Status of monument -> National monument
Published in the Official Gazette of BiH, no. 44/09.
Pursuant to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, at a session held from 27 May to 2 June 2008 the Commission adopted a
D E C I S I O N
I
The architectural ensemble of the Orthodox church of St Nicholas with old stone tombstones (cruciform tombstones) at Domaševo, Municipality Trebinje is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).
The National Monument consists of the church and burial ground with 52 cruciform tombstones.
The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot nos. 276 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 15, cadastral municipality Domaševo, Municipality Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 9/02) shall apply to the National Monument.
II
The Government of Republika Srpska shall be responsible for providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the protection, conservation and presentation of the National Monument.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and setting up signboards with basic details of the monument and the Decision to proclaim the property a National Monument.
III
To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument on the site defined in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision, the following protection measures are hereby stipulated:
- all works are prohibited other than conservation and restoration works, with the approval of the ministry responsible for regional planning in Republika Srpska (hereinafter: the relevant ministry) and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska (hereinafter: the heritage protection authority);
- infrastructure works shall be permitted subject to the approval of the relevant ministry and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority;
- the relocation of the old tombstones is prohibited, as are new burials within five metres of the old tombstones;
- all elements impairing the authenticity of the church and executed using modern materials shall be removed.
To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument, a buffer zone is hereby stipulated, with a radius of 50 metres from the boundary of the protected site of the National Monument. In this zone, the erection of buildings the use of which is not detrimental to the National Monument, with a maximum foot print of 10 x 12 m and a maximum height of 6.50 m to the start of the roof frame, i.e. two storeys (ground + 1), is permitted.
IV
All executive and area development planning acts not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision are hereby revoked.
V
Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of Republika Srpska and urban and municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the National Monument or jeopardize the preservation and rehabilitation thereof.
VI
The Government of Republika Srpska, the relevant ministry and the heritage protection authority, and the Municipal Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in Articles II – V of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.
VII
The elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.aneks8komisija.com.ba)
VIII
Pursuant to Art. V para 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Commission are final.
IX
On the date of adoption of this Decision, the National Monument shall be deleted from the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02, Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 79/02, Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH no. 59/02, and Official Gazette of Brčko District BiH no. 4/03), where it featured under serial no. 677.
X
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of BiH.
This Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep Ahunbay, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović, Ljiljana Ševo and Tina Wik.
No: 02.2-02-97/08-2
28 May 2008
Sarajevo
Chair of the Commission
Amra Hadžimuhamedović
E l u c i d a t i o n
I – INTRODUCTION
Pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a “National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) until the Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has been submitted or not.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments issued a decision to add St Nicholas’s church in Domaševo near Trebinje to the Provisional List of National Monuments under serial no. 677.
Pursuant to the provisions of the law, the Commission proceeded to carry out the procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National Monument, pursuant to Article V para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
II – PROCEDURE PRIOR TO DECISION
In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:
- Documentation on the location and current owner and user of the property;
- Details of legal protection of the property to date;
- Details of the current condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs;
- Details of restoration or other works on the property, etc;
- Historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision.
The findings based on the review of the above documentation and the condition of the site are as follows:
1. Details of the property
Location
The Orthodox church of St Nicholas with a burial ground still in use containing 52 old stone tombstones is in the village of Domaševo. Domaševo is one of the oldest settlements on the Ljubomir plateau, which is 15 km from Trebinje.
The National Monument consists of the church and burial ground with 52 cruciform tombstones. Access to the churchyard is from the east.
The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot nos. 276 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 15, cadastral municipality Domaševo, Municipality Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Historical information
Travunija or the Trebinje district is one of the first territorial political entities formed when the Slavs began to settle in the Balkan peninsula. Until the 9th century, it was better known than the neighbouring districts of Doclea and Rascia. The earliest name of the district is to be found in De administrando imperio by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, who uses the name Terbunia. It features under the name Terbunia in the Chronicles of the Doclean priest.
The district of Travunija was divided into župe (counties), of which the Doclean priest refers to nine in his Chronicle, including Libomir, now known as Ljubomir (Tošić, 1998, 14).
The Ljubomir area abounds in necropolises with tombstones and stećci (pl. of stećak). A number of churches in the area date from the Ottoman period: in Podvari, Čvarići, Ugarci, Ždrijelovići, Mužojevina and Podi (tradition has it that this church was built by one Petar Zotović), at Prisoje (built by Petar’s brother Tomaš), in Zagora (built by another brother), and in Domaševo (again, tradition associates the building of this church with Tomaš Zotović (Korać, 1971, 379).
