PRUSAC, Bosnia-Hercegovina (AFP) — Thousands of Muslims converged on a central Bosnian village Sunday in a pilgrimage that was banned for almost half a century under Communist Yugoslav rule.

"I believe this is a holy place since God decided that water should begin to flow without help of any tools or machines," 45-year-old Naza Modric told AFP. "I come here every year. It's a kind of confirmation of my faith."

The pilgrimage saw men, women and children -- including some 200 men on horseback -- climb a seven-kilometre (four-mile) path leading to a site on Mount Ajvatovica, sacred to Bosnian Muslims for more than five centuries.

Walking up the hill, the pilgrims waved green Islamic flags with white crescents, before stopping in a ravine, which they believe was created by God.

At the site they chanted 'Allahu Akbar' -- God is Great -- and prayed.

According to a legend, dating back to the mid-15th century when Turks occupied Bosnian territory, the village of Prusac did not have water. However, an abundant spring was blocked in a rocky hill.

Local Imam Ajvaz-dede, sent to the area by the Ottoman Empire to convert the population to Islam, prayed in front of the hill. On the morning of the 40th day, when he briefly fell asleep, the hill split into two, allowing the water to get through and run down to the village.

"I was so impatient and excited that I had a sleepless night," said Izet Skrobo, who rode some 50 kilometres (30 miles).

"The whole family took care of me," explained the 70-year-old dressed in the Ottoman era style -- white shirt, red vest, black trousers and a red fez on his head.

"My wife prepared my clothes, my grand-daughter decorated the horse's head with flowers and my son has prepared it for the trip."

"This is the pilgrimage of poor," 35-year-old Kenan Hodzic added. "Life is very hard so I come here to be closer to Allah. It gives me the strength to continue. When I come here my soul fills with faith."

Upon reaching the narrow ravine, the women put a towel on the floor and kneel on it to pray.

The others try to tear off small pieces of the cliff. "We put these stones in front of our house during storms so they protect us," Salko Dzenan explained.

The 75-year-old is among those who remember that the Prusac pilgrimage was banned in 1947 by the communist regime of the former Yugoslav federation, that Bosnia was part of until 1992.

After Bosnia's first democratic elections in 1990 the pilgrimage was allowed again, but it was used for political goals by nationalist Muslims, ahead of the country's 1992-1995 war.

Muslims comprise around 40 percent of Bosnia's 3.8 million population, compared with 31 percent for Orthodox Serbs and about 10 percent for Catholic Croats.