SARAJEVO
JERUSALEM OF EUROPE
Information
Read
Known as the ‘Jerusalem of Europe’; within the same neighborhood, there’s a Mosque, a Catholic Church, an Orthodox church, and a Synagogue [6].
The name is derived from two Turkish words: Saray, meaning court or palace; Ova, meaning surrounded by a plain [6].
Experienced the longest siege in Modern history (April 1992 to February 1996) [6].
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The Serbian Population of Sarajevo (proper) prior to the Yugoslav War (1992-1995) was 30%, now it’s under 4% [6].
The southern & eastern outer edges of the city are known as a town called ‘East Sarajevo’ (Istocno Sarajevo) within the Republika Srpska [6].
The population there is predominantly Serbian (94%) [6].
First city in Europe (2nd in the world, behind San Francisco) to have a full-time electric tram network (1885) [6].
Hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics (First communist country to host) [6].
Nominated the European capital of Culture in 2014 [6].
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Sarajevo dates back to prehistoric times, however it officially became a settlement in 1462 by the Ottoman Empire [6].
The town quickly grew from silk trading [6].
In the 1530s, the city had a major development when Ottoman Governor Gazi Husrev-beg lavished the town with mosques and bazaars [6].
[expand title=””]
In 1697, the town was burnt by Eugene of Savoy, a military commander of the Holy Roman Empire [6].
(Eugene of Savoy) [19]
When it was rebuilt, Sarajevo enclosed its upper border in a large, fortified fortress [6].
In the 1850s, the ottomans moved their Bosnian headquarters from Travnik to Sarajevo [6].
After the Great Eastern Crisis (1875-1878), Austria-Hungary occupied the territory, which gave Sarajevo a modern look with Central European style buildings [6].
In 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year old Serbian, assassinated ‘Archduke Franz Ferdinand’ of Austria near the Latin bridge [6].
This murder sparked the beginning of World War 1, which ended the Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, and commenced the Kingdom of Yugoslavia [6].
Eventually the Kingdom became the Republic of Yugoslavia, and then finally Bosnia became its own republic [6].
(Francis Ferdinand) [14]
(Gavrilo Princip) [15]
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Attractions
Read
Pronounced as barsh-char-shi-ya, which is derived from the Turkish Language for ‘Main Market’, is the main attraction of Sarajevo [6].
This historical city market, which is located in the heart of old Sarajevo, comprises of stalls, restaurants, and little cafes [6].
The main feature of Bascarsija is the wooden fountain known as Sebilj. [6].
For the foreigners, this place is known as pigeon square [6].
A memorial museum of the Srebrenica massacre, one of the most infamous events of the Yugoslav War, which involved 8372 deaths [6].
The museum comprise of photos, videos, and audio testimonies of the survivors and family members [6].
Sarajevo’s 16th century (1531) Mosque, which possesses a 45 metre tower [6].
The mosque was approved by Bosnia’s second ottoman governor, Gazi Husrev-Beg [6].
Known as the ‘Museum of the Revolution’, is a 1960s socialist building that hosts high profile international exhibitions [6].
The exterior of the building is still partly damaged from the Yugoslav wars [6].
The main attraction of the museum is the ‘surrounded Sarajevo display’, which diagrams the local people’s life and death between 1992 and 1995 [6].
[expand title=””]
Other displays include heartbreaking photographs, and personal belongings from the war victims (e.g. self-mad lamps and food aids) [6].
[/expand]
A confronting museum which displays the numerous atrocities that occurred throughout Bosnia during the Yugoslav Wars (1992-1995) [6].
The museum contains photographs, artifacts, and testimonies that illustrate the horrors during the war [6].
Bosnia’s biggest museum of ancient and natural history [6].
The exterior of the museum is a 20th century (1913) neoclassic quadrangle building [6].
Inside it contains Greek pottery, Roman mosaics, and the famous ‘Sarajevo Haggadah illuminated manuscript’ [6].
The 14th century manuscript is packed with beautiful hand drawings, yet it is its story of survival which makes it even more extraordinary [6].
[expand title=””]
It was first created in Barcelona, and then it moved away from Spain, due to the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews [6].
It then ended up in Venice, and in 1609 it was saved from destruction by a Catholic priest who honored its content [6].
In 1884, it was sold to a Sarajevo museum [6].
