Blagaj tekke and Buna river spring

If you take a short 15-kilometer trip from the beautiful city of Mostar towards populated settlement Buna you will find one of the most picturesque sceneries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In case you haven’t visited this place already then you better do after reading this post.  Blagaj Tekke and Buna River spring must be on your to-visit list!

Blagaj Tekke is situated on a rock of the spring of the Buna River, a river known for having one of the strongest springs in Europe, and for its soft-lipped trout and eels. The monument can be found on the right-hand side of the spring surrounded by beautiful clean green waters and small waterfalls.

Buna river spring, Photo: Emir Selimović, Pixabay

When it comes to the history of this place, not a lot of data has been found. The first significant mention of the place was dating back to 1664.

It is known that Tekke was built on the site of a Bogomil sanctuary somewhere before 1520. and was used for religious purposes. At the time of the Ottoman Empire, this sanctuary was transferred into Tekke (an Islamic institution where dervishes (Sufis) gather, stay, and perform religious ceremonies).

Blagaj Tekke, Photo: Dragan Tomić, Pixabay

Besides its historical significance, Blagaj Tekke is also known for its legends. One talks about Sari Saltuk, a famous persona of the Ottoman Empire who was actually buried in this monument. The legend says that he left a will, which states, that once he dies, several different coffins should be buried in non-Muslim countries so no one can find his body.

The other legend talks about… you guessed it… a dragon. In order to keep the dragon satisfied, people would sacrifice a young beautiful woman once a year. When the time came for Milica, dervish Salih saved her and killed the dragon. Later, to honor this heroic battle, her father built a tekke for him.

Throughout the years, sadly, Blagaj Tekke suffered many rockfalls and was rebuilt many times, leaving stories to be told and investigated for many centuries.

Today, Tekke and Buna river spring attract more and more visitors from all around the world. Some come for sacral purposes, and some to enjoy nature and beautiful views from their restaurant.