“Would you like to join us for a night of camping and barbeque on top of the Pyramid of the Moon?”, he asked. “What? There is more than one Pyramid around here?!”, I remarked, ever so naively. His sharp brown gaze met mine, and he smiled.
Not many know of the Pyramids of Bosnia. A few years ago, I watched a TV documentary on the discovery of a pyramid-like structure hidden under a thick forest cover near the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. It caught my intrigue and had been high up on my bucket list ever since. I wanted to learn more about the claims of lead archeologist Dr Semir Osmanagić, who has been on a self-funded mission since 2005 to unearth the world’s oldest stepped pyramids. Dr Sam also heads the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s American University’s Anthropology Department.
Short but Sweet
Our girls’ road trip was coming to an end after spending six days in Serbia and now two more in Bosnia, which was short for such a beautiful country, but rather sweet. This was our last day here in Sarajevo. My enthusiasm confused my friends as I drove up the winding hilly drive leading to the entrance of the Bosnian Pyramids of the Sun Foundation tourist centre. At the ticket office, we noticed some of Dr Osmanagić’s books on the shelves as the guide welcomed us and briefed the group on the history of the ‘Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun’.
Walk up to the Bosnian Pyramid Ticket Office
Bosnian Pyramids: Oldest, Largest, Hidden
Over the past decade or so, the controversial cluster of pyramidical hills in Visoko, around 35 kilometers north of Sarajevo, has attracted thousands of tourists, spiritualists, and critics in equal measures. Whether you’re a believer or not, Dr Osmanagić’s theory is a gripping one and if accepted universally, can revolutionise our current understanding of human civilization.
Most likely built by the Illyrians, one of the ancient communities of the Balkan, Dr Osmanagić claimed in an interview in 2017 that the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun dates back 34,000 years. That is nearly seven times older and three times higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza of Egypt, built more than 4600 years ago by ancient Egyptians. The Bosnian cluster also includes Pyramids of the Moon, Love, Dragon, and the Temple of Mother Earth.
Five years ago, my first rendevouz with such ancient structures was in Sudan when I visited the Lost Pyramids of Meroe. While those are well documented tombs of the Nubian kings, it’s not clear whether the ones in Bosnia are burial grounds, a portal or an ornament, as Dr Sam describes it.
Meditative State of Mind
I gasped as I lifted my gaze to see in front of us the massive structure with an exact zero-degree cosmic North orientation, far more accurate than the Pyramid of Giza. The stairs led us to the first section where the digging had uncovered the walls of the pyramid. Several independent analyses from European universities confirm that the massive blocks are made of material five times stronger and more resistant to water than any man-made concrete today.
The path was paved through a thick tree cover, marked with signboards that carried facts and photos of the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun. At the first landing, a volunteer guide rattled off the history and science behind the making of these Pyramids. He then pointed us in the direction of one of the openings where visitors come together to meditate or simply soak in the silence of the woods.
We meditated, breathed deeply, and enjoyed the calm. A trail disappeared into the row of trees ahead of us, perhaps leading to the top of the Pyramid. We made our way back down after a peaceful and fulfilling morning. Little had I imagined how the beautiful events of the day would make it one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
Ravne Tunnel: Mystery and Volunteers
“If you’re lucky, you may meet Dr Osmanagić at the tunnel site,” the tour guide had mentioned. We had driven an additional 12 minutes to get to the 2.5km-long Ravne 2 Tunnel, which is part of the world’s most extensive underground network of tunnels dating back many millennia. Guides claim that the tunnels were originally excavated by the same super culture that built the ‘Pyramid of the Sun’. A one-hour hard-hat tour takes you to about 1000mts of the excavated tunnel.
There he sat with a group of people, the man behind the controversy and reverence for his work around the Great Pyramids of Bosnia. He greeted us warmly as we got closer to him. For the next few minutes, we enjoyed a private audience with him as we discussed our meditation and experience at the energy portals on top of the Sun Pyramid. “If you’re here today, you’ve been here before. Together”, he stated as a matter of fact, before casually posing for pictures with us and other groups of visitors who waited for him patiently.
