Old Fort Visoki:

“Is there’s something rotten in Bosnia?”

Photo: passage outside the fortress; fortress wall corner and recently opened hole, detail.

Photographic Summary Report

old and new damages
April 2009

IPR GROUP © 2009

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Brief Recap

Visoko, a small trading town situated in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, exited out of international
oblivion in summer 2005 when Sam Semir Osmanagic, a Bosnian-born amateur archaeologist and pyramid
researcher, has announced to the world the discovery of Europe’s first pyramid complex. Like any other
revolutionary discovery in the field of science, also the Project of the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids has faced
ferocious opposition from orthodox archaeological circles. Controversy broke out.

One of the main pretexts project opponents have used to stop the excavation works at world’s highest
pyramid, the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun, was their fictitious concern that amateurish excavation methods
carried out by the Foundation APBPS would cause unrecoverable damage to Bosnia’s valuable sites, with
particular reference to Bosnia’s oldest medieval town, also known as Old Fort Visoki. It is worthy of notice that
the pyramid excavations were carried out hundred of meters away from the medieval town.

The scientific crusade to stop the excavation project of world’s highest pyramid involved national and foreign
experts in the field of Archaeology, complaisant journalists etc.
In 2007, BiH’s Commission To Preserve National Monuments used the same pretext to extend the protected
zone of Old Fort Visoki for 98 times in order to stop the excavations at Visocica Hill. The same year began the
so called “restoration work” of Bosnia’s oldest medieval town.
In 2008, due to amateurish and irresponsible restoration works carried out by the staff of Zemaljski Muzej from
Sarajevo, significant damages were caused to important sections of the old fortress.

Since my last article published in November 2008 the situation didn’t changed, on the contrary and
unfortunately, as everyone will be able to discover hereafter, the conditions of Old Fort Visoki have become
very worrisome. Fortress sections that endured for more than 600 years were seriously damaged by the harsh
Bosnian winter, while the fragile clay wall portions close to the cistern vanished forever.

My warnings about possible and imminent degradation of the clay walls around the cistern remained unheard
and ignored. None of the project opponents or so called “experts” responsible for the archaeological site has
raised his voice in front of this cultural tragedy. They have not moved a finger, nor anyone forwarded a
complaint to the staff of the Zemaljski Muzej, to The Commission to Preserve National Monuments, to BiH’s
Ministry of Culture and Sports or to the EAA (European Association of Archaeologists).

They all kept silence, so we should presume they consented to this cultural tragedy!?

Once again, we sadly discover that people who should take care of Bosnia’s Cultural Heritage have not
undertaken the minimum necessary to preserve and save important sections of the medieval fortress which
have been damaged last summer or to preserve undamaged ones during the winter period.

It would have been enough to cover the fragile wall structures of the fortress complex with some PVC shades
in order to protect them from the winter elements. What endured for more than 600 years, has been destroyed
by human stupidity and laziness in few months.

Apparently, no one of the archaeologists responsible for the preservation and conservation of the
archaeological site was concerned about the state of Visoko’s Royal Town.

An exam of conscience for everyone involved into the restoration project is due.

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 The Cistern A

Photo: cistern at Old Fort Visoki, Visoko, Bosnia & Herzegovina, April 2009

ANALYSIS OF DAMAGES

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 The Cistern B

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Photo: the scheme indicates the original height of the clay walls (1); as foreseen, none of the clay wall
portions has resisted the winter; they all vanished forever; three piles of sand is all that is left of them (1,2,3);
more stones have fallen from the cistern structure (4); the general condition of the cistern is very bad; more
damage due to weathering (ex. rainstorm) should be expected in the near future.

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 The Cistern C

Photo: space around the cistern from another perspective;

perspect and how the section looked like less than six moths
ago (photos below).

These photos now are the only valuable historical record we have of the clay walls that once stood behind the
cistern at Royal Town Visoki. May it serve as a reminder and admonition for future generations about the
stupidity of their fathers.

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 Outer Wall Basements

Photo above: shows a considerable enlargement of the preexisting hole in the wall basement caused by water
flow-down (1); photo below, another wall section exposed to risk of collapse; further rainstorm will surely
compromise the stability of both sections (more examples are presented hereafter).

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 Fortification Wall

CORNER

Photo: shows stones fallen due to weathering (wind, water-flow, frost etc.) from the basement of the oldest
wall in the medieval complex (1); on the right side is indicated the wall corner.

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 Tower Section

Photo: collapse damage on one of the tower sections caused by wind, frost (snow) and rain; the risk of further
rock and debris topple from the exposed structure (1) is highly probable; the integrity of the archaeological
strata (incl. unexcavated sections) has been seriously damaged and compromised; the complex changes of
texture, color and content of archaeological layers can be observed; it’s a crying shame.

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 Courtyard Wall A

Photo: damages are also visible on divisionary walls situated inside the courtyard; the deteriorations of the
structure due to weathering cannot remain unnoticed; it’s almost the same scenery in every section of the
medieval complex.

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 Courtyard Wall B

Photo: from another angle the collapse of the wall structure becomes visible; also this wall portion has been
left by archaeologists unprotected from the winter elements.

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 Courtyard Wall C

Photo: the proportions of the damage caused by wind, rain, frost, snow and human indifference is making me
feel sick; any further comment is superfluous.

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 The Chamber Entrance

Photo: what phantasmagorical vandals could not fulfill, the harsh Bosnian winter was able to do with easiness;
the inferior right part of the medieval door jamb has fallen out because left without the necessary and
appropriate sustainment; the risk of collapse for the upper section, the opposite side and the brick arch is now
becoming a serious danger. Why the door jamb has been left by archaeologists unsecured after the alleged act
of vandalism? Why?

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 Rainbow

Photo: Rainbow over Visocica Hill, Royal Town Visoki, Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun.

Conclusion

This time I will be short in my conclusion, since it is impossible for me remaining indifferent looking at the
many damages caused by total negligence and complete disinterest of those who should be responsible for
the preservation and conservation of Visoko’s Royal Town.

“Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of
them all – the apathy of human beings.”
Hellen Keller

Enclosed Figure 2: Classification of type of landslip; photographic material

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IPR GROUP © 2009

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