Blagaj Brings the Past to Life: Replica of Stone Judge’s Chair as a New Tourist Attraction

A replica of the stone judge’s chair from Kosor, organized by the Mostar City Tourist Board and the Toprak Association, was ceremonially unveiled on Friday, February 28, in front of the Blagaj Tourist Information Center.

“We are pleased to be able to present a replica of the stone judge’s chair from Kosor, which is an important symbol of our cultural and historical heritage. This event aims to revive and valorize local historical monuments that, although neglected, have great potential for tourism development,” said Elvira Dilberović, director of the Mostar City Tourist Board.

She pointed out that the stone chair, which once served as a place for public trials and a gathering place for juries, carries with it the rich history and tradition of our region, and with its replica they want to draw visitors’ attention to the importance that this space has in our cultural identity.

“This project is just part of a broader initiative by the Mostar City Tourist Board, which is continuously committed to preserving and improving the tourist offer of our region. In addition to this stone chair, we will soon present the newly equipped Tourist Information Center in Blagaj, which will be a place where all tourists will be able to obtain information and enjoy new content that will enrich their experience of staying in Mostar and the surrounding area,” she said Dilberović.

Sead Maslo, on behalf of the Toprak Association, stated that the stone chair, first of all, represents a significant example of the common cultural heritage of our peoples from the medieval past, which symbolizes one branch of government, the judiciary, and proves that there was sovereign power in Herzegovina as a symbol of statehood at that time.

‘‘The purpose of the project is to reaffirm and promote the native cultural heritage and contribute to the education of the general public, especially young people of school age, for a better understanding of the history of Blagaj and Herzegovina, and to contribute to the development of tourism by including the Stone Judge’s Chair in the tourist map of Blagaj and Mostar. The final result of the project is a replica of the original Stone Judge’s Chair, which was made and placed at this location of the Tourist Info Center in Blagaj, at the foot of the Herceg Stjepan hillfort, which will have educational and tourist significance,’’ said Maslo.

As a reminder, the chair from Kosor testifies to the rule of the nobles, among whom were the Sankovićs, and later the Kosačes, who ruled the area. According to folk tradition, Herceg Stjepan Kosača also sat and judged on this chair.

The initiative to create a replica of the Stone Chair was launched by the Toprak Association in 2019 with the consent of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project was supported by the Cantonal Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports HNK and the City of Mostar. The replica of the Stone Chair was made by academic sculptor Borivoje Žuža in 2024.