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Medieval Slavic Cemetery

A scattered cemetery of medieval tombstones, each carved with indivdual patterns and scenes, overlooking a bright blue lake.

Novakovići, Montenegro

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Harry Nevard
The Stecci Cemetery   HarryN (Atlas Obscura User)
A tombstone with a carving of a deer and a circular pattern.   HarryN (Atlas Obscura User)
A tombstone with a cross   HarryN (Atlas Obscura User)
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What may at first appear to be a mess of scattered rocks is in fact a medieval necropolis. Nestled on the grassy steppes below the Drumitor mountains, many of the stecci (tombstones) have weathered this windy and rugged eniroment well over the past few centuries. One of the stones is decorated with a carving of a deer while others display brilliant, though fading patterns. Just beyond the litter of limestone graves is the shining blue reservoir of Riblje jezero.

Although these types of tombstones are found primarily across Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is one of the few examples left within the present-day borders of Montenegro. These stecci were most likely reserved for members of the local feudal aristocracy in the 14th and 15th centuries.

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Necropolis Medieval Burial Places Graveyards Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

The cemetery is only a short detour from the main P5 road to Žabljak. There is a small layby for parking nearby but you can also park at either of the two reservoir.

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HarryN

Published

October 17, 2024

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