MAK-DIZDAR HOUSE

Established in 1997, this lovely house-museum (Makova Hiža) continues the visit of Stolac on the theme of stećci after the medieval necropolises of Radimlja, Boljuni and Potkuk. It is dedicated to the Bosnian poet and writer Mak Dizdar (1917-1971), a native of Stolac, who made Bosnian medieval gravestones a central element of his work. He is one of the most important Bosnian authors of the 20th century (his portrait appears on the 10-mark convertible banknotes), but is little known abroad. Mak Dizdar has, however, been translated into French in a confidential manner, notably his collection of poems The Stone Sleeper (Kameni Spavač), published by the publishing house Le Pont, Zagreb, in 1970. In this work, the author draws inspiration from the stećci, their enigmatic figures and their messages in the Bosančica alphabet to delve into the roots of Bosnian history and deliver a message of peace and tolerance. This is the spirit that animates the pleasant Ottoman-style house dedicated to him here. Outside, the garden and courtyard are decorated with replicas of stećci, inscriptions in bosančica, a large kolo frieze (a dance in which participants do not hold hands) and a deer hunting scene. Inside, there is a reproduction of the poet's office in Sarajevo, part of his library, as well as a series of photographs, including many stećci. The house is run by the Mak-Dizdar Foundation, which organizes the Slovo Gorčina festival in Stolac in late July-early August.