Sarajevo - A Religious and Cultural Melting Pot, Or Is It?

Tasli Han ("stone inn") ruins against
backdrop of minaret from Gazi
Husrev-Beg mosque and Clock Tower.

We are so excited to experience the diverse and complex city of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) where religions have coexisted for centuries; where the 1984 Winter Olympics was hosted; where major historical events occurred such as the assassination that ignited WWI; and survived a major civil war atrocity in the 1990s called the Siege of Sarajevo, for which the city shows permanent scars.  But, the people have proven resilient and all outward appearances seem optimistic about the future with their fledgling independence and ethno-religious peace agreement.  They have definitely made Sarajevo into a must-visit destination.  

Called the "Jerusalem of Europe" or "Jerusalem of the Balkans" where religious east meets religious west.  Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Judaism have coexisted here for centuries, mostly at peace or truce, but also in bloody conflict. Until the late 20th century, Sarajevo was the only major European city to have a mosque, Catholic church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighborhood. 

Mosques come in all shapes and sizes.  This one across the Miljacka river.  Very "cute".

Catholic Cathedral of Jesus' Sacred Heart.  Largest catholic church in BiH.

Typical war-torn sidewalks and pavement.  This one by the catholic church.  Holes filled in with red resin, and now these landmarks are called the "Sarajevo Rose".  Note the holes in cathedral foundation wall from shrapnel.

Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God.  Built in 1872.

National Museum of BiH is the permanent home to the Sarajevo Haggadah - an illuminated manuscript that contains illustrated traditional text of the Passover Haggadah - and is one of the most important Jewish  artifacts, as this is one of the oldest since 1350.  The Haggadah has had many close calls, most recently during the Siege of Sarajevo when it was hidden in a bank vault from the Serbian forces.  It is insured for $700 million by is priceless. 

In the 15th century and beyond, Sarajevo flourished with the construction of mosques, marketplace, public baths, govenor's mansion, etc. under the Ottoman rule and at the peak of the empire, Sarajevo was the biggest and most important Ottoman city in the Balkans after Istanbul.  Many Christians converted to Islam during this time.  Much of the Turkish influence is still evident today by way of architecture, food, customs, and wares.  

Pigeon Square in Turkish Quarter of old Sarajevo.

Turkish bazaar in Turkish Quarter. 

Trying Bosnian coffee - very similar to the Turkish coffee ritual.

After the Ottomans, Austro-Hungarian rule brought a contrasting western and Victorian influence to Sarajevo that industrialized and modernized the city.  In fact, Sarajevo was the Austria's testing ground for the very first tramway in Europe in the 1880s.

We can see why Sarajevo is central to the Balkans.  It is in a beautiful valley with the Miljacka River  running through it, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps on all four sides, which unfortunately, were used creatively by snipers to hold the city under seige for over 3 years.  Of note, the peace agreement to end the siege and war of independence was negotiated by President Clinton and signed by the warring parties in (of all places) Dayton, Ohio in 1995.  The Dayton Agreement is the foundation for BiH's current structure and government.  

Anyway, the history is very complex.  Ethnic and religious rivalry go back centuries.  This very elementary summary is only the tip of the iceberg, and we - perhaps for the first time - wished we paid more attention to current events and the news while all this chaos was going on for a better understanding.  

On the surface Sarajevo has managed to rebuild its multi-religious/cultural relations; however, some locals will you tell you that things are much different.  For starters, the population is no longer equally distributed amongst religions.  When Yugoslavia existed, many ethnic minorities and Jews were persecuted.  Many Serbs left Bosnia after the 1992 Siege, while the Croats left for Croatia after their successful independence in 1995.  Some locals worry about the Muslims (80% of population now) insidiously encroaching their radical beliefs into their long-held secular way of life that was not present before.  And now, ethnicities tend to keep to themselves in a segregated fashion.  They also say the relations with Serbia is tense, at best, and is ripe for another conflict.  So, perhaps Sarajevo and Bosnia/Hercegovina is not a melting pot as it used to be for centuries.  They now reluctantly co-exist in segregation, making their future uncertain - even as they aim for European Union status.   A recent OpEd article from August 31st by the Daily Herald explains the situation in "The Shaky State of Bosnia." 

But for now, experiencing the current Sarajevo for the first time was liken to any other charming European city (with heavy Turkish influences), full of outdoor cafes and restaurants, young people partying the night away, families enjoying their weekend out, people shopping, and going about their daily lives.  

We found a hostel/apartment mix-use lodging called "Home Sweet Home" in the center of town on, what we named, "bar street".  The entire street is full of bars and outdoor cafes, creating quite a lively scene 'til the wee hours, especially with our windows open to let the breeze in!  But, no worries - we can sleep through anything...The apartment is very nice, and we instantly liked the feel of Sarajevo, prompting us to extend our stay to 4 days.  

"Bar street", packed full of young Bosnians.  Several backpacker hostels on this Muvekita Street. 

View from our apartment.  Cathedral spires.  Window looks down on the main Ferhadija Street.  GREAT location.

Sunday was our first full day in Sarajevo, and not a lot of tourist services were open (e.g. Siege of Sarajevo Tour, War Tunnel Museum, National Museum, etc.), so we just walked around the historic old town (bascarsija) of Sarajevo.  Here are some of the highlights from our first day.  

We walked to the Sarajevska Pivara Brewery on the south side of the Miljacka River.  A brewery in operation since 1864.  Besides the impressive brewery building, the restaurant was also very spacious and well decorated.  Europeans tend to stick with lager beers, so we were happy to find an extensive beer list and tried out the Sarajevska Dark.  "Bar food" consisted wings and Hungarian goulash!

Akiko found the Japan Embassy!

Latin Bridge spanning the Miljacka River, made famous by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria, at this location.  His assassination sparked a series of events that led to WWI a month later. 

An Islamic cemetery.

Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque.  The biggest and most important mosque in BiH.  Financed by Gazi Husrev and built in 1530.  Badly damaged during the Sarajevo Siege, and restored in 1996.

The Gazi Husrev-Beg Madrassa (Islamic School) next to the mosque.

Mike had shorts on, so refraining from entering the religious grounds without proper attire.

The Clock Tower, also financed by Gazi Husrev, rich dude, back in 16th c.  Only public clock in the world on the lunar calendar.  Once a week, the clock is adjusted to show the lunar hour.  The clock strikes noon at sunset.

View of clock tower from the Gazi-Husrev Beg mosque grounds. 

Clock tower and mosque minaret.