WATERFALL KRAVICE

The monastery in Žitomislići

In the valley on the left bank of Neretva, on the highway towards the Adriatic Sea, we find the Žitomislići-monastery and its church. 

There are several proofs found that the village Žitomislići existed in pre-historic time, and example of these are the ruins of a basilica and stones with various engraved patterns. Several churches and monasteries were re-established in the 16^th and 17^th century, and one of them was the monastery in Žitomislići (1602/03). The head master in the monastery was Milisan Hrabren, but he did not live long enough to see the full restoration of the monastery.

From the middle of the 19^th century, the monastery improved its economic, cultural and educational status. This led to the establishment of the Serbian national school and the Spiritual School in the village.

By the looking at the architectural aspects, the church of monastery is similar to the monasteries in Zavala and Pljevlji.

All the valuable documents from the Ottoman period, sacred items and the entire library were destroyed in a fire that took place in the monastery.

The place was recognized as a historical monument after the Second World War, but it was unfortunately totally destroyed during the recent war. The restoration is in progress, and the monastery is once again an active, spiritual centre.

Mostar Eternal City

OLD TOWN BLAGAJ Medieval and Ottoman castle

Herzegovina garden story

Osman Djikic (poet)

Osman Đikić was a poet, publisher, member of the workers` movement and a national revolutionary during the Austro-Hungarian occupation. Đikic was a passionate activist in the struggle for religious autonomy of the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the beginning of 20^th century.

He was a constructive member of the Serbian and Yugoslavian ideas, and sought after cooperation between the Muslims and the Orthodox.

He published his works in magazines like “Bosanska vila”, “Zora” and “Behar”, and had two collections on his own: “Muslimanskoj mladeži” and “Ašiklije”.

Osman Đikić died in 1912, and was buried next to the entrance of the Karađozbeg`s Mosque. In his honour, a monument was built over his tomb in 1936. During the Second World War it was destroyed, but rebuilt right after.

The Franciscan Monastery – The Catholic Church in Mostar

We have proofs that already in 1533 there existed a Franciscan monastery at Zahum.

But the first real Catholic Church, shaped as a basilica, was built at Podhum in 1866. The first sermon was organized on March 6^th, the same year. The Catholic Church was called  The Church of Sts Peter and Paul, and was one of the last buildings constructed in the Ottoman period.

The diocese residence was opened at Vukodol in 1847, and from that time Mostar became the seat of the Catholic bishops.

The Catholics had to pretend and dress up so they did not get noticeable, so there existed periods when they wore clothes like the Turks, and sometimes also a “fes” (national hat of Ottomans).

A Franciscan library was founded next to the church, which possesses a great number of works. There is also the Franciscan collection of archives, consisting of 536 handwritings in various languages, from Oriental languages, to Latin, Croatian and Serbo-Croatian.

A new monastery was also built in 1894, and was called “the most solid building in Mostar”. The Catholic Church was entirely destroyed during the recent war, but is now completely restored.

Garden story from Herzegovina

Aleksa Šantić

“Stay here, the sun of the foreign sky will not warm you as this one does”…These are some lines written by Aleksa Šantić that express home longing. Šantić was one of the most famous representatives of newer poetry in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

He spent most of his life in his hometown Mostar, and was acquainted with other poets, such as Osman Đikić, Svetozar Ćorović and Jovan Dučić.

Šantić`s poetry is full of powerful emotions and grief caused by love. His creations of melodious rhythm and tone were of great value, and his poems were very inspiring. The Bosnian love songs – “sevdalinka”- gave inspiration to Šantić`s love poetry, and we can notice numerous images of Bosnian gardens, flowers and fountains (“šadrvan”) in his poetry.

The female characters from Šantić`s poetry are always decorated and attractive, but with hidden beauty. One of the well-known poems is “Emina”, which is now sung as a song (sevdalinka) too. Longing is the main theme in these songs.

The poetry of A. Šantić contains some autobiographical elements too. As a young man, Šantić fell in love with a girl, Slavonka Anka Tomlinović, but had to leave her because of his orthodox family.  Later on, he experienced another heartache when his new beloved woman Zorka Šolina left him because he was not appropriate for her when it came to social classes.

His other main theme was home longing. In some of his poems, he describes the pain of characters that leave their countries and move into the white world (“Stay here”, “Bread”), while in other poems he uses pain as an important historical moment (“We know our destiny”).