Dr Sam has authored several books that encapsulate his work and views on the Bosnian pyramids, and how his discoveries bridge the gap between science and spirituality.
The tour of the tunnel was nothing short of wonder. Volunteers from around the world come here to help with the excavation, which includes digging out the loose material that fills the tunnel. A 5 Euro ticket got us a guide who comforted our friend on her fear of narrow, dingy spaces, and showed us our way into the tunnel. We put on our safety gear, but I remained unprepared for what I was about to experience inside.
“The air in the tunnel is not only clean but also has a high concentration of negative ions per cm3. Tests performed in the city centre of Visoko and Sarajevo showed around 100 negative ions per cm3, while those in the tunnel can go as high as 20,000 to 23,000 negative ions per cm3. An hour in the tunnel can greatly revive your blood oxygen levels and health in general”, our guide narrated. We listened in awe and kept a check on our claustrophobic friend, who was doing surprisingly well despite her apprehension earlier.
Along the way, we passed clearly marked meditation chambers and watched people seated along the walls, soaking in the energies of the tunnel. “This is an 8-ton megalith which generates ultra-sounds frequencies and magnetic energies. It’s one of three found inside the tunnel”, she pointed out to a giant rounded block in the centre.
Energy moves us all
We found a seat around the concrete block and let the information seep in. I felt it as we put our palms out towards the block. The tingling sensation in my fingertips at first and the whirling of energies throughout my body right after. No matter the claims or critiques on Dr Sam’s theory, as someone who is highly sensitized to energy vibrations, the sensation here was irrefutable and it was unmistakably familiar to me. There was no denying what I felt at that moment.
Bliss.
As we walked through the meandering pathways, we met believers and skeptics alike. The water inside the tunnel is said to be unusually pure and is sold in bottles at the tourist shop outside, which we picked up as gifts for family and friends.
A night on the Moon Pyramid
The experience had been positively refreshing. We left the tunnel energized and headed to the restaurant at the far end of the street. The server, who happened to be a Croat volunteer from Germany, was now seated among us, telling us about his enigmatic experiences. “This is my fourth visit here and my longest so far. Something draws me back each time”, he said, before asking if we’d like to join him for a night under the stars on top of the lesser-known Pyramid of the Moon.
Although the girls wanted to spend our last evening in and around Sarajevo Old Town, I wouldn’t let the opportunity slide. Later that evening, my new friends picked me up from a parking lot at the base of the hill and drove me through a steep, densely forested dirt road upwards.
I could hear laughter and chatter in the distance as we got off the car on a grassy patch in the pitch of the night. Not too far were uncovered sites that revealed the stepped pyramids, which I could barely see with torchlight.
Minutes and hours that followed around the table brought in barbecued snacks and stories from global volunteers and owners of the property. Then there were mysterious tales of out-worldly sightings and experiences from those who had been stationed here for months, spending many a beautiful nights on the Moon and under the moon.
The crackling of the bonfire started to fade out. The group dispersed, some of who found their comfort on hammocks nearby. And as I eased into the mystery that surrounded me at that moment, the magnetism of the world’s most controversial pyramids had me hooked.
Before I headed out to the comfort of my familiarity, I knew I had many questions unanswered. I could feel in my heart that my curiosity would bring me back. I was going to return. And this time, for longer.
Visa, Flight and COVID-19
Indian passport holders need a Bosnian visa prior to travel, however, you can also enter the country from land or air borders if you hold a valid Schengen or US visa. I flew in from Abu Dhabi to Serbia (free visa-on-arrival) with WizzAir and entered Bosnia via road from the Mokra Gora border in Western Serbia.
An antigen COVID-19 test was required at the road border. My friends and I didn’t need to take the test since we had taken both our vaccine shots more than 14 days before entering the country.
In Sarajevo, we took our PCR test the morning of our departure at a clinic near our hotel. Turnaround time for results is anywhere between 2 to 8 hours; our results came through in time for our flight after 6 hours.
Travel Date: July 2021
*These are first-hand experiences, findings, views, or opinions, which are purely my own. They are not paid for or promoted content.
