Orahovica

Sister cities

• Bačka Topola

History

The name Orahovica is derived from the word orah 'walnut tree'. Orahovica was first officially mentioned in 1228 in a historical document issued by King Andrew II. Ružica Castle, not far from Orahovica, was first mentioned in 1357 as a royal estate. In the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century, the town was a thriving community owned by various patricians (Nikola Kont, Lovro Iločki, Ladislav Iločki, Ladislav More, etc.) Suleiman I, in his 1542 campaign, conquered Orahovica. It was renamed Rahoviçe and was initially a kaza centre in the Sanjak of Pojega, which was initially part of the Budin Eyalet (1542–1580), later in the Bosna Eyalet (1580–1600), and finally in the Kanije Eyalet. It became a notable sanjak centre in the Kanije Eyalet in 1601. Ottoman rule lasted until 1687. After the end of Ottoman rule, and up until the end of the 19th century, many prominent noble families, such as the Pejačević family and the Mihalović family, owned the town. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Orahovica was part of Virovitica County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. In the 20th century, the town was a centre of a large municipality with well-developed industry and agriculture. During the Croatian War of Independence, Orahovica was damaged by a number of shell attacks. It received the status of a town () in 1997.