Status of monument -> National monument

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 6 to 8 November 2012 the Commission adopted a

D E C I S I O N

I

The historic site of the necropolis with stećak tombstones at Crnač in Donja Kotorac, Municipality East Ilidža, is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).

The National Monument consists of 54 stećak tombstones.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot no. 1839 (new survey), corresponding to c.p. nos. 154/1 and 155 (old survey), title deed no. 661/2, Land Register entry no. 8051, cadastral municipality Gornji Butmir, and c.p. nos. 1253 and 1257/1 (new survey), c.m. Vojkovići, corresponding to c.p. 154/2 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 3709, c.m. Gornji Butmir, Municipality East Ilidža, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on 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, 70/06 and 64/08) 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 area defined in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision, the following measures are hereby prescribed;

-       all works are prohibited with the exception of investigative and conservation works, routine maintenance works, and works designed to present the monument, 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);

-       works may be carried out on the infrastructure subject to the approval of the relevant ministry and the expert opinion of the heritage protection authority;

-       the refurbishment of the necropolis and repairs to any damage are permitted solely subject to first drawing up a plan for repairs, restoration and conservation and to the approval of the relevant ministry, and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority;

-       the removal of the tombstones from the graves to any other location is prohibited;

-       the removal of lichen and moss from the stećaks is prohibited;

-       by way of exception to the above provision, the stećaks may be cleaned if required to examine the epigraphic or decorative features of a stećak, subject to first compiling a report and obtaining the approval of the entity ministry responsible for regional planning. The report should be based on such biological, chemical, physical and other analyses as a conservator considers necessary, and should include appropriate conservation measures and an assessment of the impact of cleaning methods on the stone;

-       the area is an archaeological site, and investigative works must therefore be carried out in the presence of an archaeologist;

-       the site of the monument shall be open and accessible to the public, and may be used for educational and cultural purposes;

-       the dumping of waste is prohibited.

The Government of Republika Srpska shall be responsible in particular for ensuring that the following protection measures are carried out:

-       conducting a geodetic survey of the National Monument;

-       producing a project for the repair, restoration and conservation of the National Monument, with a preliminary survey of its current condition in order to determine the type and extent of threats to the site and damage to the monuments;

-       producing a programme for the routine maintenance of the monument.

IV

All movable artefacts found during the course of the archaeological survey shall be deposited in the nearest museum able to provide the necessary personnel, material and technical conditions or in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, catalogued, and suitably presented.    

All movable and immovable archaeological material found during the course of the archaeological investigations shall be professionally catalogued.

Upon completion of the archaeological works the archaeologist leading the investigations shall submit a report to the Commission and to the institution that conducted the investigations.

The archaeologist leading the investigations must have access to all the movable and immovable archaeological material found during the course of the investigations and until his/her report is completed, for a period not exceeding three years.

All immovable finds shall be conserved in situ as the archaeological investigations proceed, and the movable archaeological material shall be conserved and placed for safe keeping in a suitable storage facility.

Upon receipt of a report on the investigations conducted, the Commission shall identify which movable artefacts shall be subject to protection measures to be determined by the Commission.

The removal of the movable artefacts referred to in para. 1 of this Clause from Bosnia and Herzegovina is prohibited.

By way of exception to the provisions of para. 7 of this Clause, the temporary removal from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the movable artefacts for the purposes of display or conservation shall be permitted if the leader of the investigations determines that a given artefact must be catalogued abroad, and provides evidence to that effect to the Commission, which may permit the temporary removal of the artefact from the country subject to detailed conditions for its export, treatment while out of the country and return to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

V

All executive and area development planning acts are hereby revoked to the extent that they are not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision.

VI

            Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of the 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 Ministry responsible for regional planning in the Republika Srpska and the heritage protection authority of the Republika Srpska, 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.kons.gov.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

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, Martin Cherry, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović and Ljiljana Ševo.

No: 05.2-2.3-73/12-33

6 November 2012

Sarajevo

Chair of the Commission

Ljiljana Ševo

E l u c i d a t i o n

I – INTRODUCTION

Pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on 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.

