Blagaj Tekke

The Blagaj Tekke is a dervish monastery located at the source of the Buna River in the village of Blagaj, about 12 kilometres south-east of Mostar in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It stands beneath a vertical limestone cliff of more than 200 metres, beside the cave from which the Buna emerges as one of the largest karst springs in Europe. The tekke was built for a Sufi order of dervishes in the Ottoman period; the origins of the complex are traditionally dated to the 16th century, and the present building was reconstructed in 1851 after a fire. It combines Ottoman and Mediterranean architecture, with white plastered walls, timber galleries and an overhanging upper floor set against the rock face. Inside, visitors can see the guest room, the harem rooms, the kitchen and the prayer room, which retain carpets, furniture and Sufi ceremonial objects. The turbe of Sari Saltuk, a Sufi saint, and the tombs of the dervish sheikhs lie within the complex. The tekke served as a centre of the Halveti and Dervish orders until the 20th century, and it remains a place of religious practice today. In the 1990s, the building was damaged during the war and later repaired. The complex is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Visitors are asked to remove their shoes, dress modestly and speak quietly, and women should cover their heads in the prayer rooms. Near the river terrace, riverside restaurants serve trout and offer the chance to try Bosnian coffee served in the traditional manner. The ruins of the Stjepan Grad fortress, the stronghold of Herceg Stjepan Kosača, sit on the hill above the village and can be reached on foot.