The Dervish Monastery (or tekke) in Blagaj is located in an incredibly beautiful and picturesque part of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Set into a rocky cliff face, the tekke is located next to the Buna River, giving the whole area a feeling of tranquility.
The tekke complex is joined with two restaurant/cafes across the river by two bridges. The complex itself has a restaurant/café adjoining it, as well as a large gift store with souvenirs.
Despite divers searching for 800m, it is still unknown where the source of the Buna River is. The water is clean and 100% safe to drink!
The monastery building itself has several different rooms you can enter. As this is an Islamic sacred place, you will need to dress appropriately: long pants (for both men and women), and covered hair (just for women). The tekke has wraps and scarves available (for free) for visitors.
The tekke is famous as the burial place of Sari Salutk (a famous persona of the Ottoman empire during the end of the 13th-century) and Acik-basa. You can see their tombs (covered with green cloth) in the turbe—the structure built around the tomb.
Other rooms include the mejdan chamber (lecture room), the kitchen, the semahana (room for prayers), the musafir chamber (guest room), the hamam (Turkish bath), the cilla or halvet (for solitary contemplation), and the kahve-odzak (coffee room).
Right before the entrance to the tekke are stone steps leading to the water. There is a metal cup attached to the wall for drinking the clean river water—according to legend, if you make a wish and drink the water, your wish will come true!
The tekke costs 2€ entry, but you can see the building and river for free on the other side—just follow the path behind the restaurant. Blagaj is about 12km from nearby Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina. There is public transportation from Mostar to Blagaj (one of the yellow buses), but car/taxi will probably be the most efficient option. I went with a private shuttle through my hostel.
I absolutely loved by visit to this Dervish monastery in Blagaj. The setting is so serene, the water is delicious, and the tekke itself is a picture-perfect building surrounded by rock. Visiting Blagaj tekke is one thing you can’t miss in Bosnia & Herzegovina!
Have you ever visited a Dervish monastery or any tranquil religious place?
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