During WWII, it was saved from destruction yet again, by a Muslim Librarian who hid it in his mosque [6].
During the Sarajevo siege (1992-1995), it avoided destruction twice [6] [6].
First, it survived a break in by thieves who entered the National Museum, yet didn’t steal its content as they probably didn’t realise the value [6].
After further Bombardment of the city, a Muslim curator of the museum sealed the manuscript in the vaults of the national bank [6].
Today, it’s the showpiece of the museum [6].
[/expand]
A cable car to a 1627m mountain peak of the city, ‘Trebevic’ [6].
Was first built in 1969, yet was completely destroyed during the Yugoslav wars (1992-1995) [6].
In 2018, it was reconstructed and re-opened [6].
The cable car takes you on a 9 minute ride, in which it ascends up to 500 metres to a viewing platform, which is 1164m above sea level [6].
A city hall built during the Austro-Hungarian Era (late 19th century) [6].
In 1914 the city hall got international press, as it was the building that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia were returning too, before they were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip [6].
From 1949, the building served as the national library [6].
[expand title=””]
Then in August 1992, it was seriously damaged by Serbians shells during the Yugoslav Wars [6].
The damaged comprised of 2 million irreplaceable manuscripts, books, and documents [6].
In 2014, it was finally reopened after strenuous reconstruction [6].
Now, the building is used for weddings, concerts, and exhibits [6].
The basement exhibit comprises of 20th century history, and the revelation of Franz Ferdinand’s love life [6].
[/expand]
The Tunnel of Hope, also known as the Sarajevo Tunnel, was constructed during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996) between March and June of 1993 [6].
The Siege occurred when Bosnian Serbs surrounded the town, which effectively cut off their supplies [6].
In the meantime, the UN got controlled of the airport and the territory outside of it [6].
However, crossing the airport strip to the ‘Free Bosnian Territory’ would have been suicidal for the Bosniaks [6].
Therefore, a underground tunnel was constructed to bypass the Serbian forces [6].
[expand title=””]
The tunnel was 800 metre long, 1 metre wide, and 1.6 metres high [6].
This allowed food, war supplies, and aid to come in and out of the city, which proved enough time for the city to survive the siege [6].
The tunnel was connected between 2 houses that were opposites side of the city’s airport runway [6].
Today, one of the houses is a museum, which gives the tourist a 25 metre tour of the tunnel [6].
The museum also provides the ‘story of the siege’, a video of the tunnel’s construction, and an audio guide [6].
[/expand]
An Extenesive and popular parkland outside the city centre [6].
A popular route to get there is the 3km pedestrian road (Velika Aleja), which is enclosed by tall trees [6].
The routine starts near Ilidza hotel Aleja [6].
You can either walk, or take a horse carriage to the destination [6].
Inspired by Jasminko Halilovic’s 2013 book “War Childhood: Sarajevo 1992–1995”, which the author asks questions of the survivor’s childhood during the siege [6].
Of the hundreds of replies that he received, he chose 50 short testimonies to present at the museum [6].
Each testimony contains something unique, like diaries, drawings, toys, and even ballet slippers [6].
Built in the 18th century as part of the city’s neighborhood (Vratnik) walls [6].
The place is a popular location for picnickers, and in my opinion is the best lookout point of the city [6].
From here, you can see the stunning red roofed cityscape of the city [6].
At the end the Ramadan fast, by tradition, a canon is shot here to formally announced the finish [6].
Trips
Read
Bjelasnica is a ski resort located in the Bosnian Federation [6].
The resort is located 25km south from Sarajevo [6].
It was awarded the honor to host the Men’s Alpine events during the 1984 Winter Olympics [6].
Jahorina is a ski resort located in the Republika Srpska [6].
The resort is located 26km southeast from Sarajevo [6].
It also hosted events during the 1984 Winter Olympics [6].
GUIDE
INFORMATION
Known as the ‘Jerusalem of Europe’; within the same neighborhood, there’s a Mosque, a Catholic Church, an Orthodox church, and a Synagogue [6].
The name is derived from two Turkish words: Saray, meaning court or palace; Ova, meaning surrounded by a plain [6].
Experienced the longest siege in Modern history (April 1992 to February 1996) [6].
[expand title=””]
The Serbian Population of Sarajevo (proper) prior to the Yugoslav War (1992-1995) was 30%, now it’s under 4% [6].
