The wider Dubrovnik area will welcome the next tourist season with an attractive feature: the renewed Soko (transl. hawk) Tower in Dunave in Konavle. The restoration has been led for years by the Friends Association of Dubrovnik antiquities and at the moment works are being carried out on the partial reconstruction of its walls.

The whole project should be completed in ten months.

The Association became the owner of the Soko Tower after it bought it fifty years ago from the church. Its first written trace dates back to 1391 even though it existed before that time. Soko-town was raised at the location of the former Ilyrian castle ruin which later became Roman, Byzantine, Dukljian and Bosnian forts. The people of Dubrovnik rebuilt it again in the period from 1420 to 1482 and used it until 1672. Because of its strategic importance, Dubrovnik Republic constantly invested into Soko Tower and so the monumental fortification system had a cistern, an artillery building and a storage facility for wine and food.

Furthermore, it housed the castellan’s quarters, the guard-house, a building for soldiers and one for accommodating women and children from the surrounding villages in case of war or attacks of the gangs of robbers that would occasionally break into Konavle.

After the completion of works, Soko Tower will offer its visitors numerous interesting contents. For example, there will be exhibits of preserved remains of ceramics, metal, glass and iron which were found in its surroundings and valuable signs in ancient writing from the 11th century in the memorial room. Along with the memorial room, there will also be a gift shop and visitors will be able to enjoy the adapted walking paths and a location where they will be able to witness unique views of the Konavle landscapes. Visitors of Soko Tower will be able to get to know its rich history and its numerous stories.

The Tourist Board of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County
www.visitdubrovnik.hr