Jajce Mithraeum
| Jajce Mithraeum | |
|---|---|
| Jajački mitrej | |
| Jajački Mithraeum | |
| [mapframe not available on SimWiki] Interactive map of Jajce Mithraeum | |
| 44°20′27″N 17°15′58″E / 44.3407623°N 17.2660339°E | |
| Type | Temple, sanctuary |
| Periods | Roman Imperial |
| Location | Mitrasova, Jajce 70101, 87R8+8C Jajce |
| Region | Central Bosnia Canton |
| History | |
| Built | early 4th century AD |
| Abandoned | Not known |
| Site notes | |
| Height | floor level is 2.80 metres (9.2 ft) below ground level |
| Length | around 7 metres (23 ft) |
| Width | less than 7 metres (23 ft) |
| Excavation dates | 1931 |
| Archaeologists | Dimitrije Sergejevski |
| Owner | Public |
| Public access | Limited |
The Jajce Mithraeum, or Jajački Mithraeum (Serbo-Croatian: Jajački mitrej) is a mithraeum, or temple of Mithraism. It was rediscovered in an archaeological dig in 1931 in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1][2][3]
History
Mithra was worshipped throughout the Roman era, from the late Republic to the later Imperial era. The cult of Mithraism spread from the Middle East to other parts of the Roman Empire throughout the Mediterranean basin, at first by military-political adventurers, travelers, slaves and merchants from the Orient. Later, Mithraism was spread by soldiers whose legions came into contact with the followers of the cult in the East.[4]
The temple dates back to the early 4th century, although it could be as ancient as the 2nd century with repairs undertaken during the early 4th century.
This particular Mithraeum is one of the best-preserved sites in Europe.
The Jajce site is a typical spelaea. Mithraism followers typically sought to set up their places of worship in caves. In the absence of such topographical features, they excavated the soil and built the small single-celled temple (spelaea) to reinforce the impression of a cave.[5]
Discovery and protection
The remains of the Mithraeum in Jajce were discovered accidentally during excavation for the construction of a private house in 1931.[1]
The site was purchased by the Society for the Preservation of Antiquities in Jajce and soon after a protective stone and mortar structure was constructed under the supervision of engineer F. Steiner. This structure was repaired in 1952 and survived until 2012 despite significant damage suffered during the Bosnian War.
A new facility replaced the previous one following the 2012 renovation, which cost approximately 260,000 KM (BAM) and was carried out under the MDG-F program "Promotion cultural understanding in Bosnia and Herzegovina" with the financial support of the Kingdom of Spain government.
The temple is now protected by a modern glass-walled steel-and-girder cage that allows visitors to see inside without entering. Visitors can enter with advance notice by contacting the Ethnological Museum of Jajce.
The Jajce Mithraeum is declared a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina,[1] and, including the old Jajce walled city core, the waterfall and other individual sites outside of the old city perimeter, as part of wider areal designated as The natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce, proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce is currently placed on the UNESCO Tentative list.[6][7]
See also
- List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Walled city of Jajce
- Konjic Mithraeum
- Golubić Mithraeum
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The historic (antique religious) monument of the Mithraeum in Jajce". old.kons.gov.ba (in English and bosanski). Commission to preserve national monuments. 12 January 2003. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ↑ Bojanovski, Ivo (1988). Bosna i Hercegovina u antičko doba (in bosanski and English). Akademija nauka i umjetnosti Bosne i Hercegovine. ISBN 9788671230193. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ↑ "Mithraeum of Jajce —". www.mithraeum.eu. The New Mithraeum. 2 Jun 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ↑ Basler, Đuro (1972). Arhitektura: kasnoantickog doba u Bosni i Hercegovini (in bosanski and hrvatski). Veselin Masleša. p. 65. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ↑ "Tauroctony of Jajce —". www.mithraeum.eu. The New Mithraeum. 26 Oct 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ↑ "The natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ↑ "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative Lists: Bosnia and Herzegovina". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
- CS1 bosanski-language sources (bs)
- CS1 hrvatski-language sources (hr)
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Articles containing Serbo-Croatian-language text
- Commons category link is locally defined
- National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Former religious buildings and structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Mithraea
- Religious buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century
- Religious buildings and structures completed in the 4th century
- Mithraism in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Roman era
- World Heritage Tentative List for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- History of Jajce
- Buildings and structures in Jajce