Joint Nomination for Inclusion of Medieval Tombstones (Stećci) for List of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO

The meeting of the working group of representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia, held on 8th April at the United Nations House in Sarajevo, lead to an agreement of a joint submission of medieval tombstones (stećci) for inclusion on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

“Today, four and a half years after the start of the project, we can say that the nomination file is finally finished and that during next year it will be submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre” said Siniša Šešum, Head of the UNESCO Office in Sarajevo. The next step, she noted, is to deliver the nomination file to Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, at the Conference of Ministers of Culture of South East Europe which will be held on 27th and 28th June of 2014.

“With everything that the tombstones are and what is presented in our nomination file, there remain many questions about what tombstones were not. With this nomination, we do not think that the story of the tombstone nomination ends. During the International Symposium on tombstones in May, Šefik Bešlagić, the most prominent researcher of medieval tombstones (stećci), will try to shed light on some unanswered questions,” said PhD Lovrenović. She stressed that the medieval tombstones are of universal value and merit inclusion on the World Heritage List.

“I believe that, despite all the difficulties we have encountered along the way, we have generated a very high quality document that will be considered by those who will evaluate our nomination and affirm the historic importance of the tombstones.”

The process of nomination of the tombstones began in Sarajevo in November 2009, after representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia signed the letter of intent on the joint nomination. The nomination has scheduled an enrolment of 30 necropolises with tombstones: 22 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 from Serbia, 3 from Montenegro and 2 from Croatia.

From Bosnia and Herzegovina: Radmilja – Stolac, Biskup – Konjic, Kalufi – Nevesinje, Borak, Burati-Rogatica, Maculj – Novi Travnik, Dugo Polje – Jablanica, Gvozno -Kalinovik, Grebnice – Bunčići, Radmilovića Dubrava – Bileća, Bijača – LJubuški, Olovci – Kladanj, Mramor, Musići – Olovo, Stare kuće, Donje Breške – Tuzla, Kučarin – Donje Polje, Žilići – Goražde,  Boljuni – Stolac, Umoljani – Trnovo in Federation of BiH, Luburića polje – Sokolac, Potkuk, Bitunja – Berkovići i Mramorje, Buđ – Pale, Bečani – Šekovići, Mramor (Crkvina), Vrbica – Foča, Čengića bara – Kalinovik i Ravanjska Vrata – Kupres.

From Montenegro: Grčko groblje – Novakovići, Žugića bara – Novakovići i Grčko groblje – Šćepan Polje.

From Croatia: Velika i Mala Crljivica – Čista Velika i Dubravka – Sveta Barbara – Konavle.

From Serbia : Mramorje – Perućac, Mramorje – Rastište i Grčko groblje – Hrta.