Sarajevo,our capital city

Miljacka Bridge and river, Sarajevo. Note the typical Sarajevan neighbourhood in the background and the neighbourhood mosque.

This was my first visit to Sarajevo for many years; 11 years, to be specific. At one point we were practically partly living in Sarajevo as my stepfather was stationed there and me and my mother would be going up every week. It has thus remained a very special place for me and I was very keen to visit when the opportunity arose earlier this year.

I still remember Sarajevo vividly from my early days. We would drive for two hours along the river Neretva, which is coloured in the most amazing shades of deep green and blue, through high mountains covered in lush yet forbidding green forests before finally arriving at our destination. The city itself was so different to my hometown, Mostar. While Mostar is hot and dusty with very dry air and surrounded by almost bare Mediterranean mountains and scenery, Sarajevo is set among lush green mountains and I remember it as always being cooler and fresher than Mostar.

Back then, the city was in a bit of a state. Virtually every other building was damaged or destroyed due to the notorious Siege of Sarajevo (1992-5) and people had barely begun to rebuild their lives. But now, Sarajevo is barely recognisable. Many buildings have been restored or re-built, and a sizable number of brand new, 21st Century buildings have gone up. It seems that much has changed in a good way, and I was very pleasantly surprised.


The restored "twin towers" in Sarajevo, now housing a major business centre in the region where people from all parts of the world congregate to talk business.



Photo showing the historic Bascarsija-the oldest and most famous part of contemporary Sarajevo, first built in the late 1400's when the country was under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire

We spent a good chunk of our time walking through the historic Bascarsija neighbourhood. During the years of the Ottoman occupation (1463-1878) this was the core of Sarajevo. Merchants from areas such as Ragusa (Dubrovnik), Venice, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Poland and of course the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey) would come here to trade and sell their wares. Most of the buildings and shops date from that time, though in contemporary times they sell mainly food and tourist related products and souvenirs. The city was also on the main road between Rome and Constantinople (modern Istanbul, giving it significant strategic importance. This area was severely damaged by Serbian shelling in the 1992-5 war, but has since been completely repaired and restored. Today, locals as well as tourists come to enjoy this area and the magnificent Bosnian food which it is famous for.


The famous grilled mixed meat platter served in Bascarsija. This style of cooking came with the arrival of the Ottoman Empire and has been fully intergated into modern Bosnian cuisine, which was originally based on soups, stews, cereals and bread.


This is a typical street in Sarajevo, with many buildings dating from the period of Austro-Hungarian occupation. In many ways Sarajevo is just like any other modern European city.



I could not leave this entry without mentioning this. This is the site where the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated along with his pregnant wife, Sophie, in 1914. The Duke decided to come to Sarajevo and ride in an open topped vehicle and with few guards on duty despite being warned that he may expect a hostile reception, for by this time the Bosnian people had had enough of foreign rule. After several assassination attempts by members of the Black Hand, who were opposed to Austrian rule, Gavrilo Princip shot dead the Archduke and his wife on this spot after their car abruptly stopped in front of him. As Princip and many other members of the Black Hand were Bosnian Serbs and had connections in Serbia, Serbia was widely blamed for the assassination by Austro-Hungary and these events led directly to the First World War. Watch this entertaining video for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE8552joxfE



This is the Eternal Flame, built in the late 1940's to commemorate all those who fought and died against the Nazi's to liberate Sarajevo.





These three buildings for me represent Sarajevo's ethnic and religious diversity.
The first building is the Sarajevo Croat Roman Catholic Cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna (which covers roughly central and eastern Bosnia). The number of Roman Catholic Croats numbered at about 7% in the 1991 census. It was completed in the 1880's. The second is the Serb Orthodox Cathedral, completed in the 1860's and since then it has been the main place of worship for the Orthodox Christian community in Sarajevo. The number of Orthodox Christian Serbs was at 30% in the 1991 census. The third building is one of the oldest and most charming mosques in Sarajevo, the Hajji's mosque, completed in the mid 1500's. It is built mainly of wood, except for the stone minaret. It is also a perfect example of a Bosnian neighbourhood mosque: small, compact and very charming while not being the least bit intimidating. The Bosnian Muslim community stood at 45% in the 1991 census. It is unknown what the statistics are in the present day, but due to the Bosnian War many Serbs left the city while many Bosnian Muslims, themselves expelled from Serbian occupied parts of Eastern and Northern Bosnia, settled in the city, causing a large demographic shift. It is therefore widely estimated that the city is now no less than 70% Muslim.



Of the more recent architecture, this is a brand new, very modern shopping centre-one of several built in the city since the end of the 1990's war. For me, it symbolises the growing affluence of Sarajevo and the fact that life here is good and unemployment low, unlike in virtually every other part of the country. Our family friend even joked that if Bosnia and Herzegovina was composed of just Sarajevo that it would be the best country in Europe!


A typical scene by the Miljacka River. Both banks are steeped in history and historic buildings from all periods of Sarajevo's history. The mountains which were the scene of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games are in the background. And this is how I shall leave you with my trip to Sarajevo as for me this symbolises both the man-made and natural beauty of the city and it is how I wish for it to be perceived to the world instead of the reputation of being a war-torn city that it currently holds. Thank you for reading! =)