Another historically interesting but also important place that you can visit upon arrival in the city of Jajce are the CATACOMBS. Their mystique can also be felt through the breeze as you walk through this city. They are mysterious and exude a special spirituality.
What exactly are catacombs? The catacombs in the town of Jajce represent a Christian religious building in this case an underground church. They were built by order of the founder of the city of Jajce, Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić in the late XIX and early XX. century.
Their appearance is fascinating considering the time they come from. They are believed to be the work of Jajce stonemasons who built the entire underground complex in living stone or supported themselves with already existing caves. The catacombs in Jajce suggest a lot, but they seem to be a very important Christian temple. Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić himself wanted to transform them into a family tomb. The catacombs in Jajce have gone through many epochs and different times and cultures. During the Ottoman Empire, legends say that at that time a dervish was imprisoned in the catacombs for 40 days, considering the place sacred, so people declared him an awliya after leaving them. So they served for spiritual purification.
In the Austro-Hungarian period, due to the favorable temperature, traders used them for storing goods. During the Second World War, before the AVNOJ session, the entire Supreme Headquarters stayed on the plateau of the catacombs, and due to the unstable situation and frequent bombing, they hid in the catacombs themselves. The catacombs of Jajce have been declared a historical monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ticket price for the catacombs in Jajce
Regular ticket price: 4 KM
Reduced ticket price: 2 KM
Working hours of the catacombs in Jajce
The working hours of the Catacombs in the period from May to October are every day from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm.
In winter (from November to April) the working hours of the monument are every day from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm
Author of the article
Suada Kaplan - [email protected]
Photo credit: Samed Žužić - facebook page
