Radimlja
The necropolis on Radimlja is the best known site in Herzegovina containing stećci, the medieval tomb stones. It is located 3 km west of Stolac, along the Stolac – Čapljina road, in Vidovo polje, near Paprati village.
The necropolis is among the most valuable monuments of the medieval period in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The characteristics underlining its value are: large number of samples, variety and representativeness of all basic forms, relatively high artistic quality of work, variety of plastic ornaments, reliefs and titles mentioning historical personalities, as well as its availability and location.
The necropolis includes 133 stećci, and 63 of them are ornamented. Around 30 % of them are board-shaped, 25 % box-shaped and 25 % box-shaped with a supporting structure (which means that stećci are one or two specially shaped and connected elements). There are also three stone crosses, one of them standing out at the necropolis. The stećci are oriented towards east-west and located in a field surrounded by a rock massive that has the same direction as the Dinarides.
The stećci at the location itself are thickly distributed and located immediately along the road. The necropolis on Radimlja is rich in ornamented stećci, there are as many as 63 of them. The characteristic motives of stećci of this necropolis are: architectural ornaments on all four sides of stećci, stylized crosses, human and animal figures, grapevine, hunting and weapon motives. The characteristic feature of this necropolis is a male figure with a raised arm and relatively big hand and fingers, as if indicating to the traveler that he or she will find welcoming and friendly people in this harsh and karstic Herzegovinian area.
On November 5, 2002, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a decision proclaiming the historic area – Radimlja stećci necropolis near Stolac, a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
