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Stećci

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Start Location: SARAJEVO , End Location: SARAJEVO. Stećak is a Medieval Tombstone. In this tour we will visit 6 different location around Sarajevo city and hear stories about mysteries, controversies and scientific and historical facts. Stećak (Cyrillic: Стећак, English: Stechak) is the name for monumental medieval tombstones that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found within the borders of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of 10,000 are found in what are today Croatia (4,400), Montenegro (3,500), and Serbia (2,100), at more than 3,300 odd sites with over 90% in poor condition.

Appearing in the mid 12th century, with the first phase in the 13th century, the tombstones reached their peak in the 14th and 15th century, before disappearing during the Ottoman occupation in the very early 16th century. They were a common tradition amongst Bosnian, Catholic and Orthodox Church followers alike, and are often related to the autochthonous Vlach population, however the original ethnic and religious affiliation is still undetermined. The epitaphs on them are mostly written in extinct Bosnian Cyrillic alphabet. The one of largest collection of these tombstones is named Radimlja, west of Stolac in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Stećci were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. It includes a selection of 4,000 stećci at 28 necropolises – of which 22 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, two from Croatia, three from Montenegro, and three from Serbia.

We will visit the stećak locations in the following order.


1. National Museum of Bosnia and Hercegovina: The most beautiful collection of stechak’a in one place from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two stechak’s are in particular intersting a)  stechak from the village of Zgošće is located near Kakanj, and stechak from Stipan Grad.

2. Stećak at Pavlovac. The largest stećak in BiH, weighing 32 tons, the tomb of Radivoje Pavlovic, who was killed in 1415. 

3. The necropolis on Krupac, a necropolis with twenty stećaks and Islamic tombstones from the 15th century as a nice example of crossing the stećak into a Bosnian Islamic tombstone.

4. A necropolis of stećak tombstones in Šabići on  mountain Bjelašnica. The necropolis counts 54 stećaks that were moved and broken by Unprofor in 1994 

5. The necropolis of stećci in Umoljani, Bjelašnica. A necropolis with 47 stećaks and 11 islamic tombstone. The necropolis is on the UNESCO World Heritage List

6. Necropolis of stećak tombstones Prečani, Trnovo. A large necropolis of stećaks with 184 stećak, some of them with inscriptions, which makes this necropolis unique and beautiful.


Unavailable for requested date: 12-06-2024

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Product ratings (4.5)


  • 5
    Oliver
    I never thought this tour would be so amazing. Standing as silent spectators, these stone sleepers witness of rich history and economic power of medieval Bosnia & Herzegovina. While unravelling the secrets of stećci, we have seen that Bosnian medieval tombstones belong to a truly unique and invaluable cultural heritage of this region.
  • 4
    Harold van Veen
    I really enjoyed the story related to medieval period. This is really a unique historical period and such kind of tomb stones to my knowledge do not exist anywhere else. In that respect I would like to see it preserved and protected. It is disappointing that government does not do anything to protect it. I strongly recommend this tour to all who likes history.