CULTURE
Monuments of material culture, especially written documents show that people from Plav area had much affinity for culture and achieved significant cultural domains, especially in the field of literature, art, folklore and folk proverbs.
Old Library
One of the oldest cultural and historical monuments of this kind in Montenegro, was recently destroyed old book store in Plav, built by beg Zejnel Dizdar in 1471. In the log cabin was the reading room and bookstore, and it was built about ten meters away from his fortress “Dizdarevic city” within whose walls the Old mosque was built the same year. Dizdari of Plav town were Redzepagic. Unfortunately, this valuable and certainly the oldest cultural building of this area wasn’t preserved as witnesses to the people who appreciated books more than five centuries ago.
The most important cultural and historical monuments preserved in this area are definitely “Old Mosque” in Plav, the Church “Holy Trinity” in Brezojevica, “Kula Redzepagica” in Plav and “Vizier Mosque” in Gusinje. These facilities increased the tourist value of this region, as well as the locations where they are. Deserve Our attention deserve also remains of old towns and forts.
“Old Mosque”
There are four mosques in Plav, but The Old Mosque is the most interesting for tourists. It was built in 1471, immediately after arrival of the Turks in this region, for religious needs of soldiers. It is located in the center of Plav on the tallest Meterize within the former City and it is the oldest building in Plav. Many times it was restored and the present form is from eighteenth century. The texture and structure is a log cabin, in the entrance area (soferlak), decorated with artistic carving and arabesques, and the second part of the mosque is made of stone, also decorated with pillars, pulpit and the mihrab. It is interesting for its original architecture and ornate minaret, and is therefore protected by the law.
Church of the Holy Trinity in the White Brezojevica
It is located on the left bank of the Lima, 2 km from its exit from the Plav Lake. The church is located at the foot of the hill Gradac near the mouth of Komaraca into Lim. This place is secluded and romantic, and fully complies with the spirit of the times when the church was built. The church was built in Byzantine style. Type is single-nave building. The entire interior of the church was decorated with frescoes of great artistic value from the period of reconstruction of Serbian sacral art. In the church there are two signs from sixteenth-century that inform us that the church was founded in 1567 by Hieromonk Nestor. However, the folk tradition says that it is older than Decani church for 30-40 years.
Redzepagica tower
The tower is undoubtedly the oldest bosnian building in Plav and one of the most interesting monuments of defensive architecture in Montenegro, so it is under the protection of the law.
According to some sources, the tower was built in 1671 by Hasan Bey Redzepagic. But tradition says that it is much older and dates from the 15-th century. According to tradition, the tower was built by Ali Muca and his sons, descendant of Ali Bega Rezepagica, in defense of Plav from “Bunjani” (Klimenata). The tower was originally built on two floors with walls over one meter thick with observation and loopholes and covered with stone slabs. Third floor was upgraded later – cardak made of thick coniferous wood.
As an important cultural and historical monument the tower was little utilized in the development of tourism. Otherwise, in Plav and Gusinje there are several old towers, which are very interesting, architectural buildings and buildings for defence.
Vizier’s Mosque in Gusinje
The oldest preserved mosque in Gusinje was built by a vizier of Skadar from Busatlija family at the beginning of the reign of the late fifteenth century. Other data say that it was raised in 1626, it had a “Rushdie” high school and boarding school in place of today’s clinic. The mosque was renovated twice, the second time in 1994 and because of exceptional attractiveness protected by law.
Mosque “Sultana”
Sultan Abdul Hamid raised in 1909 the magnificent mosque “Sultana” which is also at Meterize, made of dressed stone with stone domes and minarets. This mosque was used for religious purposes for a very short period of time, and under pressure of the regime in 1924, it was taken from the Islamic community, turned into a warehouse, then school, and then to the police station. Valuable records on the building were destroyed, the dome and minarets were destroyed as well as Ruzdija in the yard of mosque. With decision of councilors of the Municipality Plav, on request of Islamic Community in Montenegro, and on the recommendation of the Presidency of the Republic, the building was returned to the Islamic community of Plav. Reconstruction and adaptation of the “Sultana” will soon be finished, and this facility will soon return to its purpose and become a valuable architectural and touristic facility.