The year when St Nicholas’s church in Domaševo was built is not known, but it is known to have been built in the time of Pokrajac Oliverović, who ruled Ljubomir in the first half of the 15th century. His stećak tombstone with epitaph is in the church in Vrpolje, which is similar in architectural features to St Nicholas’ church in Domaševo. There are 99 tombstones and stećci around St Nicholas’ church. One cross in Domaševo bore a Cyrillic inscription reading “A se leži knez Zot, sin kneza Petra. Leže v leto 7080” (Here lies knez [headman] Zot, son of knez Petar. Died in the summer of 7080) (1572) - Korać, 1971, 397).
2. Description of the church
In architectural features and layout, St Nicholas’ church belongs to the type of single-nave church with semicircular apse and bell-cote na preslicu.
The church lies east-west, with the entrance at the west end and the apse at the east end.
The church measures approx. 9.00 x 5.20 m on the outside and approx. 7.55 x 3.40 m on the inside.
The church has massive stone walls of varying thickness: in the apse they are approx. 57 cm thick, the side walls are approx. 86 cm thick, and the west wall is approx. 81 cm thick. They were built of large stone blocks left exposed on the outside and pointed with cement mortar; inside, the walls are plastered.
The nave is covered by a barrel vault. The apse is semicircular inside and out, and the proscomidion and diaconicon in the side walls have rectangular niches.
Inside, the church is approx.3.85 m in height from floor level to the apex of the vault. The roof is gabled and entirely clad with stone slabs. The apse is also clad with stone slabs.
The floor of the church was previously paved with old flagstones. Light enters the church through two rectangular windows in the south and north walls and a small window in the apse. The arched windows are splayed parabola-style, with the openings narrower on the outside than the inside. Those in the north and south side walls are approx. 40 cm wide and 50 cm high on the inside and approx. 10 cm wide and 63 cm high on the outside. The apse window is approx. 22 cm wide and 59 cm high on the inside and approx. 40 cm wide and 72 cm high on the outside. The entrance portal at the west end is architraval in design. The door is wooden, and about 62 cm wide and 180 cm high. Above the lintel is an arched niche, over which is a narrow opening below and in the axis of the bell-cote.
The bell-cote, with one opening for a bell, surmounts the west wall of the church and is made of finely worked stone. Judging from the workmanship, it dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. The bell-cote is about 6.30 m high from ground level to the top of the cross.
Burial ground by St Nicholas's church in the village of Domaševo – cruciform tombstones
Beside St Nicholas's church in the village of Domaševo is a burial ground covering an area of approx. 2280 m2 and containing 52 old cruciform stone tombstones dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. The entrance to the burial ground is from the west. The west and south sides of the burial ground are bounded by a stone wall approx. 1.40 m in height. The burial ground is still in active use, and also contains 52 old cruciform stone tombstones. The tombstones are to the south, west and north of the plot, very close to the church, scattered around the burial ground but with their greatest concentration by the church itself. Most of them are of tufa, are cruciform in shape, and are of simple workmanship. Some have decorations consisting of a carved cross, six-pointed star or floral decoration.
Some of the tombstones have a carved epitaph in Cyrillic script. The epitaphs are extremely simple and brief, and some of them refer to the Zotić family. They provide basic information on the deceased, his or her name and surname, and the year of birth and death. In some cases the name of the person who erected the tombstone is also given. There are no details of the stonemasons who made the tombstones.
Tombstone no. 1
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, overgrown with weeds and covered with moss, standing on the north side of the burial ground, beside the entrance to the church. The tombstone is approx. 82 cm high, 43 cm wide and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 2
A cruciform stone tombstone on the north side of the burial ground, consisting of a simple cross approx. 104 cm high, 48 cm wide and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph with floral motifs on the other. The tombstone is cracked and damaged.
Tombstone no. 3
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, covered with moss, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 53 cm high, 48 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 4
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground, beside the entrance to the church. The tombstone is approx. 71 cm high, 35 cm wide, and 12 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 5
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 60 cm high, 37 cm wide, and 11 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A floral motif (three racemes) is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 6
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 127 cm high, 52 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph with floral motifs on the other.
Tombstone no. 7
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 130 cm high, 53 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph with a star of David on the other.
Tombstone no. 8
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 113 cm high, 45 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A geometric motif is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other. The tombstone stands on a rectangular plinth.
Tombstone no. 9
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 85 cm high, 37 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 10
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 81 cm high, 41 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph with floral motifs on the other.