The southern & eastern outer edges of the city are known as a town called ‘East Sarajevo’ (Istocno Sarajevo) within the Republika Srpska [6].
The population there is predominantly Serbian (94%) [6].
First city in Europe (2nd in the world, behind San Francisco) to have a full-time electric tram network (1885) [6].
Hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics (First communist country to host) [6].
Nominated the European capital of Culture in 2014 [6].
[/expand]
Sarajevo dates back to prehistoric times, however it officially became a settlement in 1462 by the Ottoman Empire [6].
The town quickly grew from silk trading [6].
In the 1530s, the city had a major development when Ottoman Governor Gazi Husrev-beg lavished the town with mosques and bazaars [6].
[expand title=””]
In 1697, the town was burnt by Eugene of Savoy, a military commander of the Holy Roman Empire [6].
(Eugene of Savoy) [19]
When it was rebuilt, Sarajevo enclosed its upper border in a large, fortified fortress [6].
In the 1850s, the ottomans moved their Bosnian headquarters from Travnik to Sarajevo [6].
After the Great Eastern Crisis (1875-1878), Austria-Hungary occupied the territory, which gave Sarajevo a modern look with Central European style buildings [6].
In 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year old Serbian, assassinated ‘Archduke Franz Ferdinand’ of Austria near the Latin bridge [6].
This murder sparked the beginning of World War 1, which ended the Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, and commenced the Kingdom of Yugoslavia [6].
Eventually the Kingdom became the Republic of Yugoslavia, and then finally Bosnia became its own republic [6].
(Francis Ferdinand) [14]
(Gavrilo Princip) [15]
[/expand]
ATTRACTIONS
Pronounced as barsh-char-shi-ya, which is derived from the Turkish Language for ‘Main Market’, is the main attraction of Sarajevo [6].
This historical city market, which is located in the heart of old Sarajevo, comprises of stalls, restaurants, and little cafes [6].
The main feature of Bascarsija is the wooden fountain known as Sebilj. [6].
For the foreigners, this place is known as pigeon square [6].
A memorial museum of the Srebrenica massacre, one of the most infamous events of the Yugoslav War, which involved 8372 deaths [6].
The museum comprise of photos, videos, and audio testimonies of the survivors and family members [6].
Sarajevo’s 16th century (1531) Mosque, which possesses a 45 metre tower [6].
The mosque was approved by Bosnia’s second ottoman governor, Gazi Husrev-Beg [6].
Known as the ‘Museum of the Revolution’, is a 1960s socialist building that hosts high profile international exhibitions [6].
The exterior of the building is still partly damaged from the Yugoslav wars [6].
The main attraction of the museum is the ‘surrounded Sarajevo display’, which diagrams the local people’s life and death between 1992 and 1995 [6].
[expand title=””]
Other displays include heartbreaking photographs, and personal belongings from the war victims (e.g. self-mad lamps and food aids) [6].
[/expand]
A confronting museum which displays the numerous atrocities that occurred throughout Bosnia during the Yugoslav Wars (1992-1995) [6].
The museum contains photographs, artifacts, and testimonies that illustrate the horrors during the war [6].
Bosnia’s biggest museum of ancient and natural history [6].
The exterior of the museum is a 20th century (1913) neoclassic quadrangle building [6].
Inside it contains Greek pottery, Roman mosaics, and the famous ‘Sarajevo Haggadah illuminated manuscript’ [6].
The 14th century manuscript is packed with beautiful hand drawings, yet it is its story of survival which makes it even more extraordinary [6].
[expand title=””]
It was first created in Barcelona, and then it moved away from Spain, due to the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews [6].
It then ended up in Venice, and in 1609 it was saved from destruction by a Catholic priest who honored its content [6].
In 1884, it was sold to a Sarajevo museum [6].
During WWII, it was saved from destruction yet again, by a Muslim Librarian who hid it in his mosque [6].
During the Sarajevo siege (1992-1995), it avoided destruction twice [6] [6].
First, it survived a break in by thieves who entered the National Museum, yet didn’t steal its content as they probably didn’t realise the value [6].
After further Bombardment of the city, a Muslim curator of the museum sealed the manuscript in the vaults of the national bank [6].
Today, it’s the showpiece of the museum [6].
[/expand]
A cable car to a 1627m mountain peak of the city, ‘Trebevic’ [6].
