Mosque Fethija and Bell Tower of St. Anthony - Bihac Sacral Heritage

The almost eighth-century old town of Bihac has enough to keep all history lovers occupied exploring its interesting mixed heritage. The town center, which is also the old historic center of the town, still has preserved sights worthy of your attention. On this occasion we would like to draw your attention to two very old, sacral buildings that you can explore while enjoying a nice circular walk near the river.

Mosque Fethija

This extremely valuable example of Bihac’s historical and sacral heritage still preserves the contours and the structure of the original building - the Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua which was built back in 1266. The importance of this sacral building during the Medieval Period has been confirmed by the findings of nine plates with coats of arms of the Croatian nobility in the interior of the church. The preserved coats of arms are today stored in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

More than three centuries after its construction, Bihac was conquered by the Ottomans and the Church of St. Anthony of Padua gained a new sacral role, it became a mosque and was given a new name: Fethija - the Conquered; fortunately, the contours of the old Gothic building have been preserved, the church tower was demolished though, and the Oriental minaret was added, but right next to it still stands the original Gothic rosette.

To all tired of stories about who or what is more valuable, older, more important, better and more powerful (God forbid we added - more beautiful;) this sight of merged elements of the Western, Gothic style with Oriental motifs and forms will be a beautiful display of harmony in diversity and the perfect “target” to photograph.

Bell Tower of St. Anthony

The St. Anthony Church bell tower is the only remnant of the church whose construction lasted from 1885 to 1894, historians believe on the site of a much older medieval church in Bihac. The very impressive sacral building was built in the neo-Gothic style, and had a construction (gross) area exceeding 900 m2.

At the beginning of the Second World War, it changed its appearance from a neo-Gothic to a three-nave basilica with an apse; with its size and length the basilica was then ranked among the three largest Catholic churches in Bosnia, and certainly among the three most impressive historic buildings in Bihac. The Mosque Fethija and the Captain's Tower have managed to preserve their original contours, but the Church of St. Anthony was almost completely destroyed during an air strike in 1943 - only the tall bell tower remained. Until the 1960s, when they were forcibly removed by an unknown soldier, three bells were rung from the tower every day.

To this day, the bells have not been returned, but the bell tower still stands alone and resists the ravages of time, reminding people of town’s long and rich history. Perhaps the biggest consolation is that many lovers of antiquities and history gladly pick the old bell tower to be the focus of their camera lenses, with the hope of many that the bell tower will withstand till its restoration and welcome the return of three church bells that long marked the noon in the town by the River Una.

You can learn more about the turbulent past of these old buildings with the help of local guides and guided tours of the old town center where you will visit the medieval Captain's Tower and walls, the Ottoman Turbe and other attractions. In the end, you can further enrich the whole experience with a fine lunch in one of the nearby restaurants or with a slice of homemade pie and a refreshing beverage in one of the cafes by the beautiful River Una.

Mosque Fethija
Trg Reisa Džemaludina Čauševića, Bihac
phone: +387(0)61 742-590
e-mail: dzamijafethija@hotmail.com
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sun
6:00 - 19:00

Bell Tower of St. Anthony
Gazi Husrev-Begova, Bihać

Contacts for guides and further information:
Bihac Tourist Board
Bosanska 1, Bihac
(a newly established tourist board is ready to help with guides and tips)
phone: +387(0)37 963-456
e-mail: info@visitbihac.ba

Welcome!