Bosnia and Herzegovina - The natural and architectural ensemble of Blagaj

The earliest reference to Podblagaj dates from 1447. The settlement was located at the foot of the Blagaj fort, where the road runs down from the fort and intersects with the Nevesinje road. There was too little trade for a commercial centre to emerge. In an agricultural environment of this kind the circumstances were not such as to give rise to an urban settlement, let alone its subsequent development. The urbanization of the settlement of Blagaj as we now know it was defined in the Ottoman period, during the second half of the 15th century, and its structure took shape during the 16th century. The mediaeval fortress of Blagaj (Stjepan grad) is constantly referred to in the sources as a distinct territorial entity. It was during the Ottoman period that building activity began to develop in the outskirts of the fortress, with the erection of houses and of public edifices, with the most important buildings located along the three watercourses: Suhi potok (brook) in Harman, Suhi potok in Galičići, and the river Buna, or more exactly the road above it. The centre was occupied by the čaršija, the trade and crafts centre of the settlement, the mosque complex with its harem and mekteb, and the han. The residential area took shape typologically as urban quarters or mahalas, with buildings facing inwards onto their courtyards, and rural areas with the buildings facing outwards. Residential complexes came into being, evidence of a high standard of living; the complex of the Velagić house is one of the most valuable groups of this type in Herzegovina.