During a recent tour of the Visoko surroundings, in the village of Goduša, we encountered a sight that horrified us, as we have never seen anything like it before.
In a house built in the 70s or 80s of the last century, constructed and inhabited by the Malešević family, a large number of medieval tombstones were built into the structure, primarily in the basement and semi-basement rooms. The medieval tombstones are in the shape of chests, and several specimens are also located around the house itself. Some of these tombstones are of enormous dimensions, weighing several tons.
According to unofficial information from the field, the tombstones were allegedly transported from the nearby Grebljice necropolis, which is well-known and recorded. However, we were unable to find any publicly available data indicating that the incorporation of these medieval tombstones into the house was ever recorded by the Regional Museum in Visoko.
After the war, the house was purchased by Arab nationals, but they do not reside in it; currently, a man stays there with his livestock. We appeal to the Regional Museum in Visoko to monitor the condition of this devastated necropolis within the house, as the Arab investor plans to demolish the structure and build new facilities on this site. This monitoring is crucial so that these medieval tombstones can be moved in time from this location to a suitable tertiary site.
Incorporating medieval tombstones into private buildings is unacceptable. We must condemn such examples and speak openly about them, as our cultural heritage belongs to everyone and deserves respect.
We thank Mahir from Goduša for showing us this “unseen miracle”—a symbol of our primitivism and our relationship toward cultural heritage.