On 30 December 2009 Senad Kuč, history teacher and employee of the Sarajevo Museum at the Despić House, submitted a proposal/petition to designate the necropolis of stećaks at Crnač in Vojkovići, East Ilidža, as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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.

Statement of Significance

Historical facts relating to the territory ruled by the Pavlović family suggest that the Crnač necropolis fell within their lands in Vrhbosna and Tilava counties. Reference works record that the remains of Roman building material from a Roman building have been found on the site. The site also contains a necropolis with stećak tombstones, 51 chest-shaped and three gabled or sarcophagus-shaped. The graves with stećaks form three groups, lying southwest-northeast, west-east and northwest-southeast. They are undecorated, but gabled tombstone no. 6 bears an epitaph on the “roof”, reading † “Here lies Vogčinь (Bogčinь), son of prince Stipko U[garьč]ić, on his noble land. Friend, pity me. I departed this life young, and was my mother’s only [son]. Written by Ugarakь.”

The necropolis dates from the mid 14th to the latter half of the 15th century.

II – PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE

In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:

-       details of the current condition and use of the property, including a description, architectural survey and photographs

-       an inspection of the current state of the property

-       a copy of the cadastral plan

-       a copy of the Land Register entry

-       historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision

Pursuant to Article V para. 2 of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 37 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission, before rendering a final decision designating a property as a national monument, the Commission is required to provide the owner of the proposed monument, the person submitting the petition, the institutions responsible for heritage, professional and academic institutions, experts and scholars, as well as other interested parties, to express their views. The Commission received the petition on 30 December 2009.

Accordingly, the Commission issued the following letters:

-       letter ref. 05.2-35.2-5/12-161 dated 4 September 2012 requesting documentation and views on the designation of the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač in Vojkovići, East Ilidža Municipality as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina to East Ilidža Municipality (Mayor), Department responsible for urbanism and cadastral affairs, the Ministry of Regional Planning, Construction and the Environment of Republika Srpska, the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska, the Institute for the Protection of Monuments under the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, the National Museum in Sarajevo, the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo, and the Sarajevo Museum.

-       letter ref. 05.2-35.2-19/12-31 of 4 September 2012, supplying East Ilidža Municipality, department responsible for urbanism and cadastral affairs, with a Public Invitation to the Owner(s) of the land on which the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač is located, with a view to obtaining their views, remarks and suggestions in writing concerning the designation of the property as a national monument.

-       letter 05.2-35.1-11/12-102 of 18 September 2012 to the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights, Banja Luka, East Ilidža branch, requesting cadastral and Land Register details for the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač in Vojkovići, East Ilidža Municipality.

-       letter 05.2-35.1-11/12-111 of 9 October 2012 to the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights, Banja Luka, East Ilidža branch, confirming that the fee of 35.00 KM for supplying a copy of the cadastral plan and title deed for plot not. 1839 c.m. Butmir had been paid.

-       letter 05.2-35.1-11/12-116 of 15 October 2012 to the Land Registry office of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, requesting a copy of the Land Register entry for c.p. 1839 (new survey), corresponding to c.p. 154/1 and 155 (old survey), c.m. Gornji Butmir, East Ilidža Municipality.

In response, the Commission has received the following documentation:

-       letter ref. 07-40-4-5148-1/12 of 10 September 2012 from the Institute for the Protection of Monuments under the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, supplying the Commission to Preserve National Monuments with details of the record and statutory protection status of the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač in Donji Kotorac, Ilidža, Sarajevo.

-       letter ref. 21.63/952.1-3-166/12 of 3 October 2012 from the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights Banja Luka, East Ilidža branch, enclosing a ruling requesting the Commission to pay a fee of 35.00 KM to cover costs and remuneration for survey and use of cadastral details and Land Register details for the property in question.

-       letter ref. 21.63-952.1-1-208/2012 of 3 October 2012 from the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights Banja Luka, East Ilidža branch, supplying the Commission with cadastral details, a copy of cadastral plan no. L. D Sarajevo-53 for c.p. 1839 (new survey), 154/1, 155 (old survey), and copy of title deed no. 661/2, cm. Butmir, East Ilidža Municipality.

