Platy limestone – geologic definition and its use as a mineral commodity

All selected objects in the project area in Bosnia and Herzegovina are located in the southern part of Herzegovina (Fig. 2.12). Four of the selected objects are located in Herzegovina-Neretva County, while one selected object is located in West Herzegovina County. The northernmost show-case facility is in the town of Mostar. The objects are related to the Ottoman architectural style of the late Middle Ages. The Biščevića house is located in the centre of Mostar, on the left bank of the River Neretva, Gavrankapetanovića Tower is an integral part of the Old Town of Počitelj, Velagića mills are located in Blagaj, near the source of the River Buna, the fourth object is a mosque in the Old Town of Stolac and the Lalića Tower is located in the hamlet of Mostarska vrata, near Ljubuški (Fig. 2.13).

A detailed analysis of platy limestone elements showed that all objects are roofed with Albian-Cenomanian platy limestone types. Since all these objects represent historical buildings dating back to the 16th century and they have experienced many wars, their roofs have been almost completely restored with platy limestone several times. However, at the show-case objects (a), (c) and (d) (see Fig. 2.13) mainly Mid-Cretaceous platy limestones were used for the restoration, quarried from the original site, on the southern slopes of Mt. Velež (Podveležje site). The original types of platy limestone on the roofs of the selected show-case objects (b) and (e) (see Fig. 2.13) originates from the sites in their immediate vicinity: the Dretelj site of Cenomanian age for limestone plates used on the Gavrankapetanovića Tower and the Mostarska vrata site of Albian-Cenomanian age for limestone used on the Lalića Tower. For restoration of these two objects, Cenomanian types of platy limestone from the Bileća site (in Rep.Srpska - not studied in this project) and from the already mentioned Podveležje site was used (see Appendix 2.4).

Building blocks for other parts of the objects, especially the walls, are mainly built of rudist limestone of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) age, and partly of foraminiferal limestone of the Early Paleogene age. As noticed from the spatial extent of the geological units on the maps, they originated from the immediate vicinity of the selected objects. On the four show-case objects, the use of the youngest Neogene (Miocene) marly limestone types, so-called “tenelija” and “miljevina” is also visible.