Tombstone no. 11
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 109 cm high, 45 cm wide, and 20 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
BOŠKO ZOTOVIĆ
DIED 1871
Tombstone no. 12
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on a rectangular plinth, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 86 cm high, 42 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
MAKSIM ZOTOVIĆ
DIED 1869.
Tombstone no. 13
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 108 cm high, 45 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
DAMJAN ZOTOVIĆ
DIED 1865.
Tombstone no. 14
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 51 cm high, 35 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 15
A cruciform stone tombstone of more recent date, of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 66 cm high, 41 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. Floral motifs are carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
TOMO ZOTOVIĆ
DIED 1893 .
Tombstone no. 16
A stone tombstone consisting of a plinth and body surmounted by a cross, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 205 cm in overall height, on a rectangular plinth measuring approx. 71 x 39 cm. The body is irregular in shape, with floral and geometric decorations and epitaphs reading:
THIS TOMBSTONE WAS ERECTED BY THE BROTHERS
KRSTO AND MAKSIM IN 1923
and
HERE LIES
THE LATE TODOR
A. ZOTOVIĆ
B. 1893. D. 1922.
The stone cross surmounting the tombstone is approx. 56 cm high, 48 cm wide and 12 cm thick. The trefoil-ended arms bear a decoration of bunches of grapes in relief, and the middle of the cross a circle with geometric motifs.
Tombstone no. 17
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the north side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 97 cm high, 39 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
MARA DAUGHTER OF JOVAN ZOTOVIĆ
DIED 1906
Tombstone no. 18
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 102 cm high, 49 cm wide, and 19 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and a Cyrillic epitaph on the other, reading:
HERE LIES THE SERVANT OF GOD
WIFE OF JOVAN BOKIĆ
DIED 1900
Tombstone no. 19
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 110 cm high, 47 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 20
The tombstone consists of a chest-shaped plinth surmounted by a cross, and stands on the south side of the burial ground. The stone plinth is rectangular, with a height of approx. 45 cm, a length of 144 cm and a width of 66 cm. The cross is also of stone, and is approx. 76 cm high, 47 cm wide and 13 cm thick. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 21
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 120 cm high, 47 cm wide, and 17 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other. The tombstone is tilted to one side.
Tombstone no. 22
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 99 cm high, 45 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 23
A stone tombstone consisting of a plinth and shaft surmounted by a cross, standing on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 159 cm in overall height. The plinth is approx. 18 cm high, 58 cm long and 29 cm thick. The cross is approx. 68 cm high, 40 cm wide, and 11 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the cross and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on one side of the shaft.
Tombstone no. 24
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 92 cm high, 41 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 25
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground, partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 58 cm high, 39 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. The poor condition of the tombstone makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstone no. 26
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds and partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 45 cm high, 32 cm wide, and 10 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. The poor condition makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstone no. 27
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 97 cm high, 41 cm wide, and 17 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 28
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 103 cm high, 46 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 29
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 96 cm high, 44 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 30
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 86 cm high, 44 cm wide, and 15 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 31
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 115 cm high, 49 cm wide, and 19 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 32
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds and partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 47 cm high, 37 cm wide, and 12 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. The poor condition of the tombstone makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstone no. 33
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the south side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds and partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 43 cm high, 38 cm wide, and 12 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. The poor condition of the tombstone makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstone no. 34
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 74 cm high, 45 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph and geometric motifs on the other.
Tombstone no. 35
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 105 cm high, 44 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph and geometric motifs on the other.
Tombstone no. 36
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 73 cm high, 38 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 37
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 62 cm high, 36 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 38
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds. The tombstone is approx. 117 cm high, 48 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 39
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds. The tombstone is approx. 90 cm high, 50 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 40
A cruciform stone tombstone consisting of a slab surmounted by a cross, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 125 cm in overall height. The slab is approx. 18 cm high, 58 cm long and 29 cm thick. The cross is approx. 62 cm high, 55 cm wide and 23 cm thick. The cross is approx. 68 cm high, 43 cm wide and 12 cm thick(1).The ends of the cross bear a pyramidal decoration. The only visible decoration is an inscribed cross; there is no sign of any epitaph.
Tombstone no. 41
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds and partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 70 cm high, 40 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 42
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, on a pile of rubble. The tombstone is approx. 82 cm high, 42 cm wide, and 14 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. A cross is carved on one side of the tombstone and an illegible Cyrillic epitaph on the other.