-       letter ref. 1078/-1/12 of 18 October 2012 from the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo supplying the Commission with details of the statutory protection, history and significance of the property, the value accorded to it and its stylistic features, with photographs.

-       letter ref. 065-0-Rz-11-4499 of 5 November 2012 from the Municipal Court in Sarajevo supplying the Commission with Land Register entry no. 8051 for plot nos. 154/1 and 155, c.m. SP Gornji Butmir.

The findings based on a review of the above documentation and the condition of the site are as follows

1. Details of the property

Location

The villages of Gornji and Donji Kotorac are located to the left and right of the M 18 E 762 Sarajevo to Trnovo road, about 800 m as the crow flies south-east of the East Ilidža council building. At a distance of 1260 m from the intersection of the Bjelopolje road and the M 18, E 762 Sarajevo to Trnovo road, a side road branches off to the right leading to Aerodromska Street. The right-hand branch of this street leads to the centre of Donji Kotorac, and the left-hand to the River Željeznica. The necropolis with stećaks known in reference works as Crnač is about 100 m from the crossroads.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot no. 1839 (new survey), corresponding to c.p. nos. 154/1 and 155 (old survey), title deed no. 661/2, Land Register entry no. 8051, cadastral municipality Gornji Butmir, and c.p. nos. 1253 and 1257/1 (new survey), c.m. Vojkovići, corresponding to c.p. 154/2 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 3709, c.m. Gornji Butmir, Municipality East Ilidža, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Historical information

The area around Sarajevo was already inhabited in prehistoric times, as evidenced by a number of sites, among them Butmir, Soukbunar, Zlatište and Debelo Brdo. Of these the most noteworthy is the Neolithic Butmir culture(1).

From the late Bronze Age (mid 9th to mid 8th century BCE) to the Roman conquest in 9 CE, the upper Bosna and Vrbas valleys were home to a single coherent cultural group (the Central Bosnian cultural group), which extended eastwards to Mt Romanija and westwards to Jajce. Written sources dating from the Roman period reveal that this was the tribal territory of the Daesitiates, a politically active tribe in the early years of the modern era, with its main stronghold in the area of present-day Breza. The tombstone of a tribal elder (princeps Daesitiatum) has been found in the Breza area, and this was also probably the end of the road “a Salona ad He . . , castellum Daesitiatum,” built in 20/21 CE(2).

A feature of the Roman period was the development of urban settlements, emerging from the conjuncture of two branches of the economy – mining and healing springs. It was thus that the colonia of Aquae S(ulphureae) came into being in the Sarajevo area(3).

In early mediaeval times the župa (county) of Vrhbosna was formed in the Sarajevo and Visoko poljes, covering the region from the upper course of the river Bosna and the valleys of its tributaries the Miljacka, Željeznica and Zujevina(4). The county was ruled at that stage by the ban or king of Bosnia. Later, however, the county was broken up into smaller counties as large feudal districts took shape within the Kingdom of Bosnia. Most of Vrhbosna county belonged to the Pavlović family, with the king retaining the area around the River Zujevina (the present-day Hadžići area). The disintegration of the county accelerated in the late 14th century, with the consolidation of the smaller counties. The centre of the earlier county retained the name, with the newly-formed ones named after the forts and market towns that became their respective centres. The old Vrhbosna county now consisted of the reduced Vrhbosna county, Gradčac-Smučka county, Mokro-Glasinac county and Pale county. Gradčac remained in the Crown Lands, while the other three lay within the Pavlović lands. This arrangement was retained throughout the first half of the 15th century, with just one change, in 1435/36, when the Kosačas, with the help of the Ottomans, temporarily ruled much of Vrhbosna county, including the county town with Hodidjed fort. The Kosača incursion into the River Bosna area was through present-day Trnovo into the River Željeznica valley(5).

