A traditional Bosnian house, owned by the Hamidović family in the village Džafići, municipality of Kalesija, has been defying time for more than three centuries. Due to the great care of family members, the house preserved its original appearance, and all the adaptations on this house were made in accordance with the architecture of that time.
The current owner of the house is Rasim Hamidović, in the time of our visit he told our team that during the three centuries many descendants were born in this house.
Subject of interest
– According to the data we collected, the house dates back to the 17th century. It was the main house and the village was further expanded from there. The first owner was Aljo Hamidović and he lived in the attic (čardak) of this house. According to the data we have, the roof on the house has been changed nine, while the storehouse or basement has never been changed. It remained original, made on the stone, from the Bosnian oak, very firm, steady. We fixed the top parts, because many of them were rotten – says Rasim, adding that the warehouse had various purposes from storing food to keeping livestock.
According to him, at least two families have always lived in the house since its creation, except in the period from the 80’s to the 90’s of the last century.
– We thought that the houses would be demolished for this reason, but after the last war we fixed it and moved back into it 12 years ago. This is a very important building in this region and has kept its originality as much as possible, and now it is the object of interest of people who are interested in antiques, both from Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond – says Rasim.
So far, a large number of people from abroad and B&H, including Nedžad Ibrišimović, has visited the house. In the house, there was a fireplace where a meal was cooked for numerous house members. The foundations of this house are made of stone and to this day they remained the same, ground floor has been made of clay, adobe bricks and wooden joints. The first floor had a wooden structure, and the roof was usually made of wood.
Today the house has an authentic outlook, and the interior is complemented by modern living elements, along with numerous antiques on the walls and shelves that Rasim diligently collects.
– Most of antiques are a legacy, and there are many people who understand the value of the house and the Bosnian tradition, so they bring old dishes or some other antiques – says Hamidović.
Art colonies
Due to its impressive authenticity, the art colonies are organized in the courtyard of this house.
– Artists from B&H and the world come and sometimes up to 50 artists come together, one year our guest was an artist from India. In addition to them, we invite young people who learn painting from the elderly. We provide artists with canvases, easels, colors and they do not need to wear anything except personal items. This year we plan to set up tents where artists will stay. The locals of this village have always welcomed all the guests and gave them sleeping houses, but you what artists are like, they like to socialize and talk. When we place them in houses, then they are separated and cannot socialize – says Rasim.
According to him, the colony lasts for two days and two nights, and on the first day there are literary evenings or films are being screened, and musicians from the area of northeast Bosnia gather.
– It’s a really nice gathering that brings together up to a thousand visitors. We prepare traditional Bosnian dishes for our guests, we organize a ride on the horses and we try to show them some old times – says Hamidović.
Rasim says they take care of children and young people who want to paint, thus he has made another, smaller Bosnian house intended for their activities. This house is open to all visitors, and those who want to see and feel the old days can rent a house for a few days.
