Prezime Obad – rasprostranjenost i porijeklo

 A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLAGAJ

 

Introduction

The Blagaj area is rich in historical remnants from various periods of human existence and has now become a renowned tourist destination. Detailed information about Blagaj, its attractions, and history can be found online with numerous pages dedicated to it. However, most casual visitors do not have the time or inclination to delve deep into the historical texts about Blagaj's past.

As the famous saying goes, "history is written by the winners." The history of the South Slavic countries and the Balkans in general is filled with “winners” and “losers”, resulting in multiple "versions" of history depending on the perspective of the author. Today, with the abundance of information on the internet, it can be challenging to discern the "correct" version, especially for younger generations. In this text, I have aimed to rely on well-known historical facts from reputable sources without personally engaging in historical interpretations beyond my expertise.

 

 Blagaj - a human habitat from prehistoric times

 Blagaj, the region near Mostar in Herzegovina, has always been inhabited by people. The Green Cave, situated on a steep cliff above the source of the Buna River, was the dwelling place of people during the Late Stone Age around 4000 BC. Archaeologist Dr. Alojz Benac thoroughly studied and documented the discovered artifacts in 1955, which are now housed in the museum in Sarajevo.

Traces of Illyrian tribes and Roman influence can also be found in Blagaj. The Romans ruled the area and assimilated the local Illyrian tribes. Several important Roman roads traversed the region, including the present-day Blagaj and Bišće field, connecting the south, north, and east. Following the Roman era, a Slavic settlement was established in the 7th to 9th century AD. Blagaj, along with many other places in Herzegovina, bears the marks of various historical periods. 

The first written   mention of the settlement in the Blagaj area dates back to the 10th century in the book "The Management of the Empire" by Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. The    book references the fortresses of Hum and Bona.

Additionally, historical documents from the Dubrovnik archives and archaeological excavations conducted in the 1950s indicate the existence of the "Bišće castle" in the nearby settlement of Podgrađe. This castle served as one of the residences for Bosnian rulers when they were in the area. After the Ottoman Turks conquered Blagaj in 1466, the first headquarter of the Blagaj's judge (kadija) was situated in Bišće.

The name of Blagaj

Blagaj's current name appeared for the first time in written documents within the peace treaty of 1423, signed between Sandalj Hranić and the Republic of Venice. The treaty confirms that it was ratified "in our castle of Blagaj." Official historians widely agree that the name originates from the old Slavic term for places with water, arable land, or forest, which can be loosely translated as "mild grove" or "blagi gaj." The merging of these words gave rise to the toponym Blagaj. The presence of two other places with the same name in Bosnia and Croatia, Blagaj on the Japra River and Blagaj on the Korana River, further supports the notion that Blagaj has a general meaning unrelated to any specific historical story.

Duke Stephen (Stjepan) and his time

During the 14th and the first half of the 15th century, the South Slavic region consisted of feudal territories governed by nobles who were most often in a subordinate relationship with one of the neighboring powerful countries.

Historically, the region that is now Croatia often found itself in a subordinate relationship with its powerful neighboring countries. Most of present-day Croatia was once part of the Kingdom of Hungary (Ugarska), while a portion belonged to Bosnia. The area of Herzegovina, on the other hand, was  more influenced by Byzantium and medieval Serbian feudal nobles.

In 1377, Tvrtko the First successfully unified local Bosnian feudal rulers and was proclaimed the first king of Bosnia. Although the kingdom formally recognized Hungary's sovereignty, it enjoyed significant independence in practice. The Kingdom of Bosnia lasted for 86 years.

 The third Bosnian king, Tomaš Ostoja, who succeeded King Tvrtko 2, was recognized as king by most neighboring rulers from 1443 until his death (or presumed killing) in 1461, ruling for 18 years. Queen Catherine, Tomaš's second wife was  the daughter of Duke Stephen, and she was born in  Blagaj. However, Duke Stjepan, despite being Tomaš's father-in-law, initially did not acknowledge him. Tomaš was succeeded by his son from his first wife, Stephen Tomašević, in 1461. However, his reign would be short-lived, as the Turks seized power in Bosnia in 1463 and killed Stjepan Tomašević on June 5, 1463, marking him as the last Bosnian king in history.

