30 kilometers to the south of Mostar lay the fortress-like village of Počitelj on the left bank of the river Neretva. It came to be listred in the World Monuments Watch’s list of top 100 endangered cultural sites after it was heavily damaged during the Bosnian War of the nineties and the population mostly left. It is a state protected site now and offers quite a few cultural and historical sites for the visitors to marvel at.
Belonging to the Gavrankapetanović family, the Gavrankapetanović House is a marvelous example of the 16th century residential houses of Počitelj with a distinct difference between men’s and women’s rooms. It even housed famous artists like Vittorio Miele and many others while it acted as an artist’s colony from 1961 – 75.
The silo-shaped Kula Fort at the top of the hill provides a nice top view to visitors now, but it used to be a military outpost back in the day.
Šišman Ibrahim-pašina džamija (Hajji Alija Mosque)
The ancient mosque was built in 1563 and is often known as the Hajji Alija Mosque because he was the one who had built it. Before its final restoration in 2002, it was almost destroyed during the Bosnian War.
Sahat Kula simply means clock tower and that’s exactly what it is. The rectangular stone tower with a pyramid top is located just beside the Hajji Alija mosque and stands 16 meters tall. Fortunately, it still remains intact and unharmed till date.