Monday, 23 February 2026

NOT Dubrovnik, Persian Croatia

Why the title NOT Dubrovnik?

Well, although enchantingly beautiful it is quite simple really.

Dubrovnik suffers from absurd levels of over tourism and just two or so Toilets for the whole of the entire old walled City.

It is an extremely uncomfortable and discommoding place to visit.

It is a place I always wanted to visit and luckily a few years ago I got a cheap deal on an apartment in a wonderful villa and flights and Car hire to Cavtat, about 10 kilometres south of the City in a harbour along the beautiful Adriatic Seashore.

Than God it was cheap.

Boy was I disappointed by Dubrovnik and its packed Old City with people almost stacked on one another.

As expected and not unusual for a tourist "hot spot" everything and everywhere was a rip off but Dubrovnik, I must say, had it down to a fine art.

It seemed that every minuscule attraction or small museum charged an entrance fee and the Public Toilet facilities were beyond a joke.

People were queuing for what seemed like hours just to use the stinking and smelly toilets.

I have digressed, please excuse me.

Onwards and upwards to the subject of this post.

Somewhere, who knows where because as of this moment I can find no reference to it, I found out about a hidden Grotto\Cave that had a carving of Mithra(s), who was an ancient Persian deity and a figure in the pre-Christian Zoroastrian religion.

Just exactly how a Persian-Zoroastrian deity\God ended up on a remote rock carving South of Dubrovnik intrigued me immensely and I determined that while in the area that at some stage I would go looking for it.

Without going into extensive research it would appear the carvings are at least several thousands of years old.

There is speculation and research into Proto-Croat settlement which indicates Indo-Iranian settlement that may be one explanation.

A further explanation may be that the Romans who arrived much later into Croatia brought the adopted Persian deity with them as part of their pantheon of Gods.

Who knows....

I found the carvings after wandering around fields, Olive groves and long abandoned farm buildings in a wonderfully bucolic setting, under a small rock grotto and after a couple of hours.

The carving itself is of Mithra(s) slaying a Bull while a Scorpion is also attacking the Bull and stinging it on the testes.

Truly remarkable, fascinating and captivating.

I was amazed at this beautiful carving which seemed to me at first glance to be totally out of character for its setting in Croatia.

I went looking for Snakes while there (perfect hunting grounds) and uncovered two within minutes.

A rather large Brown Snake about six or seven feet long and a small mottled Green snake, both of which quickly escaped wonderfully wiggling between the warm jagged rocks before I had a chance to catch them.

There are also wild Boar in the area so take care, I've never met one yet thankfully.

Unfortunately the closest I can direct anyone to the Grotto and carvings is to head South on the main road from the Airport and take a left either shortly after or shortly before the pretty village of Cilipi and stop after roughly 500 metres. It is in the fields somewhere on your hand right side.