During the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the influential Kosača noble family ruled the area known as Hum or the Land of Hum, which encompassed most of today's Herzegovina. The height of their power was under Sandalj Hranić Kosača, who ruled Hum from around 1400 until his death in 1435.

 He was succeeded by his nephew, Stephen (Stjepan) Vukčić Kosača. It is believed that the fortress atop a high cliff near the source of the Buna River was built during Sandalj's reign, possibly on the ruins of a Roman fortress. Under Stephen Kosača's rule, the Blagaj fortress became his main headquarter. At some point of time , he assumed the title of duke (herceg, derived from the German word "Herzog"), leading to the region being referred to as Herceg's country or Herzegovina for short.

The historical map of Hum reveals that it was a vast territory, much larger than present-day Herzegovina. Notably, cities like Mostar and Sarajevo did not exist during that time. Stephen Kosača, known for his cunning and aggressive rule, constantly sought to expand his sphere of influence, engaging in alliances or wars with neighboring rulers as it suited his interests. To the north of Hum lay the Kingdom of Bosnia, ruled by King Stjepan Tomaš, while the western part of today's Croatia belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. In the east, there existed a medieval Serbian state that had already entered into a vassal relationship with the Turks.

To the south, the Venetian Republic and the Republic of Dubrovnik played significant roles in the region. Despite the Turkish rule and the prior Venetian Republic, the people of Dubrovnik managed to maintain their independence, albeit at a cost. The powerful and affluent merchant families of Dubrovnik were granted trading privileges in neighboring territories. The Charter of Kulin Ban, dating back to the 12th century, is one of the earliest written records of Bosnian statehood and granted Dubrovnik merchants the freedom to trade in the Bosnian region (known as Bosanska Banovina).

When necessary, feudal rulers from neighboring countries would deposit their wealth in Dubrovnik.. Prior to his death, Duke Stjepan included a clause in his will, leaving his money to the bankers of Dubrovnik. Records indicate that the duke's sons subsequently requested Dubrovnik to fulfill their inheritance according to their father's will. However, the cunning bankers of the time purposely delayed the payments, attempting to retain the funds for as long as possible. Furthermore, disputes among the duke's sons, each interpreting their father's will differently, further prolonged the realization of the duke's testament.

 

 The duke´s Stephen family

Regarding the Duke Stephen's family, historical sources indicate that he married three times. His first wife was Helena Balšić, originally from the Serbian nobility,  passed away in 1453. She was the mother of Katarina, later to become the queen of Bosnia, as well as sons Vladislav and Vlatko. Stephen's second wife was Barbara (Varvara), hailing from a German noble family. In 1455, an elaborate wedding ceremony took place, as in addition to the duke, his two sons from his first marriage, Vladislav and Vlatko, also married. A marriage contract from that period has been preserved, wherein Duke Stephen guaranteed his wife's right to maintain her Catholic faith and permitted her to have a private Catholic priest in their residence. This suggests that Duke Stephen himself was not Catholic but rather Orthodox, with strong sympathies and ties to the old Bosnian church.

Barbara bore two sons and a daughter named Mara. Tragically, she died in 1459, merely four years into her marriage with Duke Stephen. Their eldest son, Stjepan, went down in history. As a young man, he ventured to Istanbul, converted to Islam, and assumed high-ranking positions within the Turkish Empire, adopting a new name, Ahmed Hercegović.

A few years after Barbara's passing, Duke Stephen entered into a third marriage. His third wife was Cecilia, also hailing from a German noble family. They married in May 1460 in Herceg Novi. However, there is little information about this union, and it appears that the duke did not have any children with Cecilia. Duke Stephen passed away on June 13, 1466, and Cecilia returned to her place of origin.