The facts relating to the territory ruled by the Pavlović family suggest that the Crnač necropolis fell within their lands in Vrhbosna and Tilava counties, suggesting that the necropolis dates from the mid 14th to the latter half of the 15th century. This is corroborated by the epitaph on one of the stećaks which, according to the authorities that have studied it, dates from the first half of the 15th century(6).

2. Description of the property

The wider Sarajevo area, including Ilidža, has 37 burial grounds with stećaks recorded in 22 settlements, including the burial ground at Crnač, with 59 graves with stećaks (53 chest-shaped and 6 gabled or sarcophagus-shaped)(7).

Crnač is at an altitude of 520 m, at 43° 48.385'N 18° 20.667'E(8). Reference works state that the remains of Roman building materials from a Roman building have been found at the site(9). These were not observed during the present survey of the stećaks, but should not be overlooked in any future investigations. The necropolis is overgrown with ground plants and brambles, and the stećaks are partly or entirely sunken and covered with moss. The left branch of Aerodromska Street crosses the eastern part of the necropolis.

The necropolis at Crnač was found to contain 54 graves with stećaks(10), 51 chest-shaped and three gabled or sarcophagus shaped. They form three groups, lying west-east and southwest-northeast. The stećaks are undecorated. The roof pane of gabled stećak no. 6 bears an epitaph showing that it marks the grave of Bogčin, only son of prince Stipko Ugarčić "on his noble land," and that the epitaph was written by Ugarak.

Condition of the stećaks

Stećak no. 1. – chest, undecorated, partly sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 230x122x42 cm.

Stećak no. 2. – chest, undecorated, damaged – part of the stećak broken off, covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 140x154x92 cm.

Stećak no. 3. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 160x95x48 cm.

Stećak no. 4. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 242x140x56 cm.

Stećak no. 5. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 204x154x47 cm.

Stećak no. 6. – gabled, undecorated, but with epitaph, sunken to roof height, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 248x138x62 cm.

The south-east side of the roof pane bears the following epitaph

1. † a se leži bogčinь kьneza stipka uga-

rьč]ića

2. sinь na sьboѣoi zem-

Li na plemenitoi

3. družio žalite me

Mladь si sega sbita

4. otidohь a edьnь bihь

U maike

5. a se pisa ugarakь

“Here lies Vogčinь (Bogčinь), son of prince Stipko U[garьč]ić, on his noble land. Friend, pity me. I departed this life young, and was my mother’s only [son]. Written by Ugarakь.”(11)

Stećak no. 7. – chest, undecorated, sunken, damaged and covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 188x150x46 cm.

Stećak no. 8. – chest, undecorated, leaning to the south-east and sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 288x150x100 cm.

Stećak no. 9. – chest, undecorated, partly sunken, covered with dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 302x178x111 cm.

Stećak no. 10. – chest, undecorated, partly sunken, covered with dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 245x162x55 cm.

Stećak no. 11. – chest, undecorated, broken in half, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the south-west half of the stećak measures 150x102x129 cm; the north-east half of the stećak measures 90x102x129 cm.

Stećak no. 12. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 256x140x44 cm.

Stećak no. 13. – gabled undecorated, damaged, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 156x70x74 cm.

Stećak no. 14. – chest, undecorated, leaning to the south-east and sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 194x84x97 cm.

Stećak no. 15. – gabled with plinth, undecorated, sunken to plinth height, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 204x92x122 cm; the visible width of the plinth is 144 cm.

Stećak no. 16. – chest, undecorated, overturned onto its north-west side and probably moved from its original position when the road was laid, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 222x118x97 cm.

Stećak no. 17. – chest, undecorated, sunken, part broken off the south-west end, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 170x119x42 cm.

Stećak no. 18. – chest, undecorated, sunken, visible part covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 170x92x12 cm.

Stećak no. 19. – chest, undecorated, earth piled up on the north-west side, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 155x55x19 cm.

Stećak no. 20. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 160x108x22 cm.

Stećak no. 21. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 170x67x22 cm.

Stećak no. 22. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 137 cm long x68x22 cm.

Stećak no. 23. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with topsoil, lying southwest-northeast.

