Pocitelj

Pocitelj is historic village and an open-air museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Čapljina, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The historic village is situated on the left bank of the river Neretva, on the main road Mostar-Metković, and it is about 30 kilometers to the south of Mostar and about 3 kilometers from the center of Čapljina. Počitelj has incredible views overlooking the village and river below if you’re willing to hike the stairs to the top. This beautiful cultural and historical site is featuring structures from the 15th century: The Gavrankapetanović house was named after and housed the captains of Počitelj, who belonged to the Gavrankapetanović family. It is a typical example of the residential architecture of the village. The house became the residence of an artists colony between 1961 and 1975, one of which was the Italian painter Vittorio Miele. This was the longest operating artist colony in Southeast Europe. During the Bosnian war, the house was set on fire. It was restored in its original state in 2003; The Šišman Ibrahim-pašina džamija or Hajji Alija mosque: built in 1563 by Hajji-Alija. It was repaired in the 17th century by Šišman Ibrahim Pasha. The locals gave the mosque afterward his name. The domed mosque is notable for its special acoustics. The mosque was restored in the 1970s but badly damaged during the Bosnian War in 1993. It was restored again in 2002; The Kula, a silo-shaped fort overlooking the village from the top of the hill; The Sahat Kula, a bell tower located closer to the river and at the south side of the old town.