IMOTSKI THROUGH THE CENTURIES AND THE MILLENNIA

      Imotski - the central settlement in the wide Imotska Krajina, important cross-roads and small picturesque town near the fertile Imotsko Field. Historians have found that Imotski existed in the times of Ilirians and Romans, and it is first mentioned by the Byzantine Emperor Constantin Porfirogent in the 10^th century.
The prehistoric mounds and Roman graves have been found in the vicinity. In the medieval historical sources it was mentioned as important fortress. On the hill above the town there are the ruins of the old fortress.

THE TOPANA TOWER

     Above the city, on the sheer rocks of the Blue lake, there is an old Croatian tower - Topana, first mentioned in the 9^th century, in the times of Croatian sovereigns. Under its wings, a small church, dedicated to the Lady of Angels, was built, as gratitude for help to the people of the area in the battle (and victory) against the Ottoman conquerors in April 1717. The Lady of Angles has been honored as patroness of Imotski and Imotski region so far.

According to the tradition, during Turkish domination in 17^th century, the grievous Asanaginica was buried at the bottom of Topana. As it is world known, Hasanaginica is an anthologies ballad, composed by an unknown poet.

MONASTERY MUSEUM

Any visitor to Imotski should not miss the valuable monastery museum and library, which is situated in the city core in Saint Frane church. The Franciscan monastery has an archaeological collection of finds from the town and surroundings.

Imotski has rich cultural tradition. There are some active cultural clubs:
   City brass music
   HKUD (Croatian cultural-artistic society), mandolins band, different singing and acting groups, pop-bands etc.

Some important Croatian writers originate from Imotski (Tin Ujevic, Dinko Stambak, etc.), and many others in the fields of science, culture and sport.

Imotski also has a lot of entertainment places. Between them there are:
   cinema;
   dance terraces;
   discoteque;
   entertainment centre;
   library.

Wide variety of geographic positions of many rural areas, and the specific position of the city of Imotski, offers very interesting gastro choice.

Imotski rural homeland, especially those round the field edges, offer rich range of healthy bread, mostly using the resources from the Field. First of all, there is wheaten flour bread, baked under the iron cover. For vegetarians there is various verdure, potatoes, carrots, beans… They are all cultivated in a traditional way without fertilizers.

Home breeding cattle, feathered game in ecologically health areas.

Mountain area offers healthy food from vegetable farms, and diary products.

                                                                                           RED LAKE

The ballad "Asanaginica"

Ţhe tower of Asan aga in Zadvarje

A short contents of the ballad

 A wounded Turkish officer is  ying ill in the mountains. His mother and sister visit him, but his wife Asanaginica is at home struggling with shame and traditional legacy and dares not visit her wounded husband, but waits for him in the home with his five children. Her husband Aasan, in a moment of furious rage, sends a message for his wife not to wait for him, ˝neither in his home or among his kinsfolk˝. Tho offended brother of Asanaginica takes her from her five children and brings her to a judge of Imotski, against her will. A wedding procession is taking unhappy Asanaginica to Imotski. She asks them to stop in frontof her children' s home so that she could give them gifts. From his window, her husband Asan is watching all this, deeply unhappy bacause the wedding procession is taking his beloved wife and tho mother of his children. Tho magnanimous band' s loud reprimand and drops dead. The children are left without a mother, Asan without his beloved wife and the wedding processio without a bride.

     A folk poet (poetess) has told the whole ballad (story) of Asanaginica in 93 decasyllabic lines, and ˝the mystery of Hasanaginica still lasts˝ (op. cit. page 468). The brother' s decision to remarry his sister, mother of five children, withouth her will is a dramatic crescenda and an announcement of the tragedy of a good mother and a loyal wife. The Romeo and Juliet of Imotski have, after many years of marriage, been separated by human envy, jealousy and evil. The world of nobility falls aparat and a world of evil and unhappiness and death is created.

     The benevolent reader wonders who needs this and what the point of such a contempative concept is, a concept in which a good mother and loyal wife Asanaginica is a victim without being guilty or responsi inspired and unobtrusive manner and every reader will decode it easily grieving at an intaced world of one happy family whose happiness falls apart and is ruined for the will of evil and The Evil. Thus tha ballad fulfils its prupose – it cleanses us and opens us to a more just world.  

                                                                                                               prof. Sretenka Katanušić

"Asanaginica"

What yonder glimmer so white on the mountain

Glimmer so white where yon sycamores grow?

