The central event “511th day of Ajvatovica” will be held today on the plateau of Ajvatovica near Prusac, where thousands of believers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as well as guests from around the world, will mark another anniversary of the greatest pilgrimage site in Europe.
Ajvatovica is the largest Muslim pilgrimage site in Europe, and it is also one of the oldest in BiH. The story dates back to the 15th century when Ajvaz-dedo, an Islamic scholar and dervish, came to Bosnia from Turkey, and after a long drought, he prayed to the Lord for water in this area for 40 days and nights. On the last morning, Ajvaz-dedo had a dream about the appearance of water from a separated rock, and visitors still pass through that cleft, while the citizens of Prusac still drink the same water.
The manifestation “511th days of Ajvatovica” started on June 18th at Musala in Prusac with a program of nasheed songs and qasidas, and yesterday, after the ikindi prayer, horsemen and bayraktars paraded through Donji Vakuf towards Prusac, where they plan to reach the Ajvatovica plateau today.
This year, unlike the previous one, the return of the Turkish military orchestra Mehter was announced at the central ceremony, and a mosque will be opened on the Ajvatovica plateau, donated by the Municipality of Bursa from Turkey, whose delegation will attend Ajvatovica today.
Many cultural and religious programs were held within Ajvatovica, and after today’s event, some more facilities are planned for Monday and Tuesday. In total, more than 50 events will be held in 11 days of Ajvatovica, and all visitors are invited to respect the epidemiological measures.
E.Dz.
