An afternoon in Mostar

The historic town of Mostar is the 5^th largest city in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

It is situated on the Neretva River. Mostar has long been known for its old Turkish houses and the Old Bridge “Stari Most” after which it is named.

The Old Bridge area is an exceptional example of a multicultural urban settlement with its pre – Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and western European architectural features.

The Old Bridge built by the Ottomans in the 16^th century was inscribed onto the World Heritage List by the UNESCO in July 2005.

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Mostar was heavily bombed; air strikes destroyed lots of important sites and edifices. With the support of an international scientific committee established by UNESCO, it was possible to restore many of the damaged buildings and structures. The rebuilding of the Old Bridge was completed in 2004 using some of its original pieces recovered from the Neretva River.

Mostar has a very remarkable architecture with a wide range of styles. Some significant sites include  the Italianate Franciscan church, the clock tower, the remains of an early Christian Basilica, the Ottoman Muslibegovića house, the Orthodox Church which was built as gift from the Sultan, the Catholic Church, Crooked Bridge, Tara and Halebija Towers, Ottoman Residences (16^th-19^th century), the Dalmatian Corovic House, the Synagogue, the Bishop’s Ordinariate Building, etc…

Mostar is also a very cultural city with festivals like Melodije Mostara (a music festival which has been held annually since 1995), summer festivals like Mostar Summer Festival and Festival of Bosnia and Herzegovina, theatre festivals like The Mostar Spring and Mostarska Liska.

 

Spending an afternoon in a beautiful restored vibrant city like Mostar is certainly a proof that after destruction always comes the light.

With Love,

Maja