distinct territorial entity. During the Ottoman period construction of buildings was initiated in the fortress outskirts (houses and public edifices. The residential areas were formed as urban quarters or mahalas, with buildings facing inwards - onto their courtyards. Resident complexes display evidence of a high standard of living and the Velagić house complex is one of the most valuable of this type in Herzegovina. The town mostly developed along the right bank of river Buna because the left bank is somewhat steeper and less suitable for construction.
Public buildings were positioned quite deliberately within the urban structure as a whole. Among the first edifices was the Careva (Imperial) mosque constructed in 1521, which helped the settlement acquire the status of kasaba. It was followed by the construction of Karađoz-beg bridge from 1570 and then the Leho bridge. Using bold structural solutions played a vital role in architecture of Blagaj: addition of pillars and vaults, along with other structural elements, is quite evident. Barrel vaults, which were common in mosques, the tekke and the hammam – were raised to a high degree of perfection and made an entirely free ground plan possible. The synchronization of artisan crafts and construction techniques on the one hand and the development of the settlement on the other has left a mark on the Blagaj's image as a distinctive urban centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During the reign of Austro-Hungarian Empire, Blagaj still retained its oriental-settlement character in its overall appearance as well as in its architectural and compositional details despite the obvious deterioration of the urban fabric
