make way for the geometric star shaped designs. Such fate occurred with Belgrade Fortress, which retained medieval, Ottoman, Habsburg, and bastion fort design elements, contributing towards a more unique eclectic design to the entire complex. Petrovaradin Fortress was built by completely demolishing the fortified monastery of Bélakút, which itself was built around the remains of a Roman fort. In contemporary Serbia, many of these medieval fortresses and castles are partially or in complete ruins, with efforts made to restore or preserve them through extensive conservation and restoration efforts. There are scant remains of surviving fortress and castle interiors and how they were decorated, with only medieval monasteries (particularly Hilandar at Mount Athos) preserving some interior designs from that period. Ottoman and Islamic architecture The territory of what is now the Republic of Serbia was part of the Ottoman Empire throughout the Early Modern period, especially Central Serbia, unlike Vojvodina which has passed to Habsburg rule starting from the end of the 17th century (with several takeovers of Central Serbia as well). Ottoman culture significantly influenced the region, in architecture, cuisine, language, and dress, especially in arts, and Islam. Most Ottoman period mosques in Serbia are not as elaborate as in neighboring Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, with shorter minarets and mosque sizes. However, contemporary mosques such as the one in Delimeđe has one of the tallest minarets in Europe outside of Turkey. Konak Style The Konak (word from turkish - palace) was represented for most of the 18th century and early 19th century, most notably the end of the Ottoman presence and autonomy of the Principality of Serbia. Homes and manor houses of wealthier individuals in Serbia during Ottoman rule have distinct Turkish-style in their design. These konaks would fall from style in the later half of the 19th century, due to Serbia's independence from the Ottoman Empire and the shift to more western European trends in culture and architecture. Very few examples of Ottoman architecture survived after the 19th century due to this shift in culture and architectural appeal, mostly preserved in southern Serbia. Cities like Vranje, Prizren, Priština, Novi Pazar, Belgrade, and Kragujevac showcase preserved Konak architecture. In general, buildings of this period include a basement and two floors, with some examples of buildings with one floor such as Stari Han in Kosjerić built in 1854. The walls are pierced by many windows arranged symmetrically. The