The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at its 40th Session held in Istanbul, Turkey, adopted the decision to inscribe the Stećci-Medieval Tombstones Graveyards on the World Heritage List. By this decision, 28 necropolises with stećci, of which twenty are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, three in Serbia, three in Montenegro and two in Croatia, were inscribed on the World Heritage List as a serial transnational property.
A number of experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia spent six years working together on a joint project of the nomination of stećci for the inscription on the World Heritage List. All four countries have demonstrated their outstanding commitment to the joint nomination by establishing a continuous and consistent cooperation since 2009, when the Letter of Intent was signed, and the coordination mechanisms for preparing the nomination file, management plan, and joint expert work were established, which showed a shared commitment to the preservation and sustainable management of the necropolises with stećci for the benefit of present and future generations.
„After the turbulent events in the past of our region, the stećci have reunited us and proved that culture is above politics, that culture knows no boundaries and serves to build bridges among nations. I believe that we have once again shown through culture in which direction we need to move. I want to point out once again that the stećci occupy an exceptional place in the cultural policies of all four countries and that we are all together strongly committed to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage. We are happy and proud that we can further enrich the abundant treasury of cultural heritage of entire humanity with the beauty of our tombstones. I take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the protection and preservation of this unique cultural good, and enabled spreading knowledge about the beauty and exceptional value of the stećak phenomenon around the world“, said the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adil Osmanović, on this occasion.
