Stećak necropolis Radimlja
Radimlja is a stećak necropolis located near Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in Vidovo polje, 3 km west of Stolac, on the Čapljina-Stolac road. The Radimlja necropolis is one of the most valuable monuments of the medieval period in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is protected by UNESCO and designated as a part of the World Heritage List.
Radimlja stećak necropolis
Sign at the entrance to Radimlja
Image: 13st Radimlja
Image: Bosniangraves bosniska gravar februari 2007 stecak stecci 5
Stećak is the name for monumental medieval tombstones, that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found within the borders of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of 10,000 are found in what are today Croatia (4,400), Montenegro (3,500), and Serbia (2,100), at more than 3,300 odd sites with over 90% in poor condition. They are cut in a variety of recognizable stećak forms, with certain percentage being richly decorated and some individual stećci also containing inscriptions in form of epitaphs.
Although gable-shaped with a slab pedestal is not the most represented form of stećak (9%), they are usually the most elaborately and richly decorated ones.
Stećci at Radimlja necropolis
The sacral motif of deer is considered to be of Paleo-Balkan and pre-Christian origin.
Two stećci with motifs of kolo
