AJVATOVICA
Lost in a coniferous forest of the Prušačka Valley, at the foot of Mount Šuljaga, the sacred rock of Ajvatovica has been a symbol of the Bosnian identity for over five centuries. This is the largest Muslim pilgrimage place in Europe after the tekké Hala Sultan de Larnaka (Cyprus). Dominated by the summits of the Mala Šuljaga (1,229 m altitude, west) and Velika Šuljaga (1,517 m south-east) this beautiful natural site has a record peak in June. The rest of the year is a pleasant walk.
Legend and history - Ajvatovica owes his name to Ajvaz Dede («Venerable Ajvaz»), spiritual leader of a Sufi Brotherhood arrived in the region shortly after Jajce's Ottoman victory in 1468. In 1510, Ajvaz traveled to Prusac (then Akhisar, "the white city") and realized that the hamlet does not have enough water, a fundamental element of Islamic culture. It strands around the area looking for a source and eventually discover one at the foot of Mount Šuljaga. But it is blocked by a huge rock of 70 m height and 30 m wide. The legend wants Ajvaz to pray and after 40 days of invocations to Allah, the rock has opened up allowing the water to flow. The inhabitants see it as a miracle immediately. While they install a wooden aqueduct that allows the water to reach Prusac, they celebrate Ajvas as a saint. This is how Ajvatovica's pilgrimage was born, the 500 th anniversary of which was celebrated in 2010. If it has persisted in this way, some historians are taking part in the continuation of the rituals of the Christians of medieval Bosnia, particularly those linked to the cult of water celebrated in the region by the bogomhiles. In any case, Ajvatovica has imposed an alternative for most Bosnian Muslims too poor to go to Mecca. Anchored in the local tradition, however, pilgrimage was banned during the Socialist period. But he has come back with even more vigor since the end of the last war.
Pilgrimage - Again organized since 1990, it takes place every year, for 20 days in June. Ajvatovica welcomes thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world. With his dancers, his rider parade, his traditional Bosnian songs, his little carriageways installed on the roadside, pilgrimage takes a good look at a good-looking carnival where alcohol remains banned. June 26 is the most important day. That day from 3,000 to 5,000 men and women left Prusac Dawn to join Ajvatovica's amazing canyon, where old wooden pipes were reconstituted. Then, after a great collective prayer in the nearby clearing, pilgrims leave, always on foot, in the village. The party also serves as a forum for some Bosnian leaders who see it as an opportunity to highlight Islam in the Bosnian culture and also to reaffirm ties with Turkey. But since this tradition of Sufi origin is poorly viewed by Sunni extremists influenced by Wahhabism, the party is now under close police protection.