Lesnik (Serbia)

Lesnik (Greek: Λεσνήκ) was a fortified town in the early medieval Principality of Serbia, registered by the Byzantine Emperor and writer Constantine Porphyrogenitus (945-959) in his historiographical work De Administrando Imperio. According to that source, Serbian Principality consisted of the following fortifications (καστρα, 'castle'): Destinikon (Δεστινίκον), Černavusk (Τςερναωουσκεή), Međurečje (Μεγυρέτονς), Dresneik (Δρεσνεηκ), Lesnik (Λεσνήκ), Salines (Σαληνέζ), and in the region of Bosnia (Βοσνωνα): Katera (Κατερα) and Desnik (Δεσνήκ).^[1]

The location of Lesnik is unknown, but in scholarly literature it has been connected with various toponyms named Lesnik (Ljesnik), or Lešnica (Lješnica). Some scholars have proposed Lešnica near Loznica, pointing to the remains of an old fortress now called Vidin Grad above Jadranska Lešnica, on the Vidojevica mountain, while others have suggested Liješanj near Zvornik in relation to the fortress Kušlat. Some other ubications have been also proposed, and the question is still regarded as opened.^[2][3][4][5]