Uzdah Tower

The Uzdah Tower, locally known as Uzdah Kula, stands near the village of Dubravice, in the county of Šibenik-Knin in Croatia.

The small, round tower ruin is actually the remains of a small castle built during the reign of Paul I Šubić of Bribir, between 1275 and 1312. In 1522, it was taken by the Ottoman Turks along with the nearby town of Skradin. The castle lost its strategic importance after the Ottomans retreated at the end of the 17th century. Afterward, it became a stone quarry for local residents to build their houses.

The castle was constructed at the end of an elongated hill overlooking a road in the valley below. Initially, a fortified wall probably surrounded the tower. Today, the tower ruin is quickly crumbling away.

Its name, "Uzdah Kula," translates back to 'Tower of Sighs,' a name tied to a local legend. During Ottoman rule, there was a local boy and a girl who were in love. A Turkish soldier also desired the girl. The soldier died after falling from a tree while spying on her. His commander blamed the villagers and imprisoned the boy in this tower. When villagers passed by, they heard the boy sighing in despair. The commander's wife, a local woman who had converted to Islam, remembered her roots and helped free the boy. He then set fire to the tower and later married the girl.

The ruined Uzdah Tower is freely accessible. It is not very noteworthy. To reach it, walk through the woods from the playground, about 400 meters southeast of the tower.

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