The remains of ancient cities
In the Middle Ages in this area there were several forts, among which the most important were: Plav – Dizdarev city, Gusinjski city, “Krsla” Jerina city, Gradac and Celigrad. Most of these forts are now gone, but they are certainly interesting for tourists and archaeologists.
In the field of culture in the area of municipal there is Public Institution Culture Center of Plav which includes House of Culture Plav, House of Culture Milija Milacic “Murino, cinema ” Star” Gusinje and Cinema “Unity” Plav. Culture Center of Plav, as the main stakeholders in this area, in addition to showing films, is also organizing cultural and art programs, etc. To this institution belon city library in Plav, Gusinje, Murina, whose total number of books is 22,000. In the area of Plav municipality, there are four local youth hostels (Brezojevice, Velika, Gornja Rzanica i Dolja), while other settlements with a significant number of people have no homes to gather, even the local community Gusinje.
In the future it will be necessary to provide funds for the closure of the structure of financing the construction of the cultural center in Gusinje, which makes investment in this priority area, and also to provide funds necessary to complete the setting – primarily ethnographic exhibits the character of the Regional Museum in Redzepagica tower.
The most important traditional cultural and tourist events in the Plav:
– Days of blueberries, set for the tourist, agricultural and commercial events, seminars, parade …;
– Sculpture and painting colonies, held in August;
– Literary meetings, held during August, with exhibition of visual artists;
– Festival of folk music “Singing Youth”, held in August.
TOURISM
Concidering the concentration, degree of complementarity and attractive natural features that can be valorized for tourism, the area of Plav municipality is undoubtedly the most beautiful and most precious mountain area ofMontenegro, and possibly beyond. It is characterized with large mosaic and varieties of landscape, which enables observation of different forms of tourism (winter, summer, lake, mountain, stationary, transit, etc..), and various sports and recreational activities (skiing, hunting, fishing, kayaking, climbing, hiking, water sports, rafting, etc..).
One of the tourist attractions of this area is surely Plav Lake, second largest and most beautiful glacier lake in the former Yugoslavia, followed by numerous mountain lakes “mountain eyes” of which the most beautiful are “Hridsko” and “Visitorsko” with a floating island in it; abundant karst springs – most beautiful are “Alipasini sources” and “Around Skakavica”, alpinist routes and facilities with the highest peaks in Montenegro (Maja kolata 2528 meters above sea level and Maja Rosit 2524 meters). Then, this area has excellent skiing terrain on which it is possible to construct approximately 38.92 miles of ski path according to a study compiled by OECD experts and the organization J.Iten M. Rey, representing about 65.59% of the tourist potential of the republic.
AD “Plav Lake” Plav deals with development and promotion of tourism in the municipality of Plav. Their property has a hotel with 260 beds and the necessary supporting facilities, as well as several types of objects protruding motel, bar, etc..
However, available tourist facilities and the potential of this area so far was underutulized, and in the last ten years in the hotel are situated refugees, it is completely derelict, abandoned buildings and grounds, so there is no tourist economy. More serious development of winter tourism is also not possible because it is not built a single meter of cable railway and other related facilities for the development of this type of tourism, although this area has 66% of ski terrain in the republic. Design and technical documentation for construction of “Ski Stadium Kofiljača” has long been done, municipalities, economic collectives and Ski society built the necessary infrastructure (roads, electricity, cleared trails etc..), on “Palje” on Kofiljača is mounted a small ski lift. However, the development of tourism in the municipality of Plav has serious limiting factors in the infrastructure environment, ranging from traffic connectedness, village water supply, electricity supply, furnishing and provision of public utilities and other service providers, marketing and media isolation and the like.