Hisar, an extensive natural park and an archaeological monument of the country, is located on the hill of the oldest mountain range in Europe, in the vicinity of Leskovac. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Hisar was the name for stone citadels, one of which stood on this hill and gave the name to the park.
Since 1999, archaeological excavations and scientific research have been constantly carried out here under the supervision of Milorad Stojic, Ph.D. in Archaeological Sciences and scientific adviser of the Archaeological Institute of Belgrade.
In prehistoric times, the hill housed ancient settlements from the Iron, Bronze, Copper, and even Stone Ages. Later, this land belonged to the Roman, Byzantine, and then Ottoman Empires. Then the oldest metallurgical center in Europe was opened here. All this is evidenced by the numerous finds discovered during the excavations.
The finds include products made of colored glass and decorated with various techniques. A silver coin of Prince Stefan Lazarevic was also found here. In 2002, archaeologist Scepan Turovic discovered a giant sewing needle measuring 64.5 cm made of pure iron. The metal composition exceeds the American standard of iron and has no impurities. It is still unknown how it was produced in those days. This important discovery made the archaeologists work with even greater passion and determination. Later, archaeologists found several iron objects of the same quality. All of them date back to the 14th-13th centuries BC. In 2005, another iron needle and a rare example of the silver clasp were found. The latter is believed to belong to the ancient tribes, the founders of Troy. All the valuable finds can be seen in the National Museum of Leskovac. According to historians, these exhibits allowed to change the time frame of the Iron Age by several centuries. That is why the natural park got the status of a unique archaeological monument of the country.