers.
Bajro and Nafija
Muhovic couple, who live in their modest house near the Canyon, said the only
house around the canyon is their own house, so it has become a resting place
for tourists visiting the region.
Siberia of Balkans,
319-year-old Ottoman heritage
The Pester plateau in
the region is also known as the "Siberia of the Balkans" due to its
freezing cold and snowy weather.
Sabahudin Abdagic,
who works as a guide in the region, said the Serbian government took Pester
under protection in 2016.
"The Karajukica
springs on the outskirts of Pester are described as the coldest region in the
countries of the former Yugoslavia. It is known that the air temperature drops
to 40 degrees (Celsius) below zero," said Abdagic.
He added that Pester
Lake is home to more than 170 bird species.
Meanwhile, the
plateau host an Ottoman heritage of Askerli Mosque which is one of the oldest
mosques in the region.
The mosque was built
by the Ottomans in 1704 and was damaged many times throughout history.
"It was last
renovated in 1976. The mosque was very important for the whole region at that
time. The woodwork inside the mosque was preserved as it was." he said.
Legends of 'haunted
forest' and 'tree of love'
According to a legend
among the people of Sandzak, the forest area in the village of Ugao is believed
to be haunted.
The legend tells that
a man broke the logging ban in the forest and cut down a tree to use in the
house he had built.
A few days later, a
storm broke out in the village and lightning struck the man's house.
So, people believed
that the storm broke out because the forest is haunted, and the story has since
then passed through generations.
Another legend in
Sandzak is the story of the tree of love or the lonely tree.
The tourists who
visit the spot say they get positive energy by hugging the tree.
Abdagic said the tree
is a willow that has been struck by lightning many times, becoming a cult among
people with its interesting and lonely appearance.
Sandzak is an
important region with its weather, natural beauty, and legends.
"You can visit
Sandzak at any time of the year. When you come here, the miraculous beauties of
the region will welcome you," said Abdagic.
The Sandzak region is
home to a large Bosniak community with deep cultural heritages rooted back to
the Ottoman era.
Novi Pazar is the
largest city in the Sandzak. It was established in 1459-1461 by Ishakoglu Isa
Bey, the founder of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo and North Macedonia's capital
Skopje.
Image Credit: © AA
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