Stećak no. 24. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 198x98x35 cm.

Stećak no. 25. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 218x118x47 cm.

Stećak no. 26. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 160x65x16 cm.

Stećak no. 27. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil and sunken, covered with moss and lichen, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 200x100x3 cm.

Stećak no. 28. – chest, undecorated covered with topsoil and sunken, covered with moss and lichen, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 168x78x18 cm.

Stećak no. 29. – chest, undecorated, overgrown with brambles, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 190x104x36 cm.

Stećak no. 30. – chest, undecorated, overgrown with brambles, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 160x50x50 cm.

Stećak no. 31. – chest, undecorated, overgrown with brambles and sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 110x86x45 cm.

Stećak no. 32. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast.

Stećak no. 33. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 203x80x20 cm.

Stećak no. 34. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 200x77x40 cm.

Stećak no. 35. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 190x95x13 cm.

Stećak no. 36. – chest, undecorated, leaning to the east, covered with lichen and moss, lying north-south; the stećak measures 200x54x24 cm.

Stećak no. 37. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 160x70x20 cm.

Stećak no. 38. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 200x86x40 cm.

Stećak no. 39. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil and dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 210x104x26 cm.

Stećak no. 40. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil and dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 210x97x36 cm.

Stećak no. 41. – chest, undecorated, covered with topsoil and dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 188x117x40 cm.

Stećak no. 42. – chest, undecorated, leaning to the south, covered with topsoil and dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 236x130x45 cm.

Stećak no. 43. – chest, undecorated, leaning to the north, covered with topsoil and dry leaves, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 215x80x80 cm.

Stećak no. 44. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 195x89x40 cm.

Stećak no. 45. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 177x80x55 cm.

Stećak no. 46. – chest, undecorated, covered with earth and grass, visible part covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 195x110x20 cm.

Stećak no. 47. – chest, undecorated, covered with earth and grass, visible part covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 190x100x22 cm.

Stećak no. 48. – chest, undecorated, completely sunken, lying northwest-south-east.

Stećak no. 49. – chest, undecorated, sunken, overgrown with grass, covered with moss and lichen, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 175x70x5 cm.

Stećak no. 50. – chest, undecorated, partly covered with scattered earth visible part covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 234x170x5 cm.

Stećak no. 51. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying northwest-southeast; the stećak measures 170 cm long x 75 cm wide.

Stećak no. 52. – chest, undecorated, sunken, covered with lichen and moss, lying southwest-northeast; the stećak measures 120x60x5 cm.

Stećak no. 53. – chest, completely sunken, overgrown with grass, covered with moss and lichen.

Stećak no. 54. – chest, undecorated, covered with lichen and moss, lying west-east; the stećak measures 180x96x46 cm.

3. Legal status to date

During the procedure prior to the adoption of a final decision on designation, the records of protection of the property were inspected, and the findings are as follows:

The Regional Plan for BiH to 2000 lists six sites of necropolises with stećci (a total of 332 stećci) in Ilidža Municipality as Category III monuments, without identifying them in detail(12).

A letter from the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage, Sarajevo, ref. 07-40-4-5148-1/12 of 10 September 2012, states that the property is listed as follows:

Crnač, Donji Kotorac, Ilidža, Sarajevo.

Roman building and mediaeval necropolis at Crnač, next to the old aerodrome at Butmirsko polje, necropolis with 59 stećaks.

Late mediaeval.

Roman building, i.e. remains of building materials, located in the necropolis of stećaks.

The property was not inscribed in the Register of Cultural Monuments of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Letter ref. 1078/-1/12 of 18 October 2012 from the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo states that the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač has the legal status of a cultural monument pursuant to Ruling no. VMA-495/11 of 28 August 1977, rendered by the Sarajevo City Institute for the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Monuments

The property is on the list of recorded and previously protected immovable cultural monuments and natural heritage of Sarajevo Canton, compiled by the Sarajevo Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, under serial no. 9103036Z-5.

