Bosnian pyramid claims

The Bosnian pyramid claims are a set of natural hills near the town of Visoko in central Bosnia and Herzegovina that were proposed as ancient man-made pyramids in 2005. The idea was promoted by Semir Osmanagić and has attracted tourism, excavation activity and international attention.

Proponents have carried out excavations and placed walkways, tunnels and visitor facilities to support the pyramid interpretation. Professional archaeologists, geologists and heritage organisations have examined the site and concluded that the hills are natural landforms and that there is no credible evidence for large ancient pyramids.

The controversy began with the public announcement of the claims in 2005 and has continued through subsequent excavation seasons and media coverage. The area around the hills has developed a tourism industry focused on guided visits and the project’s facilities.

The hills lie just outside the town of Visoko in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Bosna River plain northwest of Sarajevo. The landscape is low-lying farmland and small woodlands surrounding the Visoko urban area.

• Controversial interpretation: The site is the subject of active guided tours and an on-site visitor programme led by the project's proponents, but the pyramid interpretation is not accepted by mainstream archaeology.

What to See #

• Visočica hill (claimed "Pyramid of the Sun"): The prominent natural hill near the town of Visoko that has been marketed as the "Pyramid of the Sun" by proponents of the site; mainstream geologists and archaeologists regard it as a natural landform.
• Other named hills and excavations: A cluster of nearby hills given names such as "Pyramid of the Moon" and others by the site's promoters; these are the focus of excavations and tourism rather than recognised archaeological monuments.