Legend About Safikada

Safikada's Tomb, located in the downtown, in front of Kastel Fortress, testifies about Banja Luka's legend about eternal love (Banja Luka's version of Romeo and Juliet). The legend tells the story about young and beautiful Safikada, who falls in love, at the first sight, with handsome Austro-Hungarian soldier, who guarded the walls of Kastel. The command about sudden movement of the Austro-Hungarian army was a terrible loss for their, yet unfulfilled, happiness. On their parting, they made an oath to the eternal love and faithfulness to the death. After awhile, the notice about his death has come. Safikada throws herself in front of the cannon, as its echo used to signify the noon, crying out “ I will be faithful to you till the last day of my life “. Her dead body fell on the place where you can see the monument today. Even now the couples light their candles to celebrate their love.