4. Research and conservation and restoration works

Research consisting of recording the stećaks was conducted by Šefik Bešlagić, and published in 1971. The inscription was studied by Ć. Truhelka and published in 1895, and by M. Vego, who published in 1970.

5. Current condition of the property

The findings of on-site inspections on 24 September and 3 October 2012 are as follows:

-       the site of the necropolis becomes overgrown with grass, brambles and ground plants with the resumption of plant growth

-       in all 54 stećaks were recorded, forming three groups, some partly or entirely sunken. The lie of the land suggests that there could be more of them

-       the stećaks are at risk of rapid deterioration from neglect

-       the stećaks are covered to a greater or lesser extent with plant organisms (lichen and moss) which are breaking down the structure of the stone

-       the sunken stećaks could not be measured

6. Specific risks

-       deterioration of the site as a result of long-term neglect

-       adverse effects of the elements

-       self-sown vegetation

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.v.      value of details

D.         Clarity (documentary, scientific and educational value)

D.i.       material evidence of a lesser known historical era

E.         Symbolic value

E.ii.      religious value

E.iii.      traditional value

E.v.      significance for the identity of a group of people

G.         Authenticity

G.i.       form and design

G.ii.      material and content

G.iii.     use and function

G.iv.     traditions and techniques

G.v.      location and setting

The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:

-       Ownership documentation

-         letter ref. 21.63-952.1-1-208/2012 of 3 October 2012 from the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights Banja Luka, East Ilidža branch, supplying the Commission with cadastral details, a copy of cadastral plan no. L. D Sarajevo-53 for c.p. 1839 (new survey), 154/1, 155 (old survey), and copy of title deed no. 661/2, cm. Butmir, East Ilidža Municipality

-         letter ref. 065-0-Rz-11-4499 of 5 November 2012 from the Municipal Court in Sarajevo supplying the Commission with Land Register entry no. 8051 for plot nos. 154/1 and 155, c.m. SP Gornji Butmir.

-       Documentation on previous protection of the property

-         letter ref. 07-40-4-5148-1/12 of 10 September 2012 from the Institute for the Protection of Monuments under the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, supplying the Commission to Preserve National Monuments with details of the record and statutory protection status of the necropolis with stećaks at Crnač in Donji Kotorac, Ilidža, Sarajevo

-         letter ref. 1078/-1/12 of 18 October 2012 from the Cantonal Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Sarajevo supplying the Commission with details of the statutory protection, history and significance of the property, the value accorded to it and its stylistic features, with photographs.

-       Photodocumentation

-         photographs of the property taken on 24 September 2012 by historian Zijad Halilović using Canon EOS 450D digital camera.

-       Technical documentation

-         Survey of the property (plan of the necropolis, survey of the monuments) measured and surveyed on 24 September and 3 October 2012 by Zijad Halilović, staff specialist for archaeology, and Milka Grujić, freelance associate.

Bibliography

During the procedure to designate the monument as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted:

1896.    Truhelka, Ćiro. “Sredovjeki natpis u Kotorcu” (A mediaeval epitaph in Kotorac). Sarajevo: GZM, 1896, 217, 218.

1970.    Vego, Marko. Zbornik srednjovjekovnih natpisa Bosne i Hercegovine (Collected mediaeval inscriptions and epitaphs of BiH). Sarajevo: National Museum, 1970.

1971.    Bešlagić, Šefik. Stećci, kataloško-topografski pregled (Stećak tombstones, a catalogue-cum-topographical survey). Sarajevo: 1971, 177.

1973.    Anđelić, Pavao. Bobovac i Kraljeva Sutjeska (Stolna mjesta bosanskih vladara u XIV i XV vijeku) (Bobovac and Kraljeva Sutjeska [capitals of the Bosnian rulers in the 14th and 15th centuries). Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1973, 222, 223.

1980.    Various authors. Prostorni plan Bosne i Hercegovine, faza b – valorizacija, prirodne i kulturno-historijske vrijednosti. Sarajevo: Institut za arhitekturu, urbanizam i prostorno planiranje Arhitektonskog fakultet u Sarajevu i Urbanistički zavod za Bosnu i Hercegovinu Sarajevo (Regional plan for BiH phase B – valorization of natural and cultural assets), Institute of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning, Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, and Planning Institute for BiH, Sarajevo), 1980.