Tombstone no. 43
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 88 cm high, 43 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 44
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 95 cm high, 42 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms bear a pyramidal decoration. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 45
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 88 cm high, 43 cm wide, and 16 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 46
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground. The tombstone is approx. 95 cm high, 47 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms bear a pyramidal decoration. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 47
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds. The tombstone is approx. 93 cm high, 47 cm wide, and 18 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. An illegible Cyrillic epitaph is carved on one side of the tombstone.
Tombstone no. 48
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, surrounded by rubble. The tombstone is approx. 94 cm high, 42 cm wide, and 13 cm thick. The ends of the arms are decorated with hemispheres. The poor condition of the tombstone makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstone no. 49
A cruciform stone tombstone of simple workmanship, on the west side of the burial ground, overgrown with weeds and partly buried. The tombstone is approx. 88 cm high, 40 cm wide, and 9 cm thick. The poor condition of the tombstone makes it impossible to identify any decoration or epitaph.
Tombstones no. 50, 51 and 52
These tombstones are built into the Bokić family tomb, which is on the west side of the burial ground, very close to the west boundary wall. The family tomb was built in 1974, and contains the mortal remains of fifteen members of the Bokić family (from 1897 to 1989). The east side of the tomb, facing the church, consists of black granite slabs and white stone. The central section of the tomb bears a carved circle within which is a cross with floral ornamentation. To the left and right are the names of the deceased members of the Bokić family.
3. Legal status to date
St Nicholas's church in Domaševo near Trebinje is on the Provisional List of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under serial no. 677.
4. Research and conservation and restoration works
There are no details of conservation and restoration works or of repair works to the church.
During an on site inspection conducted in April 2008 by a Commission staff member, it was found that works have been carried out inside the church (plastering the walls and laying new flagstones). The stone at the west end has been pointed with cement mortar.
5. Current condition of the property
During the on site inspection in April 2008 by a Commission staff member, St Nicholas's church in the village of Domaševo was found to be in relatively good condition. The interior of the church is currently undergoing remedial works to eliminate damp. The old flagstones have been replaced by new ones, the inside walls have been plastered, and the stone on parts of the façade have been pointed with cement mortar.
6. Specific risks
Rising damp inside the church has damaged the walls.
III – CONCLUSION
Applying the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.
The Decision was based on the following criteria:
A. Time frame
B. Historical value
C. Artistic and aesthetic value
C.i. quality of workmanship
C. iii. proportions
C.iv. composition
C.v. value of details
D. Clarity
D.ii. evidence of historical change
D.iv. evidence of a particular type, style or regional manner
E. Symbolic value
E.i. ontological value
E.ii. religious value
E.iii. traditional value
E.iv. relation to rituals or ceremonies
E.v. significance for the identity of a group of people
F. Townscape/landscape value
F.iii. the building or group of buildings is part of a group or site
G. Authenticity
G.i. form and design
G.iii. use and function
G.iv. traditions and techniques
G.v. location and setting
G.vi. spirit and feeling
The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:
- Copy of cadastral plan;
- Copy of land register entry;
- Photodocumentation: photographs taken by the Commission in April 2008;
- Drawings of the church made by freelancers engaged by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments in May 2008.
Bibliography
During the procedure to designate the property as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted:
1964. Korać, Vojislav. Crkve sa prislonjenim lukovima u Staroj Hercegovini i Dubrovačko graditeljstvo XV-XVII vijek (Churches with rebated arches in Old Herzegovina and Dubrovnik Architecture 15-17 Century). Belgrade: Proceedings of the Faculty of the Humanities No. VII, 1964, 561-629.
1971. Korać, J. Vojislav. Trebinje - Istorijski pregled II, period od dolaska Turaka do 1878. (Trebinje – A Historical Overview II, to the arrival of the Turks). Trebinje: Regional Museum of Trebinje, 1971.
1991. Šuput, Marica. Spomenici srpskog crkvenog graditeljstva XVI-XVII vek (16th and 17th century Monuments of Serbian Church Architecture). Belgrade-Novi Sad-Priština: 1991.
1995. Ševo, Ljiljana. Pravoslavne crkve i manastiri u Bosni i Hercegovini do 1878 godine. (Orthodox Churches and Monasteries in BiH to 1878). Banja Luka: 1995.
1988. Tošić, Đuro. Trebinjska oblast u srednjem vijeku (Trebinje District in Mediaeval Times). Belgrade: Historical Institute, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 1988.
(1) Translator’s note: both sets of measurements are stated as applying to a (or the: Bosnian has no article, definite or indefinite) cross, and are translated as given. The final sentence suggests that one set might apply to the inscribed cross, but there is nothing in the original that might clarify this.
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