Kupres

the town of Kupres

Kupres is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Kupres in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 5,057 inhabitants, while the town of Kupres has a population of 2,883 inhabitants.

The town is situated in the middle of the Kupres Plain (Kupreško Polje), which has a high strategic importance because of its control of traffic communication between Dalmatia and Central Bosnia. That made Kupres important in previous wars, which is shown in a famous saying: "Whoever holds this high plain can negotiate with its enemies in any way he wishes." Kupres was the scene of the Battle of Kupres, fought in 1942 during World War 2 in the Independent State of Croatia between the forces of the Independent State of Croatia and the Yugoslav Partisans in and around the town of Kupres in western Bosnia. Kupres was the scene of fierce fighting in the recent War in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, leaving the town extensively damaged and the local economy in ruins. Both are being restored the benefit of the community and the region, especially related to tourism infrastructure. The first battle took place in 1992, when the town of Kupres fell into Serb hands. The Battle was fought between the Bosnian Croat Territorial Defence Force (Teritorijalna obrana – TO) supported by the Croatian Army (Hrvatska vojska – HV) troops on one side and the Yugoslav People's Army (Jugoslovenska narodna armija – JNA), supported by the Bosnian Serb TO on the other at the Kupres Plateau, on 3–11 April 1992. Croatian forces were hampered by an inadequate command structure, poor coordination and lacking heavy weapons. The battle resulted in more than 200 combat deaths, and established lines of control which would remain unchanged until 1994, when the plateau was recaptured by the HVO. In 2012, Republika Srpska authorities charged seven Croats with war crimes committed at the plateau against civilians and prisoners of war. The following year, Croatian authorities charged 21 former JNA members with war crimes against HVO prisoners captured at the Kupres Plateau. both the Roman Catholic church and mosque were destroyed by Serb forces after the Battle of Kupres in 1992.

Kupres is famous for stećak tombstones. There is one large group of stećak tombstones called Ravanjska vrata and one in Rastičevo. Kupres is also famous for its tumuli—burial mounds. Archaeologists found a grave and a skeleton in one of them. They are believed to be more than 3000 years old and it is now kept in the Gorica museum in Livno. There is an annual cultural and agricultural fair (the "Strljanica") held in Kupres every first Sunday of July. The largest cultural institution in the town of Kupres is the Hrvatski dom Kupres ("Croatian house Kupres"), previously known as the "Dom Kulture" ("House of Culture").

Since 2020, the custom of the grass mowing competition in Kupres ("Strljanica") is inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is the most important social event in the Kupres municipality, and takes place every July. The contest involves the manual mowing of grass using a scythe and is judged by the time, effort and amount mown, as cutting grass at that altitude requires strength and a special technique. The top three mowers are recognized, with the winner treated as a leader who ensures the successful mowing of all the fields to gather hay for the cattle; agriculture and cattle breeding are essential parts of the area’s economy. Men, starting from the age of eighteen, are traditionally the competitors, with the tradition being transmitted within families from father to son. Women rake the grass and prepare food for guests. Other elements linked to the competition include national costumes, the forging of scythes and the preparation of cattle for competitions. Individuals from all ethnic and religious groups in Kupres are free to participate, with the custom being considered as a foundation of the area’s cultural identity, regardless of the people’s background. The bearers themselves and the Kupres Mowers Association are most responsible for safeguarding the tradition.

The largest gathering of people with the same first name (Ivan) is 2,325, and was achieved by Kupreški kosci (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in Kupres, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 30 July 2017.

Town of Kupres has one elementary school and two highschools.