Is it wold swans around Vaga's fair fountain?

Or is it a wreath of the wintry snow?

Had it been snow glimmer white on the mountain,

By this it gad melted before the bright day,

Or had it been swans around Vaga's fair fountain

They gad stretched their broad pinions and sped them away

It is not swans around the fountain of Vaga,

It is  not a wreath of the wintry snow,

But it is the gay tents of the fierce Asan Aga

Glimmering so white where yon sycamores grow.

Low lies the Chief on the couch of the wounded,

There watch his sitetrs with tenderest care.

The weeps his mother in sorrow unbounded.

Every sad friend – but his Lady – is there.

She sorrowed more than the fondest of mothers,

But from the thronged camp in which wounded he lay

Tho there flocked sad friends, tender sisters and brothers

Timid shamefacedness compelled her to stay.

But at her absense high kindling gis anger

Wrote the stern chieftain this severing line

-         ˝Away from my Castle, its mistress no longer,

Away from my children and all that is mine˝-

Anguish the heart of that Lady deep rended

When the hard message was brought to her eye

Woe werw the looks on her children she bennded

Weeping around her tho' scarce knowing why.

O'er the high drawbridge come horses loud prancing

Wildly she started in desperate mood

She thought 'twas the signal of Asan advancing

And rusherd to the turret to plunge in the flood.

˝Stay thee, oh, stay thee! my Mother! my Mother!

˝Tis not the steeds of our faher you hear

˝tis the fleet horse of Carazan thy brother˝-

-         Thus cried her children in soorow and fear –

Then the sad mourner truned back to her brother

Clinging around him with bitterest moan.

-         ˝Late of these five little darlings, the mother

Now see me, Carazan, the mother of none.˝

Silent and sad stood her brother Carazan

Then draw from his bossom the severing Bill

Speaking divorce to the Lady of Asan

Leaving her free to espuse whom she will.

Then the sad Dame to her girls gave her blessing

Kissed the red cheek of each fair featured boy

But from the suckling to her breast closely pressing

Woe's me! She could not unloosen the tie.

Torn was the tie by the harsh-tempered brother

He raised her behind him upon his fleet horse

And to the lofty abode of their mother,

He bent woth the sorrowul Lady his course.

Scarce had a fotnight and day

When to that Lady cama many a lover

All in her mourning as weeping she lay.

The greatest of all was imoski's proud Cadi

Long had he loved her more dearly than life

Then to her brother sooke weeping that lady

-         ˝Give me no more to another to wife.¨

-         ˝Give me no more ads a wife to another˝

Thus to her brother in sorrow she spoke

˝Lest when my poor orphans shall call on their mother

By anguish and longing my heart should be broke.˝

Her brother cared not for the prayer of tha lady

Firmly resolved to bestow her as spouse

To bestow her as spouse on Imotski's great Caki

That the high marriage-gifts should enrich his prud house.

˝Yet bid the Cadi, my brother Carzan

Bring a black veil this sad herd to enfold

Lest when I pass by the dwelling of Asan

These widowed wyes should their orphans behold.˝

Scarce was the message recceived by the Cadi

Soon he assembled the gay bridl train

And bringing the veil as desired by the lady

Safely the towers of Carazan they gain.

Safely they gained the high towers of Caraza

But with the Bride as returned the gay train

Lo! as they passed the proud dwelling of Asan

The children beheld their lost mother again.

Loudly they shouted: ˝Oh, art thou returned

Comest thou our meals our pastimes to share

O for thy absence h ow long have we mourned

Pass on no further – thy children are here˝

At the fond voices a sudden pause made she

˝Rein in your steeds these loved turrets below

Thus to the gallants in agony said she

˝Till my last gifts on my babes I bestow.˝

Beneath the proud turrets the bridal train rested

While her last gifts on her Babe she bestowed

While she the boys with rich girdles invested

And with gay sabres with jewels that glowed.

Decked she her daughters in silds richly rustling

And for those days when his strength might them wield

To the dear sucklintg in her bossom close nestling

Gave she a girdle, a sabre and shield.

All this from beside saw the stern Asan Aga

And loud to his children he haughtily cried

Away fom that woman more false than the Vaga

More light than the breeze and more cold than its tide.

Away fled the children for fear loudly crying

All but the suckling she clasped to her breast

Down sunk the Lady pale, shivering and dying

Grasper it yet closer and sunk into rest.

                         Photo galery 1,  Photo galery 2, Photo galery 3  Photo galery 4.

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