Of the duke's two sons from his first marriage, Vladislav and Vlatko, Vladislav was more prominent. As adults, they frequently clashed with their father, with Vladislav leading the charge. At one point, Vladislav even engaged in direct warfare against the duke, gaining control over a significant portion of his territories and capturing Blagaj. The duke sought reconciliation with his sons through cunning diplomatic efforts, utilizing the intermediaries of Dubrovnik and other regional powers. He granted them portions of Herzegovina to rule, while he retained control over Blagaj until its final conquest by the Turks in 1466. Some historical sources (might be legends) suggest that the conflict between Vladislav and his father originated from a family affair. Vladislav had fallen in love with Madonna Elisabeth in Italy and they became engaged. The duke, Stephen, traveled to the coastal town of Senj to escort his daughter-in-law to Herzegovina but, upon seeing her, he immediately fell in love with her and changed his plans. Madonna Elisabeth supposedly became his mistress, and there is speculation that the fortress in today's Ljubuški was named after this affair (Ljubuški meaning  the place of  mistress (ljuba, ljubuša).

Compared to his older brother Vladislav, the duke's second son, Vlatko, was less renowned. He ruled a part of the Land of Hum, which he inherited from his uncle, the duke's predecessor Sandalj Hranić. Following his father's death in 1466, Vlatko received an additional portion of his father's land, along with his brother Vladislav. Vlatko frequently participated in campaigns against the Turks but never entered into a vassal relationship with them like his father and brother did.

 

Turkish conquest

The Turkish conquest of Bosnia and Hum (Herzegovina), as well as the establishment of Turkish rule in the region, was a gradual process that spanned over 80 years.

 It began with the famous Battle of Kosovo in 1389, which led to the disintegration of the medieval Serbian state and the emergence of Turkish vassals ruling feudal estates in the area. These vassals paid tribute to Turkey and maintained their rule for some time until Turkey eventually assumed full power and established its administration in Serbia.

Following the conquest of Serbia, Turkish incursions into Bosnia and Hum increased. As early as 1415, Sandalj Hranić, the predecessor of Duke Stjepan, paid tribute to Turkey to protect his territories from further Turkish invasions. Duke Stephen continued this practice, resulting in Herzegovina being in a vassal relationship with the Ottoman Empire for more than 50 years before it was officially conquered and annexed.

In 1463, the Turks executed the last Bosnian king, Stjepan Tomašević, marking the definitive Turkish rule over Bosnia.

 Initially, Herzegovina was spared direct Turkish conquest due to Stjepan's payment of vassal tribute. However, this arrangement did not last long. In the summer of 1465, Isa-bey Ishaković began conquering the duke's lands, leaving Stephen with estates around the lower Neretva river and the towns of Novi (later Herceg Novi). Stephen moved from Blagaj to Novi and passed away shortly after falling ill. The Turks officially conquered Blagaj in June 1466 and continued their conquest of the remaining territories held by Duke Stephen.

In 1482, the Turks conquered the city of Novi, bringing the whole of Herzegovina under Turkish control, nearly 20 years after the fall of the Bosnian kingdom.

The Turkish rule

The Turkish rule, lasted until 1878 when Austro-Hungarian rule was established, that means Blagaj remained under Turkish control for a remarkable 412 years. However, there are few written records available from the first 150 years of Turkish rule in Herzegovina, and even fewer have been translated into Slavic languages. It is only from the middle of the 17th century onwards that some written traces of life in the area during the Turkish period exist.

We will further discuss Blagaj during that time, as well as more significant buildings constructed in Blagaj from that period."

At the time of Blagaj's conquest, Mostar did not exist as a significant settlement. Only a few houses were present near a wooden bridge on chains across the Neretva, guarded by towers. It is believed that the city derived its name from these guards (mostar means a man who guard the bridge). With the arrival of the Turks, Mostar gained importance and expanded. Sometime between 1506 and 1519, Mostar became an independent kadiluk (county) , approximately 40-50 years after Blagaj. One hundred years after the conquest of Blagaj, in 1566, the famous stone bridge over the Neretva, known as the Old Bridge, was completed.

