Maintaining the Sacred Center: The Bosnian City of Stolac

In times past, men and women lived in ordered and meaningful communities whose very structure, architecture, and habits of life were a concrete reflection of the cosmic order. Through the example of his own birthplace, the Bosnian town of Stolac, the author explores the nature of this traditional wisdom that informed the way of life of his ancestors. He also explores the manner in which this wisdom-common to all true religious traditions-came under increasing attack, culminating in the destruction, murder, and expulsion of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. Finally, he explores the extraordinary efforts that have been made since the war to restore and rebuild the town as a microcosm of the Bosnian culture of tolerance and coexistence.