In the Middle Ages, Pocitelj was the administrative center of the Dubrava district. Being the farthest western point of the district, it was very strategically important. Presumably the builder of the fortified town and founder of suburban areas was the Bosnian king Stjepan Tvrtko I in 1383.
The fortified town complex – Pocitelj, was built in stages from 16th to 18th century. The preserved remnants made of stone make the architectural unit consisting of two phases: building during the Middle Ages and building during the Ottoman Empire reign.
The first mention of the town appeared in transcripts in 1444, that is, in the charters of kings Alfonso V and Friedrich the Third. Between 1463 and 1471 the Hungarians resided in Pocitelj. In 1471, after a brief siege, the town was adjoined to the Ottoman Empire and remained its part until 1878. Between 1782 and 1879, Pocitelj was the seat of the office of the qadi. From 1713 to 1836 it was the seat of Pocitelj captaincy. The importance and the appearance of the town changed throughout history.
Pocitelj from the Middle Ages was first mentioned in historical sources on February 19, 1444. It was built on a steep cliff on the left bank of Neretva River. Matthias Corvinus of Hungary had realized the danger of the forthcoming Ottoman military force and further fortified Pocitelj assisted by herceg Stjepan, the lord of Hum, which was named Herzegovina after him, and with financial assistance provided by the Dubrovnik Republic. For five years Christian defenders of Pocitelj resisted the Ottoman force, but on September 19, 1471, the fort, which was one of the last bases of “herceg’s land”, was taken. After Turkish invasion, Pocitelj was strengthened due to its significance and in the following 450 years of the siege it got the oriental flare. Such rare combination of oriental East and Middle Ages West in Europe attracts all visitors. The tower, still “guarding” the narrow passage by the Neretva on the way form the coast to the inner country, has been the keeper of the history of the area and people for five hundred and fifty years.