NECROPOLIS OF GRČKA GLAVICA

This site in the hamlet of Biskup (Nekropola Stećaka Grčka Glavica or Nekropola Biskup) is one of the twenty-two medieval necropolises in the country that were designated as Unesco World Heritage Sites in 2016. There are 172 stećci here spread over 1,400^m2 next to a ruined 12th-13th century chapel that belonged to the Sanković, a large local noble family that was a member of the Church of Bosnia. Only two stećci are decorated with rudimentary carved motifs (arcade, friezes and diagonal lines). Another bears an inscription written in the Bosančica (Cyrillic) alphabet indicating the name Goisava. This is Goisava Balšić, the second wife of Duke Radič Sanković. The latter participated in the victory of Bileća against the Ottomans (1388) and died in captivity in 1404 after trying to seize Ragusa (Dubrovnik). The necropolis is located on a small rocky hill bearing the name "Greek head" (Grčka Glavica). No ancient statues have been found here. This is an evocation of the prestige of classical Greece, which is found in various names of medieval necropolises in Bosnia. Together with other toponyms such as Divsko groblje ("cemetery of giants") or Mašete ("great stones"), it denotes the admiration of Bosnians for the stećci inherited from their ancestors. The necropolis here was later used as a cemetery by a Catholic family from Biskup. This hamlet - whose name means "bishop" - is also home to eleven other stećci in Gračani.