CULTURAL INFORMATIONS POČITELJ The historic site of Počitelj is located on the left bank of the river Neretva, on the main Mostar to Metković road, and it is to the south of Mostar. During the Middle Ages, Počitelj was considered the administrative centre and centre of governance of Dubrava župa (county), while its westernmost point gave it major strategic importance. It is believed that the fortified town along with its attendant settlements were built by Bosnia's King Stjepan Tvrtko I in 1383. The walled town of Počitelj evolved in the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Architecturally, the stone-constructed parts of the town are a fortified complex, in which two stages of evolution are evident: mediaeval, and Ottoman. The first recorded reference to Počitelj dates from 1444, in Charters by Kings Alfonso V and Friedrich III. In the period between 1463-1471 the town housed a Hungarian garrison. In 1471, following a brief siege, the town was conquered by the Ottomans, and remained within the Ottoman Empire until 1878. From 1782 to 1879 Počitelj was the kadiluk (area under the jurisdiction of a kadija or qadi - judge) centre and it was the headquarters of the Počitelj military district from 1713 to photo: Donatella Carlovich 1835. The significance and the town's appearance has altered during the course of its history. As far as the development of Počitelj goes, three significant periods can be distinguished: The period of the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus during which the town had a major strategic importance (1463–1471) The period of the settlement development under the Ottoman Empire with the erection of public buildings: mosques, imaret (charitable kitchen), mekteb (Muslim primary school),, medresa (Muslim high school), hamam, baths, han (inn) and the sahat-kula (clock-tower) (1471–1698). In this period military conflicts were occurring in more remote areas. The period after the Venetians conquered and destroyed Gabela (1698–1878) and photo: Corrado Altran recovery of Počitelj's strategic importance. After the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and started deteriorating rapidly. The loss of the town's strategic role assisted in the preservation of the original urban architectural ensemble, so that the town remained in its original form to present day. However, the entire historic urban site of Počitelj and surrounding area suffered extensive collateral damage during the 1992-1996 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, it was heavily damaged during the 1993 Bosnian War. Following the bombing, Počitelj's sixteenth-century master works of Islamic art and architecture were destroyed and a large part of the town's population was displaced. As proposed by the University of York, United Kingdom, and the University of photo: Donatella Carlovich Sarajevo, Počitelj was in 1996 named by the World Monuments Watch as one of the world's 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites. In the year 2000 the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government initiated the Programme of the permanent protection of Počitelj. The program includes the protection of cultural heritage from deterioration, restoration of damaged and destroyed buildings, encouraging the return of the refugees and displaced persons to their homes and the long-term protection and revitalization of the Počitelj's historic urban area. The Programm is on-going. MOSTAR Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (natively: mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over Neretva river. The Old Bridge is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The Stari Most bridge: 28 meters long and 20 meters high (90' by 64'), quickly became a wonder in its own time. The famous traveler Evliya Celebi wrote in the 17th century that: the bridge is like a rainbow arch soaring up to the skies, photo: Alberto Sartori extending from one cliff to the other. ...I, a poor and miserable slave of Allah, have passed through 16 countries, but I have never seen such a high bridge. It is thrown from rock to rock as high as the sky. BLAGAJ Blagaj is a village-town (kasaba) in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands at the edge of Bišće plain and is one of the most valuable mixed urban and rural structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished from other similar structures in its urban layout. Blagaj was most likely named for its mild weather patterns since "blaga" in Bosnian means "mild". Blagaj is situated at the spring of the Buna river, where is located an historical tekke (tekija or Dervish monastery). The Blagaj Tekija was built around 1520, with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument. The source of the Buna river (Vrelo Bune) is a photo: Margherita Squarcina strong karstic spring. The Buna flows west for approximately 9 kilometres and joins the Neretva near the village Buna. photo: Alberto Sartori KRAVICE It is a waterfall located on a river Trebižat in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Kravice Falls area also has a little cafe, a rope swing, a picnic area, and a place to camp. The best time of year for visiting is during the springtime when the fall is at its fullest and the arid landscape turns a bright green. During the high season, various restaurants in the vicinity of the waterfalls mostly offer grilled dishes and fish specialties. Near the Kravice Falls is also a small cave with stalactites made of calcium carbonate, an old mill and a sailing ship. photo: Alberto Sartori photo: Alberto Sartori STOLAC – RADIMLJA - BADANJ CAVE Ruins of Daorson (Ancient Greek Δαορσών) was the capital of a Hellenised Illyrian tribe called the Daorsi (Ancient Greek Δαόριζοι, Δαούρσιοι; Latin Daorsei). The Daorsi lived in the valley of the Neretva River between 300 BC and 50 BC. The rem- nants of Daorson can be found at Ošanići, near Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. photo: Tiziano Pizzamiglio Radimlja - Nekropolis with stećak tombestone: The number of monuments, the diversity and representation of all the basic stećak shapes, the relatively high artistic quality of the work, the wealth of decorative elements, relief carvings and epitaphs referring to known historical persons, as well as its unusual site and ac- cessibility, are the reasons why the necropolis with stećak tombstones of Radimlja is one of the most valuable mediaeval monuments in BiH. Badanj Cave is a cave near the town of Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is fa- mous for its cave paintings dating between 12.000 – 16.000 BC. photo: Tiziano Pizzamiglio MOGORJELO - GABEL Mogorjelo is a Roman villa rustica that dates from the early fourth century. It is situated on a hill off the Neretva branch, 5 km south of Čapljina, alongside the road to Gabela a town that is a rich archaeological site on the banks of the Neretva River. Since many outstanding medieval buildings still last remains of the old city walls, and stone sculpture of a lion - the symbol of the Venetian (Venetian) culture. photo: Tiziano Pizzamiglio.