Mamula (Montenegrin: Мамула), also known colloquially as Lastavica, is an uninhabited islet in the Adriatic Sea, within the southwestern Montenegrin municipality of Herceg Novi.
Mamula is located between the Prevlaka and Luštica peninsulas at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. This small islet is circular and is 200m in diameter. It is 3.4 nautical miles (6.3 km) away from Herceg Novi.
History
During the period of the Venetian Republic rule, the island was known as Rondina.
The island has a fort, built in 1853 by Austro-Hungarian general Lazarus von Mamula. The fort takes up about 90% of the island’s surface area. Along with the fortification on Prevlaka’s Cape Oštro as well as Arza fortification on Luštica’s Cape Arza, both of which were erected at the same time as a suggestion by General Lazarus von Mamula, fort Mamula was part of the Austro-Hungarian Army’s contingency plans of preventing the enemy entrance into the Bay of Kotor.
Concentration camps in World War II
During World War II, from 30 May 1942 onwards, the fascist forces of Benito Mussolini’s Kingdom of Italy converted the Mamula fort into a concentration camp. The concentration camp was known for torture and cruelty to prisoners. Most of the camp’s prisoners came from the neighboring area. [1]
Luxury Resort Redevelopment & Casino
In early January 2016 the government of Montenegro, over the objections of those who were once imprisoned on the island, approved a plan to convert the site of this former concentration camp into a luxury beach resort and Casino. Switzerland-based Orascom
