5 things you need to know about historic town Počitelj

When visiting Mostar, be sure to visit the historic town of Počitelj which is on the main Mostar to Metković road, to the south of Mostar, in the territory of Čapljina Municipality. The historic urban site of Počitelj is located on the left bank of the river Neretva,

The significance and appearance of the town has altered during the course of its development history. Here are five things you need to know about Počitelj :

1 . In 1996, Počitelj was named by World Monuments Watch as one of the world’s 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites, as proposed by the University of York, United Kingdom, and the University of Sarajevo, in the light of its outstanding value.

2 .The first documented reference to the town dates from 1444, in Charters issued by Kings Alfonso V and Friedrich III. During the period 1463-1471, the town held a Hungarian garrison.

3 . Počitelj was built on a rocky cliff sloping steeply down to the bank of the river Neretva. It belongs to the group of medieval geomorphologic fortified towns of small size with a single tower. The rocky slope above the river determined the outline of the fortifications, forming as it does a solid foundation for the ramparts.

4. The influence of Oriental architecture is reflected in the use of hipped roofs, doksats or oriel windows, rows of close-set windows, the arrangement of rooms with a hajat (anteroom) on the ground floor and an open divanhan (sitting room) on the first floor, and the interconnected enclosed courtyard and interior living quarters. The basic building material was stone. Typical common features are round chimneys and roof cladding of irregularly shaped stone slabs.

5 . With the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in BiH in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and began to deteriorate rapidly. The loss of the town’s strategic role helped to safeguard the original urban architectural ensemble so that the town has been preserved in its original form to this day.