## 2 Research Methods and Study Area
### Study Area  
This study should fill the gap that exists in the scientific literature on seismic reconstruction strategies in the area of Novi Pazar and its surroundings, and in particular has a purpose of analyzing possible seismic vulnerability mitigation measures, defining and removing possible barriers that limit the possibility of undertaking seismic interventions, and promote renovation activities. The proposed countermeasures, which will be discussed in the following sections with special reference to the case studies within the Fortress in Novi Pazar, can be effectively applied in other countries with similar disaster scenarios and similar socio-economic origins, contributing to the effective improvement of the preservation of the cultural heritage of vernacular architecture in these areas. The seismic effect on traditional construction can be understood and monitored by researching earthquakes throughout history, where the dates of seismic shocks, their intensities, and their magnitudes are analyzed. The higher the frequency and intensity of earthquakes in an area, the more pronounced the local seismic culture will be. Serbia is considered to be part of the countries with moderate seismic activity, and the recorded earthquake magnitudes from 1900 until today have not reached a value higher than six units on the Richter scale. About half of the territory of Serbia belongs to zones from VIII to IX degrees. The territory of the city of Novi Pazar is located in a part that falls into the seismic zone of Kopaonik and is threatened with 8 degrees of the Mercalli scale. Kopaonik is one of the most haunted spots in Serbia. The last strong earthquake was in Kraljevo in 2010, with a magnitude of 5.4 units, with great material damage [41]. The area of Novi Pazar is located in the immediate vicinity of Kopaonik (Brus), and at a distance of about 100 km from Kraljevo. The level of seismic hazard is largely determined by the occurrence of local moderate and strong earthquakes on the territory of Serbia. The largest number of strong earthquakes are located in central Serbia, so there is also the highest hazard. Since 1893, 27 earthquakes of magnitude M > 5 have occurred in Serbia. The activity began in 1893 with an earthquake near Svilajnac, and the last strong earthquake occurred near Kraljevo in 2010. Strong earthquakes did not occur evenly throughout the area. According to earthquake magnitudes, Serbia is a seismically low to moderately active territory. Another parameter on the basis of which the danger of an earthquake can be assessed is the maximum magnitude. In Serbia, the seismic activity of faults has not been sufficiently investigated, so the value of the maximum magnitude can only be determined by statistical methods. Tensile stresses in the walls of masonry buildings easily exceed the tensile strength due to the action of even minor earthquakes due to the resulting opening cracks. Old masonry buildings are generally heavy due to thicker walls, which are not connected to each other, resulting in the collapse of individual walls, especially in the case of buildings with wooden ceilings [42]. The earthquake in Kraljevo in 2010 confirmed the seismic vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings due to low-intensity earthquakes. On most existing seismic hazard maps made for Serbia, this area has the highest or one of the highest values of maximum ground acceleration, or PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration). When deciding on the strengthening of an existing building, the cost of strengthening is compared with the cost of reconstruction (replacement) of the building. Reconstruction as an alternative to strengthening is considered in the case when the cost of seismic strengthening exceeds 50% of the cost of reconstruction. In addition to the price, it takes into account the first degree of seismic vulnerability, the historical value of the building, the current purpose of the building, and other factors.