Trebinje is first mentioned as Tribune in the 10th century at Constantine Porfirogenit. Then it was located on the caravan route that led from Koror and Dubrovnik to Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro. The town got its first urban contour in the Middle Ages. First, it was part of the Byzantine government, and then, until the 14th century, it was the centre of state Travunija, which was part of Nemanjici’s state. At the beginning of the New Ages and during the Middle Ages, Trebinje’s area was developing under the strong influence of the Byzantine, and in the 15th century, after long state independence, it fell under the centuries-old government administration of first the Ottoman Empire and then, until 1918, of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In the Middle Ages, less than 200 years, Trebinje was in the grip of Nemanjici, and then under the government administration of Tvrtko Kotromanic. Since 1377 until it fell in the grip of Turkish government (in 1466), Trebinje was part of the Bosnian Banat which was ruled by Kosace. Since 1466 until 1878, it was in the grip of Turkish government. Trebinje’s Old Town emerged at the beginning of the 18th century on the coast of the Trebisnjica River and it was called Ban Vir. Current Old Town – Kastel emerged from the former centre of trade and craft.
Reminders of Austro-Hungarian government are public buildings, head offices, military camps, schools, etc. That style has fit into the Mediterranean centre of Trebinje. Stormy history of this area has left its trails and monuments of cultural-historical heritage: medieval necropolis, where two signboards in cirilica (the 12th century), monastery Tvrdos (the 4th-6th century), monastery Duzi (the 16th century), St Paul and Peter’s monastery (the 4th-6th century) and monastery Zavala (the 13th century) have been discovered.

Istorija Trebinja 

Prvi put Trebinje se spominje u X vijeku kod Konstantina Porfirogenita, pod nazivom Tribunija. U to doba Trebinje se nalazilo na karavanskom putu koji je vodio iz Kotora i Dubrovnika prema Bosni, Srbiji i Crnoj Gori. Prve urbane konture grad poprima u srednjem vijeku. Najprije se nalazi u sklopu nekadašnje vizantijske arhontije, a potom je, sve do XIV vijeka, centar države Travunije koja je bila u sastavu države Nemanjića. Početkom nove ere i tokom srednjeg vijeka trebinjski kraj se razvija pod snažnim uticajem Vizantije, da bi u XV vijeku, nakon duge državne samostalnosti, pao pod viševjekovnu upravu Osmanskog, a zatim do 1918. godine Austrougarskog carstva. U srednjem vijeku, nepunih 200 godina, Trebinje je pod vlašću Nemanjića, a zatim je pod upravom Tvrtka Kotromanića. Od 1377. do pada pod tursku vlast (1466. godine) Trebinje je bilo u sklopu bosanske banovine kojom su vladali Kosače. Od 1466. pa do 1878. godine ono je pod turskom vlašću. Trebinjski stari grad nastao je početkom XVIII vijeka na obali rijeke Trebišnjice i zvao se Ban Vir. Danas je stari grad – Kastel, nastao od nekadašnjeg trgovačko-zanatskog centra. Na period austrougarske vladavine i danas podsjećaju građevine javnog karaktera, upravne zgrade, kasarne, škole i drugo. Taj stil se uklopio u mediteranski centar Trebinja. Burna istorija na ovim prostorima ostavila je svoje tragove i spomenike kulturno-istorijske baštine: srednjovjekovna nekropola, gdje su otkrivena dva ćirilična natpisa iz XII vijeka, manastir Tvrdoš (IV–VI vijek), manastir Duži (XVI vijek), Petro-Pavlov manastir (IV–VI vijek), manastir Zavala (XIII vijek).

(Photo ©: Saproni Photography)