Following the conquest of Blagaj, a crew was stationed in the town of Duke Stjepan, and a small mosque was built for the crew to perform prayers. The remnants of the mosque can still be observed today on the left side as you enter the fortress. Additionally, the remains of the prison and water cisterns are also visible."

 Although the Blagaj fortress did not hold significant strategic importance during the Turkish period, as it was not situated on the border of the conquered region, it did house a regular crew for approximately 370 years until 1835. After its abandonment, the fortress was never utilized again."

 

Historical monuments from the Turkish period in Blagaj

Throughout its over 400 years of presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ottoman Empire left its mark through various buildings, many of which have disappeared or have limited documentation. Blagaj, along with Mostar and other regions, show such historical features. Notable buildings and remains from the Turkish period in the Blagaj area include:

 -  Mosque in the fortress:

 

·       Constructed for the fortress crew soon after the conquest of Blagaj, this mosque, possibly the oldest Islamic place of worship in Herzegovina, can still be observed within the fortress, to the left just after the main entrance.

 

 

- Sultan Sulejmanova (Careva) Mosque:

                                                                                             Located in the center of old Blagaj, it remains the primary mosque in the area. Built in 1520/21, it predates the famous Karađozbeg Mosque in Mostar by 37 years. The mosque originally featured a domed roof, but a reconstruction in 1898 during Austro-   Hungarian rule removed the dome and replaced it with an octagonal roof covered in lead sheets.

- Tekke at the source of the Buna

Tekke at the source of the Buna: Mentioned in the travelogues of Evliya Çelebi from 1654, this tekke was likely constructed by the Mostar mufti. While its original form dates back to around 1520, subsequent rebuilding efforts have transformed its appearance since then. The current structure is believed to have been established during a restoration in 1851.

 

Hammam (public bathroom):

Along the right bank of the Buna, remnants of the old hammam's walls can still be seen approximately ten meters upstream from the first stone bridge. This hamam was the endowment of Mehmed-beg Karadjoz, the largest benefactor in Herzegovina. Its construction occurred between 1570 and 1664, as mentioned in Evliya Çelebi's travelogue.

 Karadjozbeg Bridge in Blagaj

Constructed before 1570, this bridge is documented in a financing document for its maintenance. It served as the endowment of Karadjozbeg, the same patron who funded the construction of his famous mosque in Mostar.

The bridge is about as old as the Old Bridge in Mostar (1566). Originally featuring a sloping tread,(see the picture ), it was partially destroyed during World War II and subsequently replaced with a wooden bridge. Later reconstructions resulted in a flat surface suitable for vehicular traffic.

 

 

 

Leho´s Bridge:

 - Situated downstream from the Karadjozbeg Bridge, this is the second oldest bridge in Blagaj. Its construction date and builder remain uncertain, but it was mentioned by Evliya Çelebi in 1664.

 The bridge is associated with the name of  old  Blagaj family Leho, and has undergone multiple reconstructions, losing much of its original appearance.

 

Other old bridges over the Buna:

 Additionally, two other beautiful bridges once graced the Buna River but were unfortunately destroyed by retreating German forces at the end of World War II.

The Kosor Bridge:

The Kosor Bridge, potentially built by the Romans, was located between Kosor village and the mouth of the Bunica river in Buna. Only a small section of it remains visible on the left bank.

 

 

- Danijal Pasha's bridge

Danijal Pasha's Bridge, over 100 meters long with 14 arches, was positioned in Buna town and has been missing since 1945. Its origin and construction style lean towards the Turkish period, although some speculate it may have had Roman origins.

 It is certain that it was destroyed  in 1945.

 

 Literature:

1.    Blagaj Decision on the historical memorial area - http://old.kons.gov.ba/main.php?id_struct=6&lang=1&action=view&id=2558

2.    Hivzija Hasandedić:

-       "Muslim heritage of Bosniaks in southern and central Herzegovina"

-        "Muslim heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina"

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