The remains uncovered during the 2010s reconstruction, points to the Roman and Byzantine settlement which predated the fortress. The evidence was found in the typical brick-stone combination of construction, especially in the building which the Ottomans later used as a
hammam. or how many towers it had originally. However, an
Orthodox chapel built as part of one tower shows that it, at least, was built by a local noble. There is also uncertainty about when construction started, although it is generally agreed that the majority of the fortress was built early in the 14th century. Later, it returned once again to the
Kingdom of Hungary. The first extended Serbian possession of Golubac began in 1403 when
Sigismund, King of Hungary, ceded it as a personal
fiefdom to
Despot (court title) Stefan Lazarević, After Stefan's death in 1427, Sigismund hurried to have the clauses of the Tata contract fulfilled, and Belgrade and Mačva were handed over without a problem. However, Golubac's commander, Voivode Jeremija, demanded a compensation of 12,000
ducats. 200
Italian artillery, and a number of
Polish cavalry on the far side of the Danube, then attacked Golubac and the Turks. Sigismund then granted a hereditary right to Golubac to Cecilia and her brothers. However, the Turks once again conquered it after the death of
Đurađ Branković in 1456. In 1458,
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary regained the fortress, but lost it to
Mehmed II that same year. The years 1481–82 led to more fighting between the Hungarians and Turks. During the fall of 1481, while Golubac was held by the Ottoman Empire, Timișoaran Comes
Pál Kinizsi undertook an expedition against the Turks in the
Temes area. On November 2, 1481, he turned his army of 32,000 men south towards the Danube, pushing to
Kruševac. At Golubac, a thousand Turkish cavalry were killed or taken prisoner, 24 ships were sunk, and
Mihaloğlu İskender Bey,
pasha of Ottoman-held
Smederevo and leader of the Turkish army, was beheaded at the gate by Jakšić, one of Kinizsi's men. The Turks were forced to retreat and leave the fortress behind. Kinizsi's foray was only a raid, however, and shortly after he returned to Temes. The Turks, who had suffered heavily but did not lose any land, retook Golubac and quickly improved its fortifications.
Modern era Golubac was held by the
Habsburg monarchy between 1688 and 1690 and 1718 and 1739. Serb rebels controlled it during
Kočina Krajina in 1788–91, and again from 1804 to 1813, during the
First Serbian Uprising. Afterwards, it fell back under Ottoman control until 1867 when it, along with
Kalemegdan and other towns in Serbia, was given to
Knez Mihailo of Serbia. From the late 19th century into the early mid-20th century, bloodsucking flies sometimes referred to as "Golubac mosquitoes" thrived in the area. They were particularly dangerous to livestock, some years killing off entire herds of cattle. After
World War I, a road was constructed that went through both of the fort's portcullises. This road is the shortest link between Serbia and eastern parts of the
Balkan peninsula. Between 1964 and 1972, a
hydroelectric dam was built in the
Iron Gate gorge, significantly elevating the river's water level. As a result, the lower edge of the slope and corresponding parts of the fortress are now flooded. From the beginning of the 21st century, much of the fort has been overgrown, making most of the sections higher on the hill inaccessible. During the spring of 2005, a public project to restore the fort was started. Most of the plants were removed and certain parts, like the fountain in the moat raised in honour of knight
Zawisza Czarny, were repaired. The walls, towers and stone stairs are in good condition, but the wooden floors and steps have rotted out, making most of the upper floors impassable. Golubac has also gained popularity as a tourist attraction. Two key reasons are the major road that passes through it, and its proximity to
Lepenski Vir, making the two locales a touristic whole. == Architecture ==