Stećci, Medieval stećci tomb cemeteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia

Stećci are monolith tombstones carved between the second half of the 12th and the 16th century, most intensively in the 14th and 15th. The UNESCO listing covers 28 necropolises in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, with about 4,000 tombs. The stones vary in shape and carry reliefs, inscriptions and motifs; the Radimlja necropolis near Stolac is among the best known.

Carved between the second half of the 12th and the 16th century, with the most intensive production in the 14th and 15th centuries, the stećci were raised by all three medieval Christian communities: Orthodox, Catholic and the Bosnian Church, which lasted about three centuries until the second half of the 15th century. The four countries' joint nomination began in 2009 with 30 proposed sites; on 15 July 2016, at the UNESCO committee session in Istanbul, 28 necropolises were inscribed — 20 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 in Serbia, 3 in Montenegro and 2 in Croatia.

The stećci were used by three medieval Christian communities: the Orthodox, Catholic and Bosnian churches, which existed for about three centuries until the second half of the 15th century. This interconfessional use is one of the features that distinguish them within European medieval sepulchral art.

You can explore these necropolis sites on your own to see the detailed carvings up close on each stone. Most of these burial grounds are outdoors in natural settings, so wearing sturdy shoes and bringing protection from the weather will make your visit more comfortable.

The UNESCO listing covers 28 necropolises holding about 4,000 tombstones, chosen from more than 70,000 stećci recorded at some 3,300 sites. Twenty of these necropolises are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, three each in Serbia and Montenegro, and two in Croatia. The four countries submitted the joint nomination in 2009, and the committee inscribed it in 2016 at its session in Istanbul.