Omis and its history
The legend of Mila Gojsalić who sacrificed her life to save Poljica and Omiš
Walking around Omiš today you may be oblivious to the number of battles that have been fought here. This region, historically known as the Republic of Poljica, has been the site of many attacks by the Ottoman Empire during the 1500’s. Although these battles have been recorded in history, local legends tell a more interesting story.
One of these legends takes us back to 1530, when Ahmed Pasha and his army attempted to conquer the region. The local villages seemed no match for the Ottoman Army of ten thousand men. The story goes that as Amhed Pasha was planning his final attack, a beautiful young woman appeared in the Ottoman camp. This woman was Mila Gojsalić.
The leader was so enchanted with Mila’s beauty that he invited her to spend the night with him. As the camp grew quiet and Ahmed and his soldiers were asleep, Mila was able to sneak out and locate the army’s gunpowder storage. Taking a torch with her, Mila ignited the gunpowder and blew up the Turkish camp killing not only herself, but Ahmed Pasha and many of his soldiers.
Encouraged by her bravery, the people of Poljica were able to drive the Ottomans out of the region. Overlooking the Cetina River you can now find a statue of Mila created by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Some versions of the story claim that after the explosion, Mila was chased from the Ottoman camp and was forced to jump to her death from the spot the statue now stands.
Mila’s statue is a quick 10 min. drive or 45 min. hike from Omiš. Take the road towards Gata until you reach a narrow tunnel about 100 meters long. Once on the other side of the tunnel, a viewing platform will appear and below stands the statue of Mila Gojsalić.
