In the area of Zenica, traces of former antique settlements have been found, and the name of the city was first mentioned on March 20, 1436. During the Middle Ages, Zenica shared the fate of many Bosnian cities, and it fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the period from 1463-1878. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Zenica was a kasaba, with several mosques, medres, and various nishans (Bosnian Muslim gravestones). In 1697, Zenica was described as a place where melons sprout, “and the neighborhood itself is very tame”. When the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy occupied the country, the construction of facilities of great importance for the social and economic life of Zenica began. A railroad from Bosanski Brod to Zenica, Coal Mine, Paper Factory, Steelworks and the Criminal Institution was built. The twentieth century carried with it industrialization and urbanization, and the number of inhabitants in Zenica has increased several times.