Stećci - UNESCO World Heritage, traveling exhibition opened in Fojnica

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - While preparing the HKD Napredak calendar for 2019, with the support of Prof. Dr. Miroslav Palameta, professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Mostar, Miroslav Landeka, vice-president of HKD "Napredak", came up with the idea of creating a traveling exhibition from photographs of stećci. In this way, he wanted to introduce the wider public to these medieval tombstones, whose importance was recognized by UNESCO, which included them on the list of world heritage in 2016.

The coronavirus epidemic slowed down his plans but did not stop them. After the first online exhibition held in Mostar, the exhibition titled "Stećci - UNESCO World Heritage" was opened last weekend in the gallery of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Fojnica. 12 photographs of stećci from ten necropolises in BiH are exhibited, from Stolac and Konjic, through eastern Bosnia, to Kakanj and Novi Travnik. Two stećci are from Croatia, and below each photograph is a detailed description of the stećak and the location where they are found.

After Ljiljana Jurak, president of the Fojnica branch of HKD "Napredak", welcomed the attendees at the opening ceremony of the exhibition in Fojnica, Miroslav Landeka, vice-president of the Association, addressed the audience. "Being on the UNESCO World Heritage list is of great importance, and we must constantly emphasize this and inform the public about it, especially young people who need to be educated about heritage and the need for its preservation. Through this exhibition, which begins its journey from Fojnica, we want to popularize stećci and bring them closer to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, in whose territories these medieval tombstones, erected between the 12th and 16th centuries, can be found," said Landeka. According to expert estimates, there are about 77,000 stećci in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. By far the most, as many as 60,000, are in BiH. "In addition to presenting them, our obligation is to also take care of the stećci so that we can leave this exceptional cultural treasure to future generations. Unfortunately, we witness many instances of destruction of necropolises, displacement of stećci, and destruction of the remains found beneath each of them. Of course, we also have bright examples where necropolises are being arranged and visits are organized for their promotion and protection. You have such an example here in central Bosnia, namely the Maculje necropolis in Novi Travnik. This is one of the best examples of the local community's care for heritage," said Ante Vujnović, director of the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Napredak's exhibition "Stećci - UNESCO World Heritage" is also available in an online format. In Fojnica, it began its journey through BiH and the countries of the region to present the beauty and uniqueness of medieval tombstones. The exhibition aims to raise awareness about the importance of presenting the Stone Sleepers, as Mak Dizdar called them, to the domestic and international public, as well as their preservation for future generations.