Corridor: Via Adriatica
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Blagaj, near Mostar
Type: Islamic religious centre, Cultural Landscape
Epoch: Modern Times
Theme: Islamic Culture
World Heritage:

The Tekke is on the source of the river Buna in Blagaj, near Mostar. The ensemble consists of the turbe and musafirhana of the Tekke, with the remains of the Tekke and mills on the river, together with the natural surroundings of the spring and cliffs. This ensemble is a valuable example of religious and residential Islamic architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina with certain striking features deriving from the influence of the baroque.
The ensemble of the Blagaj Tekke was built in 1520’s. The Tekke was erected on the spot where the “good” Evlija disappeared, and a tomb was raised for him in the turbe. Most Tekkes also had a musafirhana, a place where sheikhs (head of a Sufi order), dervishes and other travellers could obtain free overnight lodging. All that remains of the Blagaj Tekke is the residential building or musafirhana and the turbe or mausoleum, with two tombs marked by wooden coffins.
Since nature is part of ritual worship, the rocks and water by the Blagaj Tekke are an inseparable part of the sacred site. The source of the Buna is the finest example of an underground watercourse in this karst region (producing about 30 cubic metres of water per second).

Expert Network