After the ghostly desolation during the winter, Počitelj has come to life these days. More and more tourists walk the alleys of the stone town, from Croatia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Norway and other countries.
“It’s magical, I don’t know what else to say. It’s my first time here and I’m really interested in the history of this city,” said Kirsten, a Norwegian tourist who traveled to Dubrovnik with her group, and Počitelj, Mostar and Međugorje are part of their tourist route.
Jadranka Dizdar, the president of the Počitelj Tourist Association, confirmed that the season has started earlier than in previous years.
“About a month and a half ago, the first concrete arrivals of tourists began, which are now in slightly greater numbers, probably because of the Easter holidays. However, we also receive smaller groups, especially from Croatia, as well as excursions. Also, an increasing number of local guests come on weekends. On the weekend, even when the weather is nice, it will be really nice”, Dizdar tells us.
However, for the umpteenth time, he points to the catastrophic state of numerous cultural and historical monuments in Počitelje. That terrible state was detected seven years ago, during their monitoring, by members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The famous Shishman Ibrahim Pasha madrasa is in the worst condition, which the earth seems to be swallowing more and more.
“We always turn to someone, but in vain. The city is neglected, starting from the garbage, to the street lights. We have addressed all competent federal ministries, as well as the City of Čapljina, but everywhere we encounter a wall. Here, in recent days, employees of the Federal Institute for the Protection of Monuments have been in Počitelj. I hope that they will stop politically “crossing” with us, because this goes on forever, from Sarajevo to Čapljina, and vice versa”, Dizdar tells us.
Source: akta.ba
