Turning the medieval tombstones in a powerful tool of regional cooperation

Stećci, distinctive medieval tombstones, are one of the most representative, yet least known treasures of our Region.

Found primarily in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanks to a project supported by the Western Balkans Fund and the European Union, the stećci have also become a tool to boost reconciliation, regional cooperation, and sustainable development.

Earlier this week, near Stolac; where a stećak necropolis is part of the UNESCO-protected World Heritage; a workshop with participants from Sarajevo, Novi Pazar, and Rožaje took place.

Special value was given to the workshop by exceptional lecturers:

Dr. Gorčin Dizdar, who spoke about the literary and spiritual dimensions of acquisitions through the legacy of Mak Dizdar;

Adis Elias Fejzić, an artist who presented creative approaches to the interpretation of stećci in a contemporary context;

Dr. Hariz Halilović, anthropologist who spoke about the importance of memory, identity and cultural continuity;

Mustafa Baltić, art historian, who has passed on expert knowledge on the historical and visual characteristics of the Sandžak stećci;

Najda Rifatbegović, archaeologist and volunteer of the Mak Dizdar Foundation, who spoke about the method of collecting and recording data when enrolling the necropolis and entering the information into an interactive map of the stećci, a key tool of the project for preservation and promotion of this heritage.

During the program, the participants also visited two of the most important necropolises in the area of Stolac, Radimlja and Boljuni, where they had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained at the workshop, analyze the symbols and shapes of the stećci and discuss the methods of their protection and interpretation.

The knowledge they brought from the stećci necropolises will be transferred to their local communities and actively participate in recording the necropolises of Stolac, as ambassadors of a common heritage.

This project belongs to the 7th Call for Proposals of the Western Balkans Fund, co-funded by the European Union, IPA III – Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.