Was first built in 1969, yet was completely destroyed during the Yugoslav wars (1992-1995) [6].
In 2018, it was reconstructed and re-opened [6].
The cable car takes you on a 9 minute ride, in which it ascends up to 500 metres to a viewing platform, which is 1164m above sea level [6].
A city hall built during the Austro-Hungarian Era (late 19th century) [6].
In 1914 the city hall got international press, as it was the building that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia were returning too, before they were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip [6].
From 1949, the building served as the national library [6].
[expand title=””]
Then in August 1992, it was seriously damaged by Serbians shells during the Yugoslav Wars [6].
The damaged comprised of 2 million irreplaceable manuscripts, books, and documents [6].
In 2014, it was finally reopened after strenuous reconstruction [6].
Now, the building is used for weddings, concerts, and exhibits [6].
The basement exhibit comprises of 20th century history, and the revelation of Franz Ferdinand’s love life [6].
[/expand]
The Tunnel of Hope, also known as the Sarajevo Tunnel, was constructed during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996) between March and June of 1993 [6].
The Siege occurred when Bosnian Serbs surrounded the town, which effectively cut off their supplies [6].
In the meantime, the UN got controlled of the airport and the territory outside of it [6].
However, crossing the airport strip to the ‘Free Bosnian Territory’ would have been suicidal for the Bosniaks [6].
Therefore, a underground tunnel was constructed to bypass the Serbian forces [6].
[expand title=””]
The tunnel was 800 metre long, 1 metre wide, and 1.6 metres high [6].
This allowed food, war supplies, and aid to come in and out of the city, which proved enough time for the city to survive the siege [6].
The tunnel was connected between 2 houses that were opposites side of the city’s airport runway [6].
Today, one of the houses is a museum, which gives the tourist a 25 metre tour of the tunnel [6].
The museum also provides the ‘story of the siege’, a video of the tunnel’s construction, and an audio guide [6].
[/expand]
An Extenesive and popular parkland outside the city centre [6].
A popular route to get there is the 3km pedestrian road (Velika Aleja), which is enclosed by tall trees [6].
The routine starts near Ilidza hotel Aleja [6].
You can either walk, or take a horse carriage to the destination [6].
Inspired by Jasminko Halilovic’s 2013 book “War Childhood: Sarajevo 1992–1995”, which the author asks questions of the survivor’s childhood during the siege [6].
Of the hundreds of replies that he received, he chose 50 short testimonies to present at the museum [6].
Each testimony contains something unique, like diaries, drawings, toys, and even ballet slippers [6].
Built in the 18th century as part of the city’s neighborhood (Vratnik) walls [6].
The place is a popular location for picnickers, and in my opinion is the best lookout point of the city [6].
From here, you can see the stunning red roofed cityscape of the city [6].
At the end the Ramadan fast, by tradition, a canon is shot here to formally announced the finish [6].
TRIPS
Bjelasnica is a ski resort located in the Bosnian Federation [6].
The resort is located 25km south from Sarajevo [6].
It was awarded the honor to host the Men’s Alpine events during the 1984 Winter Olympics [6].
Jahorina is a ski resort located in the Republika Srpska [6].
The resort is located 26km southeast from Sarajevo [6].
It also hosted events during the 1984 Winter Olympics [6].
Sarajevo Experience
My experience of Sarajevo comprised of 3 nights. In my stay, I got to explore the old town and its surrounding attractions. Sarajevo is a unique city, in which the East and West of Europe blend seamlessly together. You have the old town that looks like a mini Istanbul, and then you have Austro-Hungarian architecture spread throughout. A lot of history during the 20th century has come from this town, this includes the assassination that sparked WWI, and the Siege which became the longest in modern warfare. A lot of the attractions in Sarajevo are based on the horrors that happen during the Yugoslav Wars. A highly recommended visit is the ‘Tunnel of Hope’, which was the only way the city survived the siege. Sarajevo is a good city to visit at any season, during the summer months the town has a bustling atmosphere, while in the winter you have two Olympic Ski Resorts from the 1984 Winter Olympics that are less than 30km away.
[expand title=””]
In my opinion, Sarajevo will give you a pleasant and educational experience. Although the town is small, it has enough attractions to spark your interest. But what makes the capital special, is the nature surrounding the city. And for that reason, it deserves a visit if you’re in the Balkans.
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