BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 521E Herzegovina Museum
Bajatova 4. Tel (036) 551 602. #
9am–2pm Mon–Fri, 10am–noon Sat.
& http://www.muzejhercegovine.com
Founded in 1950, the eclectic
Herzegovina Museum (Muzej
Hercegovine) is housed in the
residence of Džemal Bijedić,
former head of the Yugoslav
govern ment. Built in an
Oriental style with a porch
and a court yard, the building
was esta blished to promote
the literary and cultural history
of Herzegovina. It exhibits a
variety of regional costumes
P Bišćević House
Bišćevića. n (036) 580 275.
# 9am–6pm daily. &
The delightful 17th-century
Bišćević House (Bišćevića
kuća), is a fine exam ple
of Turkish design. Par tially
supported by tall stone col-
umns, the interior of the house
features segre gated living quar-
ters and period furnish ings.
The building enjoys a lofty
position on the eastern bank
of the Neretva river and offers
fine views over the town.VISITORS’ CHECKLIST139 km (86 miles) SW of
Sarajevo. * 110,000. £ @
n Rade Bitange 5, (036) 580Mostar’s landmark Old Bridge,
spanning the Neretva river
Elegant interior of the Karadžozbegova Mosque
Međugorje 6
169 km (105 miles) SW of Sarajevo.
* 5,000. @ http://www.medjugorje.hrThe village of Međugorje,
in the southern part of
Herzegovina, is regarded
as Bosnia’s most famous
Catholic pilgrimage site.
The small parish owes its
reputation to a series of
reported visions of the Virgin
Mary. The “Queen of Peace”,
as locals refer to her, was
initially witnessed in 1981 by
six children. Crowds of eager
pilgrims gathered to see the
apparition, but it was only
visible to the children, who
were reportedly told ten
secrets about the future of the
planet. Today, over 20 million
people have visited the site
and numer ous indepen dent
sight ings have been recorded.
However, the Vatican has
never acknowl edged the
appa ritions and dismisses the
claims. A blue cross stands
on the mountain, now called
Apparition Hill, where the
first sighting took place.
Also worth visiting is
the impressive Church of
St James, in the heart of the
town. Completed in 1969,
this is the gathering place for
wor ship pers and holy masses
are regularly held here in
many languages.
Southwest of the town
stands Mount Križevac, on
top of which an 8-m (26-ft)
high cross was planted in
1934 to com memo rate
the 1,900th anniversary of
Christ’s death.Statue of the Virgin Mary on
Apparition Hill, Međugorjean exact replica of the
original, was opened to the
public in July 2004.
The Old Bridge is a popular
spot, especially during sum-
mer, when visitors jostle for
space to catch a glimpse of
daring local men who collect
money from onlookers before
jumping off the bridge.
U Karadžozbegova Mosque
Kujundžiluk. # 9am–9pm daily.
On the eastern side of Mostar
stands the most significant
exam ple of sacred Islamic
archi tecture in Herzegovina.
Built in 1557, this mosque
(Karadžozbegova džamija) is
typ ical of Ottoman architec-
ture, with a marble foun tain
and an madrasa (Islamic
school) in the court yard. Its
interior was once adorned with
floral motifs, of which only
fragments remain. The slender
minaret offers sweep ing views
over Mostar and its environs.and traditional tools alongside
archae ological discov eries
and a display outlining
Mostar’s history.