April 18th is the International Day for Monuments and Sites. In the Konjic area, more than 4,000 stećci—medieval stone tombstones—have been registered. In 2016, they were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
International Day for Monuments and Sites: Stećci as a Gem of Cultural and Historical Heritage in Konjic
The International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed every year on April 18th, and stećci are an integral part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural and historical heritage. A large number of stećci have been registered in the Konjic area, and the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of BiH has protected several necropolises. Muhamed Krnjić from the Center for Culture of the National University Konjic states that there are 150 necropolises:
“When it comes to stećci in the territory of the City of Konjic, according to available information, we have over 4,000 stećci and around 150 necropolises. Of course, some of these necropolises are protected by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments,” he said.
Given that the City of Konjic is the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of territory, Muhamed explains that many stećci are located in hard-to-reach areas. Stećci play an important role in preserving the national identity in this region, and it is essential to educate young people about this cultural and historical wealth.
“The City of Konjic has carried out various cleaning projects; however, these are mostly forested areas that quickly become overgrown again. The fact that the city has over four thousand stećci shows that this is a significant location, and it is important for young people to become familiar with the number of stećci and to understand their important role in preserving intangible heritage.”
Speaking about the presentation of stećci to tourists, Krnjić explains that a mapping process is in the works:
“Some tourists are aware that Bosnia and Herzegovina has a significant number of stećci, while others learn about our national intangible heritage during their visits to these sites. We hope that, through the mapping project, we will make it easier for visitors to access the stećci in the future.”
In the Konjic area, more than four thousand stećci have been registered, and in the recent period, no new groups or locations containing stećci have been discovered.
“As far as I know, and based on information from colleagues working on these projects, there have been no reports of any newly discovered locations or necropolises of stećci.”
We can be proud of the fact that Konjic has more than four thousand stećaks and that tourists from all over the world recognize the value of these landmarks. For this reason, we must preserve the intangible national treasure with every new generation.
Source of text and photos: Radio Konjic- https://radiokonjic.ba/konjic-odrzana-humanitarna-utrka-wings-for-life-world-run/
