The temple dates back to the early 4th century, although it could be as ancient as the 2nd century with repairs undertaken during the early 4th century.
This particular Mithraeum is one of the best-preserved sites in Europe.
The Jajce site is a typical spelaea. Mithraism followers typically sought to set up their places of worship in caves. In the absence of such topographical features, they excavated the soil and built the small single-celled temple (spelaea) to reinforce the impression of a cave.
Discovery and protection
New protection facility is erected in 2012
The remains of the Mithraeum in Jajce were discovered accidentally during excavation for the construction of a private house in 1931.[1]
The site was purchased by the Society for the Preservation of Antiquities in Jajce and soon after a protective stone and mortar structure was constructed under the supervision of engineer F. Steiner. This structure was repaired in 1952 and survived until 2012 despite significant damage suffered during the Bosnian War.
A new facility replaced the previous one following the 2012 renovation, which cost approximately 260,000 KM (BAM) and was carried out under the MDG-F program "Promotion cultural understanding in Bosnia and Herzegovina" with the financial support of the Kingdom of Spain government.
The temple is now protected by a modern glass-walled steel-and-girder cage that allows visitors to see inside without entering. Visitors can enter with advance notice by contacting the Ethnological Museum of Jajce.
