Bosnia is rich in metal deposits. Bosnian riches were already known in antiquity, but mining reached its peak in the late Middle Ages. The beginning of the mining development dates back to the time of Ban Stephan II. in the 14th century. Under King Tvrtko and his successors activity was on a steady rise until the Ottoman conquest in 1463. The beginning of mining production was enabled by Saxon miners. The king, noblemen and Dubrovnik merchants were making a lot of profit due to mining activity. The miners were mostly members of local, Slavic ethnic group and they formed poorer social class. Alongside the mines and trade routes, cities were developed. The most important mining centres were Srebrenica, Fojnica, Olovo and also Kreševo. Remains of mining infrastructure are still visible in its surroundings. The most important export raw material was silver, whose export from Dubrovnik amounted a fifth of total European production.
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