Počitelj, Čapljina
Počitelj () is historic village and an open-air museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Čapljina, in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The historic village is situated on the left bank of the river Neretva, on the main road Mostar-Metković, and it is about to the south of Mostar and about from the centre of Čapljina. History. The village is built in a natural karst amphitheatre along the Neretva river during the Middle Ages. The earliest mention of or recorded reference to Počitelj is in charters  of king Alfonso V and Fridrich III from 1444 to 1448. However, the village most likely predates these documents. The exact date can't be pinpointed but it is likely that fortified town along with its complementary settlements was built by Bosnian king Tvrtko I sometime in 1383. Počitelj was considered the administrative center and center of governance of "Župa Dubrava" (county), while its westernmost point gave it major strategic importance. During the years following Ottoman conquest of Bosnian realm, between 1464 and 1471, the town was fortified by Vladislav Herzegović with a support of Dubrovnik, king Matthias Corvinus of  Hungary and the Pope. From this point the walled town of Počitelj evolved in the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Architecturally, the stone-constructed parts of the town are a fortified complex, in which two stages of evolution are evident: medieval, and Ottoman. In the period between 1463–1471 the town housed a Hungarian garrison and was fortified into a strategic defence stronghold. In 1471, following a brief siege, the town was conquered by the Ottomans. It lost its strategic significance. It remained within the Ottoman Empire until 1878. From 1782 to 1879 Počitelj was the seat of  a"kadiluk" (area under the jurisdiction of a qadi, or judge) and the centre of the Počitelj military district from 1713 to 1835. The significance and the town's appearance has altered during the course of its history. As far as the development of Počitelj goes, three significant periods can be distinguished: After the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and started deteriorating rapidly. The population declined gradually. The loss of the town's strategic role assisted in the preservation of the original urban architectural ensemble, so that the town remained  in its original form to present day. The entire historic urban site of Počitelj and surrounding area suffered extensive collateral damage during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, it was heavily damaged by Croatian forces during the 1993 Bosnian War. Following the bombing, Počitelj's sixteenth-century master works of Islamic art and architecture were destroyed and a large part of the town's population was displaced. As proposed by the University of York, United Kingdom, and the University of Sarajevo, Počitelj was in 1996 named by the World Monuments Watch as one of the world's 100  most endangered cultural heritage sites. In the year 2000 the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government initiated the Programme of the permanent protection of Počitelj. The programme includes the protection of cultural heritage from deterioration, restoration of damaged and destroyed buildings, encouraging the return of the refugees and displaced persons to their homes and the long-term protection and revitalization of the Počitelj's historic urban area. The Programme is on-going. As of 2008, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) expressed concern over the proposed construction of a nearby highway, Corridor Vc. Initial plans include a 1,000 -meter long, 100-meter high bridge over the Neretva river. It is feared that the construction will result in a “physical, visual and ecological degradation and devastation of this cultural and historical unity and its authentic surroundings.” While a new potential location for the bridge crossing is being investigated, non-controversial sections are under construction. Demographics. As of the 2013 census, Počitelj had a population of 106 people less compared to the Yugoslav census that was conducted in 1991. The results of the 2013 census in Počitelj were as follows. Population Total: 799 Significance. Počitelj represents one of the few  urban ensembles in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were preserved in their integrity to the present times. It was also developed through the several phases of the history beginning with the medieval period. Its significant strategic role from the 13th to 17th century gave its inhabitants the power to build one of the most important, and best preserved ensembles within the city walls in the region. The town can be compared with some of the noted world heritage sites as the old towns of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ohrid (North Macedonia), Safranbolu (Turkey), Gjirokastër (Albania). Počitelj's layout and use of  building materials put it into the group of Ottoman-Mediterranean types of small settlements.