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<p>The plan, section, and elevation views of this monastic building show an extraordinary fit between building and site. Finely crafted interior spaces provide ritual, guest and bathing accommodations, and include a mausoleum for a legendary shiekh. Courtyard spaces complete the setting.</p><p>(drawings by authors 1993, data from the multiple sources at Bosnian Preservation Institute, Sarajevo and Mostar)</p>
<p>The village of Blagaj na Buni is located southeast of Mostar in the Neretva Canton of Herzegovina. The Buna River emerges from under the massive karst stone formation after traveling over 19 kilometers underground. Archaeological finds indicate that the area has been inhabited for over 5,000 years. The present tekija (dervish monastic complex) dates back over 300 years. The karst formation extends high above the tekija to sites where ruins of fortresses occupied by Illyrians, Romans, and medieval rulers are located.</p><p>(photo 1988)</p>
<p>The ground level contains a slightly-raised porch (hajat) that provides a covered seating area and access to a large living room with windows to the south and a room for ablutions. The stone staircase leads to the upper level gallery (kamarija) that provides access to the living rooms (odaje) and the coffee and tea kitchen (kafe-ćoše) beyond. The kamarija exterior is enclosed with a wooden framed screen. The kafe-ćoše is enclosed using a wood frame and light infill with plaster coating and wood framed windows. The stone archway to the left of the hajat provides to the storeroom on the ground level. </p>
<p>The Alija Djerzeleza kuća was constructed in the 17th century and includes two walled courtyards close to the structure as well as a large orchard that extends to the south and west. The northern wall of the house forms the edge of the street to the north. The house was owned by the Cejvan family for an extended period. Conservation and restoration work began in the late 1990s and more detailed work on structural stabilization and interior and trim work was ongoing in 2004. The work was overseen by the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical, and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo.</p>
<p>The Resulbegović family lived in the ground floor spaces during the winter and the upper level during the milder months. The lower walls are stone covered with a plaster and the upper walls of wooden braced framing filled with lighter soft brick and covered with plaster. The exposed stone extension in the distance was a storeroom that provided a terrace above. The south projecting facade (doksat) of the dwelling faced the Trebišnjica river. The house forms the southern edge of the family (haremluk) courtyard that also contained a konak for guests.</p>
<p>Rijeka is a village on the road that parallels the Zalomska River in northeastern Herzegovina. In this remote highlands area, people like the woman pictured here continued to inhabit dwellings enclosed in straw, probably as seasonal pasture shelters. The fence around the house may protect the straw from hungry animals.</p>
<p>The chapel's oak base member originally rested on the ground until a stone base was added during the last decade of the 19th century. The entry, on the west end of the chapel, is reached by ascending stone steps. The roof structure is constructed by a framework of rafters. The roof cap member does not serve as a ridge beam. The present windows are larger than the original windows according to records.</p>
<p>Horizontal branches are attached through the straw enclosure to the internal frame. The raised threshold with wood sill suggests a durable building base and wood frame, upon which the straw covering may be renewed annually.</p>
<p>The eave line of the tower obscures the head of the entry and the arched entry lintel. The lintel has one large rosette carved adjacent to where each jamb meets the head framing; the date of 1841 also carved within the lintel. The timber sill plate (base course) is documented as being approximately 37 cm (14.6 inches) in height.</p>

Bosnia & Herzegovina (BHBA)

Bosnia & Herzegovina, formerly a republic in Yugoslavia, declared its intention to leave the Yugoslavia federation in 1992 but was drawn into a war that extended into 1996. The current federation (2011) includes two divisions and one internationally supervised district. The three principal ethnic groups (Bosnian Moslem, Bosnian Croat, and Bosnian Serb) have common and specific cultural roots. The complex cultures of Bosnia & Herzegovina have connections to Slavonic, Austrian, Hungarian and Ottoman cultures.


The country has three pronounced landscapes (the mountains of the Dinaric Alps, the Adriatic Karst, and the Sava River) that are important factors in the development of the different types of vernacular architecture still found.


-2011

Sites
Blagaj Tekija
Blagaj Tekija
Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chapel of Sveti Nikolas
Chapel of Sveti Nikolas
Jelićka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Svrzina Kuća
Svrzina Kuća
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Resulbegović house complex
Resulbegović house complex
Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rizvanbegović housing complex
Rizvanbegović housing complex
Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Parent Collections
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Related Collections
Croatia (Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive)
Croatia (Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive)
Keywords
vernacular architecture
Terms of use
Contribute
Need help?
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Bosnia & Herzegovina (BHBA)

Bosnia & Herzegovina, formerly a republic in Yugoslavia, declared its intention to leave the Yugoslavia federation in 1992 but was drawn into a war that extended into 1996. The current federation (2011) includes two divisions and one internationally supervised district. The three principal ethnic groups (Bosnian Moslem, Bosnian Croat, and Bosnian Serb) have common and specific cultural roots. The complex cultures of Bosnia & Herzegovina have connections to Slavonic, Austrian, Hungarian and Ottoman cultures.


