Three branches of the pilgrimage stream

Abstract

This paper deals with pilgrimage practices of Orthodox Christians and Catholics from Bosnia to the holy places in the area of Palestine (Jerusalem) and also of Muslims to Mecca and Medina. This issue is observed through building these connections that began relatively early, in transition from the thirteenth to the fourteenth century. The earliest connections were established by members of the community of Orthodox Christians from the area of medieval Serbia who erected a monastery in Palestine. The fate of the monastery as the main link with the pilgrimage practices of the Orthodox Christian population from Bosnia is followed further. These connections will become two-way, and therefore, in addition to the pilgrimage practices of Orthodox Christians, the paper points to the arrival of Orthodox Christian priests from Jerusalem in the territory of Bosnia to collect alms for their existence, as well as to point out examples of ordinary population going on a pilgrimage from Bosnia to Jerusalem. Besides the followers of the Orthodox church, in a similar way, Catholic sacral buildings (monasteries) were erected in those places, which served as a link and refuge for Catholic pilgrims to Jerusalem.The paper, furthermore, points to individuals from Bosnia who, in addition to pilgrimage, bequeathed endowments to Catholic monasteries. Those endowments served the purposes of Catholic pilgrims. The paper further follows the Islamic component whose ultimate starting point is represented by the two sacred places, Madina and Mecca. Muslims would only make a brief stopover in Jerusalem, which was visited as an important place of Islamic spirituality, where they stayed and established connections with high intellectual circles. The paper also shows the means of travel and the places through which Muslim pilgrims passed. It also gives a brief review of common pilgrimage elements and pilgrimage reflections in all three Abrahamic traditions and of common pilgrimage links.