Han Pijesak (Хан Пијесак) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 3,530 inhabitants, while the town of Han Pijesak has a population of 1,820 inhabitants.

Geography

Han pijesak is located about 70km northeast from Sarajevo, on the slopes of mountain Romanija, at the altitude of 1,100m.

History

Medieval stećak monuments on the sites of Pokojnica (Mramorje) and Podgroblje (Luka) are located near the village of Nevačka in Han Pijesak municipality. In his writings from 1664 Evliya Çelebi mentioned Han Pijesak as one of the biggest and most important rest stops (hans) on the caravan road from Sarajevo to Zvornik. During the Habsburg era, Han Pijesak began to serve as an administrative center for the region. A settlement of wood logging workers around the area of the former han was first mentioned in 1895. After the Battle of Cer victory in World War I, the Serbian Army led by Miloš Božanović advanced to Han Pijesak area. They fought with the Austrian Army in Eastern Bosnia between August and October 1914, eventually withdrawing to the other side of the Drina. The summer residence of King Aleksandar I Karadjordjević was built in Han Pijesak in 1922. It was in possession of the royal family until the Second World War, when it began to serve as a military bunker. The renovation of the villa has started in 2023.

Settlements

Aside from the town of Han Pijesak, the municipality consists of the following settlements:

Demographics

Population

Ethnic composition

Economy

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):