Artistic tourism potentials of Konjic Municipality

According to the legend, the hair-sahibia of the Repovacka Mosque was Muhammad (Mehmed) – bey, the son of Alija, known as Hudaverdi Basna. In his vakufnama it is written that before its construction in 1579, he “built a mosque in the cavalry of Konjic”. It should be borne in mind that there was also a kasaba on the left shore of the Neretva, which existed in 1550/51. year officially was called Belgraddzik (Konjic). The first work that contains some informations about prayers on the right shore of the Neretva was written by Alija Nametak back in 1939.

In 1983, Hivzija Hasandedic, in his work on Herzegovina’s and wakifs, determined that the Repovacka mosque was built in 1579 by Hudaverdi Mehmed-Caus Bosnia and that it originates from the bey’s family of Repovci. A legend is attached to the construction of the minaret, located to the left of the front door, and to the creation of this mosque. Namely, after the death of his wife Leila and daughter Jasmina, Hudaverdi ordered the neymars to build a minaret on the left side, where the heart is in human body so that he could show his love to them.

The Repovacka mosque changed its purpose during the time. It was in its original function of sacral character just before the Second World War. During World War II, it served as a stable, and after the war became a warehouse area near which there was a livestock market. Fortunately, in 1990, the Repovacka mosque was thoroughly restored, the roof structure and roof covering were replaced with new stone slabs, a sofa and minarets were restored.

During the war years (1992-1995), the Repovacka mosque was partially damaged by artillery and weapons, damage was repaired, sofas were additionally erected in front of the mosque, and the ”abdesthana” was constructed within the courtyard. In September 2007, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the Repovacka Mosque as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The mosque was built by Muhammad-Mehmed Caus, the son of Hadzi Abdija from Konjic. The exact year of construction of the mosque is unknown, and there are differing opinions and records of individual authors. The mosque was probably built between 1622 and 1648 (by Mulic). In 1848, Ali-Pasa Rizvanbegovic rebuilt the Tekijska Mosque. In 1917, the Austro-Hungarian authorities removed the lead cover from the mosque dome (for the purpose of making weapons and implements), and in 1922 the mosque was rebuilt. The bombing in 1944 caused a damage to the mosque.
During the war years (1992-1995), the facility suffered about twenty direct hits with large-caliber shells, in the minaret, dome and side walls. It has been renovated again. A Halveti tekke was built next to the mosque, which gave it its name (Halveti were a dervish order founded in the fourteenth century). These were the only two tekke in this region. This tekke ceased to operate in 1941.

The Tekijska mosque is the only tekke mosque and the most valuable architectural mosque in Konjic. There are seven in Herzegovina, and the Tekijska Mosque is the sixth in a row. Next to the mosque is a large harem with tombstones, with epitaphs, simple short texts, unmarked, and most of them without epitaphs. In the past, the Tekijska Mosque has gone through various stages in which it has suffered various damage and desecration.
In March 2006, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the Tekijska Mosque as a national monument.

The Vardacka mosque in Konjic is located in the settlement of Varda. According to Hivzija Hasandedic, the Vardacka mosque was one of eight prayer sites mentioned by Evlija Celebija in his „Putopisi“ in 1664. Hivzija Hasandedic states that the builder of this mosque is Hussein-bey, an old man from the family Mulic from Varda. It is assumed that his grave is the one that still stands today along the mihrab wall of the Vardacka Mosque. Dr. Jusuf Mulic in the book “Konjic i njegova okolina za vrijeme osmanske vladavine” states that this mosque was built by Husein-bey Buljukbasa, son of Mehmed-bey.

In the course of the reconstruction, guided by the idea that the minaret of this mosque would be a sign of remembrance on the period that happened to us, the representatives of the Islamic Community decided not to restore minaret of this mosque that was demolished earlier, so this is one of the few mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has no top of the minaret.

It was built by Mehmed (Muhammad) Hudaverdi Bosnia, imperial servant, before 1579. This was confirmed in his vakufnama, which was drawn up between August 24 and September 23, 1579. The mosque was first rebuilt by Junuz-Caus (Alagic), and has since been renamed to Junuz-Caus Mosque. Originally, the mosque was covered with lead sheet. The height of the stone minaret without the alem is 30 meters.

During the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995), the mosque was repeatedly hit by artillery shells. On that occasion, the roof structure and walls of the building were damaged, and the minaret was hit repeatedly by direct shots, which made it completely removed and rebuilt. In that period all damages on the mosque were repaired. Between 2004 and 2006, many interventions at the facility were carried out, some of which violated its authenticity. First and foremost, this refers to interventions in the interior.

There are several interesting old tombstones in the harem of the mosque. One is particularly interesting, and it is Dervis-Pasa or Dedaga Cengic’s stone cube from 1874. Dervish Pasa,or Dedaga Cengic, a Turkish commanding officer, died in Konjic on the way from Gacko to Sarajevo in 1874.

He was badly wounded in the fighting with the Montenegrins and had to be transferred to a Turkish military hospital in Sarajevo, but he did not last until Sarajevo, he died in Konjic, where he was buried in the harem of the Carsijska mosque.
In March 2006, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the site as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The buildings of the architectural ensemble are consisted of: the independent Church of St. Ivan Krstitelj, a detached building, three auxiliary buildings (religious education halls) and a movable heritage. The building of today’s monastery was built in 1939-1940, and the church of St. Ivan Krstitelj was built over a long period of time, in stages. The church building was built in the period 1895-97. The church interior was completed in 1909 and the bell tower was built in 1919. The church building was not constructed according to the original project done by the architect Josip Vancas from Hungary, who represented one of the most significant builders of his time in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In May 2006, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments proclaimed the architectural ensemble-Franciscan Monastery in Konjic as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the Varda site in Konjic in 1885, began the construction of an Orthodox church – Temple of St. Vasilije, and the general public was informed of it in the Sarajevo Gazette. In its outward forms, this object is extremely simplified and without decorative elements. It was completed on 26th of October, 1886. Unlike the exterior, the interior of the church was richly furnished, and its great value was represented by the built-in iconostasis made in 1925 by the Konjic wood carvers Sulejman Hadzizukic and Salko Alagic. The iconostasis was painted by Sreto Domic, a painter 1929, in the same way as the Byzantine school.

It is interesting to note that one of the icons contained little curiosity. Namely, on it are St. Kirilo and Metodije presented in Franciscan habitats. Unfortunately, during the war years (1992-95) this was destroyed, as well as the church building and its interior. After 2000, the church was repaired, the iconostasis was made, the stairs for the port and the fence at the port were made and the church was built as well as the interior lighting.

In November 2007, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed the Church of St. Vasilije Veliki, with movable goods-icons, as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.