Blagaj or the Dervish House

On the way from Mostar to Neum, we made a detour to Blagaj to visit the Dervish House.

Next to a cave with running water in which, at a depth of 200 meters, the source of the river 'Buna' is located, the Turkish Sultan built a monastery for a Dervish order in the 16th century.

This served - and still serves today - the Dervishes to practice 'zikr', which means praising God.

When we explored it, at the end of a staircase that leads upwards, we came across a room that cannot be entered but only looked into: Two coffins dressed in velvet and carpets are standing inside. These are said to accommodate Shaik Acik Pasha and Sari-Saltu, two Dervishes of the Sufi order for which the house was built.

Despite the ban on the order in 1952, many Dervishes still come to the house to pray and perform rituals.

Personally (K), I felt very comfortable in this place. The house has a very peaceful and 'pure' atmosphere, and the woman at the entrance who tied the headscarf for me was very kind and warm. Unfortunately, the pomegranates on the other side of the Buna taste quite sour, but the idea of a pomegranate tree in my garden still lingers. :D