The country has three pronounced landscapes (the mountains of the Dinaric Alps, the Adriatic Karst, and the Sava River) that are important factors in the development of the different types of vernacular architecture still found.


-2011

Images & Videos
<p>The plan, section, and elevation views of this monastic building show an extraordinary fit between building and site. Finely crafted interior spaces provide ritual, guest and bathing accommodations, and include a mausoleum for a legendary shiekh. Courtyard spaces complete the setting.</p><p>(drawings by authors 1993, data from the multiple sources at Bosnian Preservation Institute, Sarajevo and Mostar)</p>
Drawings of Tekija
architectural drawing
Screen Shot 2023-03-21 at 11.50.12 AM.png
digital graphic
<p>The village of Blagaj na Buni is located southeast of Mostar in the Neretva Canton of Herzegovina. The Buna River emerges from under the massive karst stone formation after traveling over 19 kilometers underground. Archaeological finds indicate that the area has been inhabited for over 5,000 years. The present tekija (dervish monastic complex) dates back over 300 years. The karst formation extends high above the tekija to sites where ruins of fortresses occupied by Illyrians, Romans, and medieval rulers are located.</p><p>(photo 1988)</p>
Dervish Tekija from shore of Buna
digital photograph
<p>The ground level contains a slightly-raised porch (hajat) that provides a covered seating area and access to a large living room with windows to the south and a room for ablutions. The stone staircase leads to the upper level gallery (kamarija) that provides access to the living rooms (odaje) and the coffee and tea kitchen (kafe-ćoše) beyond. The kamarija exterior is enclosed with a wooden framed screen. The kafe-ćoše is enclosed using a wood frame and light infill with plaster coating and wood framed windows. The stone archway to the left of the hajat provides to the storeroom on the ground level. </p>
Begova kuća
digital photograph
<p>The Alija Djerzeleza kuća was constructed in the 17th century and includes two walled courtyards close to the structure as well as a large orchard that extends to the south and west. The northern wall of the house forms the edge of the street to the north. The house was owned by the Cejvan family for an extended period. Conservation and restoration work began in the late 1990s and more detailed work on structural stabilization and interior and trim work was ongoing in 2004. The work was overseen by the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical, and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo.</p>
Alija Djerzeleza kuća
digital photograph
<p>The Resulbegović family lived in the ground floor spaces during the winter and the upper level during the milder months. The lower walls are stone covered with a plaster and the upper walls of wooden braced framing filled with lighter soft brick and covered with plaster. The exposed stone extension in the distance was a storeroom that provided a terrace above. The south projecting facade (doksat) of the dwelling faced the Trebišnjica river. The house forms the southern edge of the family (haremluk) courtyard that also contained a konak for guests.</p>
Begova kuća
digital photograph
<p>Rijeka is a village on the road that parallels the Zalomska River in northeastern Herzegovina. In this remote highlands area, people like the woman pictured here continued to inhabit dwellings enclosed in straw, probably as seasonal pasture shelters. The fence around the house may protect the straw from hungry animals.</p>
Straw Dwelling in mountains. Rijeka, Herzegovina
digital photograph
<p>The chapel's oak base member originally rested on the ground until a stone base was added during the last decade of the 19th century. The entry, on the west end of the chapel, is reached by ascending stone steps. The roof structure is constructed by a framework of rafters. The roof cap member does not serve as a ridge beam. The present windows are larger than the original windows according to records.</p>
Chapel of Sveti Nikolas View of Entry Jelićka, Bosnia
digital photograph
<p>Horizontal branches are attached through the straw enclosure to the internal frame. The raised threshold with wood sill suggests a durable building base and wood frame, upon which the straw covering may be renewed annually.</p>
Straw Dwelling, entry detail. Rijeka, Herzegovina
digital photograph
View all 10
Sites
Blagaj Tekija
Blagaj Tekija
Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chapel of Sveti Nikolas
Chapel of Sveti Nikolas
Jelićka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Svrzina Kuća
Svrzina Kuća
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Resulbegović house complex
Resulbegović house complex
Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rizvanbegović housing complex
Rizvanbegović housing complex
Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Parent Collections
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Related Collections
Croatia (Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive)
Croatia (Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive)
Keywords
vernacular architecture
Terms of use
Contribute
Need help?
About