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Bosnia-Herzegovina

Today we cross the border from Dubrovnik, Croatia into Bosnia & Herzegovina after stopping at the Oyster farms. We then drive on for 4 hours or more when we stop for lunch at the town of Mostar. Here we are walking the narrow streets on our way to lunch.

Mostar was established by the Ottoman Turks in the late 15th Century. The town became a place where the cultures of the Middle East and Europe met bringing influences from the mainland and the Adriatic Sea.

Mostar was famous for its 400-year-old, Turkish-style stone bridge. Its elegant, single-pointed arch was a symbol of Muslim society here, and of the town's status as the place where East met West in Europe spanning the Neretva River. .

Looking down the river from the bridge. During the conflict that tore apart the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the beautiful Old Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was completely destroyed. On 9 November 1993, after relentless shelling, the elegant structure disintegrated and fell into the Neretva River.

Looking up the river from the bridge. The bridge and Mostar's historic city center were restored in 2004. Today it is a UNEXCO HERITAGE Site and represents a symbol of reconciliation and continued peace for the region. The Old Bridge at Mostar was not exclusively a bridge for Protestants and Muslims; it was a symbol of coexistence and a link between the Muslim and Christian communities of the city.

This morning we take a walking tour of Sarajevo. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the political, financial, social, and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a prominent center of culture in the Balkans. This is the actual corner where World War I in 1914 started.

The main river that runs through Sarajevo is the Miljacka River. Where the Latin Bridge crosses this river is the point where World War I started.

This marks the spot where the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie of Austria were murdered in a car just like this replica in the photo. World War I lasted until November 11, 1918. The total number of military and civilian casualties was approximately 40 million, with estimates of 15 to 22 million deaths among military personnel.

World War I started. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was one of the key events that led to World War I. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range while being driven through Sarajevo, This is a replica of the car they were riding in and at the exact location.

All but one were Bosnian Serbs and members of a student revolutionary group that later became known as Young Bosnia. The assassination team was helped by the Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist group.

The assassination precipitated the July Crisis, which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and the start of World War I in November 1914.

There is a statue of Nikola Tesla in Sarajevo, located in front of the Tesla Pub in the historic Stari Grad, Old Town, area. The natural-sized sculpture depicts Tesla sitting in thought, with a light bulb in his lap.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Catholic church in Sarajevo, in the center of the city. It is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was completed in 1887.

The Statue to the right is dedicated to Pope John Paul II when he visited Sarajevo in April 1997.

We stopped for a coffee while walking around the center of Sarajevo. The red is a soft piece of candy, home made, delicious to go with the coffee.

The Sarajevo line of culture refers to a brass line embedded in the pavement of Ferhadija Street, known as the Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures.

This symbolic marker denotes the physical meeting point of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian historical eras that shaped the city, signifying the distinct cultural influences of the Old Town, East, and the more modern areas West. Walking along this line allows you to experience the transition between these two influential periods in Sarajevo's history.

Sarajevo, connecting the city's Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian quarters. Walking its length is a journey through the city's history and diverse culture. Located in this area are many restaurants and bars busy both day and night.

Inside the mosque located on and named after the street is the Ferhadija Mosque itself, a beautiful and historically significant Ottoman-era mosque situated on the main pedestrian street,

The ceiling art inside the Mosque

Our local guide inside the mosque explaining some of the rituals to the ladies in our group.

Sarajevo is well-known for its historical coppersmithing and silversmithing traditions, with the Kazandžiluk street in the heart of the old Bascarsija bazaar.

You find artisans creating intricately designed copper and silver products like coffee pots, jewelry, and decorative plates. This craft has a long-standing history in the city, blending Ottoman influences with modern artistry to produce unique, handcrafted souvenirs and functional items.

We stopped for some local "pies" for lunch consisting of cheese, spinach, potato and beef. They were excellent and hit the spot.

The City Hall is a monument to the multiculturalism of Bosnia. Built between 1892 and 1894, the pseudo-Moorish building honored the Muslim background of this Austro-Hungarian territory. In 1992 the building was bombed and almost destroyed. After numerous starts in 1996, 1999, 2003 the building was reopened. in 2014

Surrounding hillside with older homes over looking the city.

The Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics were the 14th Winter Games, held from February 8–19, 1984, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Games were a source of pride for the city and nation, but eight years later, many Olympic facilities were destroyed during the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo, leaving a bittersweet legacy.

While walking along the river, we happened to come across the artwork "The Equilibrists over River". These are sculptures suspended over the river on wire ropes.

Enes Sivac made these sculptures in 1993, during the Siege of Sarajevo, and installed them in the same place over the Miljacka River near the Sarajevo Academy of fine Arts. Photos of this work of art spread around the world and appeared on the pages of major newspapers and other medias as a powerful symbol of the cultural resistance to the aggression.

The Sarajevo Tunnel, also known as Tunel Spasa or Tunnel of Life/Hope is a historic underground tunnel in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, built during the 1990s Siege of Sarajevo to provide food, supplies, and humanitarian aid to the besieged city and serve as an evacuation route for the wounded,

The tunnel consists of 520 feet of covered trenches on the Dobrinja side, 1,100 feet of covered trenches on the Butmir side, and 1,100 feet of actual tunnel under the airport runway.

The construction was assigned to the First Corps Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The tunnel was dug by hand, with shovels and picks, and wheelbarrows were used to carry 42,000 cubic feet of dirt away. The tunnel was dug 24-hours a day, with workers working in 8-hour shifts digging from opposite ends.

There were two major problems with the tunnel. The first was flooding by underground waters which could rise to levels waist deep. The second was air quality. The tunnel had no ventilation and consequently everyone entering the tunnel was forced to wear a mask, The workers were paid with one packet of cigarettes per day, an item that was in high demand and a prized bartering possession.

The biggest technical problem was the underground water, which had to be frequently thrown out manually. Because of the permanent shelling, the tunnel was installed with a pipeline that was used for the delivery of oil for the town.

The entrance on the Dobrinja side was the garage of an apartment building. The entrance on the Butmir side was a house near the airport belonging to the Kolar family. Both entrances were under close guard and ringed by trenches manned by Bosnian troops.

At first the tunnel was a simple, muddy path through which supplies had to be carried by hand or on the backs of soldiers. Less than a year after it was created, however, a small railway track was laid and small carts were built to transport supplies through the tunnel. The final construction of the tunnel included a power cable, pumps for pumping underground water, an oil pipe and permanent lighting.

Every day, between 3000 and 4,000 Bosnian soldiers, as well as civilians, and 33 tons of various goods passed through the tunnel. Groups traveling through the tunnel ranged in size from 20 to 1,000 people. On average, it took 2 hours for these groups to travel through the tunnel.

This even we divide into smaller groups and visit 2 local families for Home Hosted Dinner. The homes are located in a Soviet Style town block that was once known as Sniper Alley, during the Bosnian War, a dangerous place to lie and work in.

Our hostess prepared a delicious dinner and we had time for many questions and answers.

A mother and young adult son were our hosts. We really did no want to depart when it was time to leave. We learned what it was like to live with bombs falling all around their building.

Our Hostess a very good cook, and a gracious person to open up their home for international guests.

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