1985.    Skarić, Vladislav. Sarajevo i njegova okolina od najstarijih vremena do austrougarske okupacije. Sarajevo: Izabrana djela, knj. I (Sarajevo and environs from ancient times to the Austro-Hungarian occupation. Selected Works, vol. 1), 1985, 37-42.

1988.    Arheološki leksikon (Archaeology lexicon), vol. I. Sarajevo: Zemaljski muzej Bosne i Hercegovine, 1988, 42.

1997.    Mušeta Ašćerić, Vesna. “Srednjovjekovna naselja na mjestu današnjeg Sarajeva u Prilozima istoriji Sarajeva” (Mediaeval settlements in present-day Sarajevo in Contributions to the history of Sarajevo). Sarajevo: papers from symposium “Pola milenija Sarajeva” (Half a millennium of Sarajevo), held from 19 to 21 March 1993. Institut za istoriju i Orijentalni institut, 1997, 36.

2005.    Mušeta Ašćerić, Vesna. Sarajevo i njegova okolina u XV stoljeću. Između istoka i zapada (Sarajevo and its Environs in the 15th Century. Between East and West). Sarajevo: 2005, 16-19 + map of counties in the Sarajevo area in the first half of the 15th century.

www.google earth.com (11 October 2012)

(1) Skarić, Vladislav, Sarajevo i njegova okolina od najstarijih vremena do austrougarske okupacije, Sarajevo: Izabrana djela, knj. I, 1985, 37-42.

(2) Anđelić, Pavao, Bobovac i Kraljeva Sutjeska (Stolna mjesta bosanskih vladara u XIV i XV vijeku), Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1973, 222.

(3) Anđelić, Pavao, Ibidem, Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1973, 222, 223.

(4) Mušeta-Aščerić, Vesna, “Srednjovjekovna naselja na mjestu današnjeg Sarajeva,” u Prilozima istoriji Sarajeva, Sarajevo: Radovi sa naučnog simpozijuma «Pola milenija Sarajeva» održanog od 19. do 21 marta 1993. godine, Institut za istoriju i Orijentalni institut, 1997, 36.

(5) Mušeta-Aščerić, Vesna, Sarajevo i njegova okolina u XV stoljeću, između zapada i istoka, Sarajevo: Sarajevo Publishing, 2005, 16–19. + Karta – Župe sarajevskog područja u prvoj polovini XV stoljeća.

(6) Vego, Marko, Zbornik srednjovjekovnih natpisa Bosne i Hercegovine IV, Sarajevo: Izdanje Zemaljskog muzeja Sarajevo, 1970, 12, 13; Truhelka, Ćiro, “Sredovjeki natpis u Kotorcu,” Sarajevo: GZM, 1896, 217, 218.

(7) Bešlagić, Šefik, Stećci, kataloško-topografski pregled, Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1971, 173-177.

(8) www.google earth.com (11 October 2012)

(9) Arheološki leksikon Bosne i Hercegovine, Tom III, Sarajevo: Zemaljski muzej Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo, 1988, 42.

(10) In the Arheološki leksikon and Š. Bešlagić the number of stećaks is stated to be 59; Arheološki leksikon Bosne i Hercegovine, Tom III, 1988, 42; Bešlagić, Šefik, Stećci, 1971, 177.

(11) Vego, Marko, Zbornik srednjovjekovnih natpisa Bosne i Hercegovine IV, Sarajevo: Izdanje Zemaljskog muzeja Sarajevo, 1970, 13.

(12) Various authors, Prostorni plan Bosne i Hercegovine, faza b – valorizacija, prirodne i kulturno-historijske vrijednosti, Sarajevo: Institut za arhitekturu, urbanizam i prostorno planiranje Arhitektonskog fakultet u Sarajevu i Urbanistički zavod za Bosnu i Hercegovinu Sarajevo, 1980, 51.