A mosque with a minaret that is adapted to the specific weather conditions in this area is placed at the entrance to the village Umoljani on the Olympic mountain Bjelasnica.
There are no written records when the mosque was built, but it is believed that it was in the 15th century.
There are some indications that it could be built on some of bogomiles stecak tombstones.
“The locals remember the times when the mosque and minaret were wooden. Mosque with stone walls was built in the late 19th century, and the stone minaret in 1930’s. The minaret is lined with sheet metal in late 1970’s. Belivers from several villages came to this mosque. We all knew who has from which village. It was always full of worshipers. Before the aggression on BiH, there were no cell phones and phones. When believers from Comoro would not came on time, we would wait for them, and only when they appear, we would start with our prayer,” said Duran Bandic, retired imam (Islamic official).
According to him, during 1993, a total of 13 villages on Bjelasnica were burnt.
The only building that was not burned is a mosque in Umoljani. There are different stories and legends about the reasons for its survival.
Muharem Fatic is one of the few locals who stays in the village during the winter, and he said that it is true that on the shaft of the mosque was engraved that there were Chetniks from Nevesinje and “Lazar – no”, which meant that the mosque is not to be touched.
Others say that they did not burn it because they feared that dear God would punish them. In fact, one of them heard the legend of the mosque, and how Umoljani got their name, and ordered his soldiers not to touch the mosque.
Mosque in Umoljani, one of the oldest buildings in BiH, is an attraction for tourists today. Most of them take photographs next to the religious building that is protected by the state.
(Source: avaz.ba)
