As our bus, with a motley group of tourists, rolled down the hills, the spiers and minarets that dot Sarajevo came into view. Slowly, the town, nestled between the hills, began to grow. As the cameras click, our Slovenian guide, Osman, interrupts: “It’s an advantage to be protected all around by hills, but it’s also a disadvantage, the people here have suffered. » Osman was ostensibly referring to the Bosnian war of 1992-95. , when snipers took up positions in the hills and besieged the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbian troops besieged Sarajevo from April 1992 to 1996, deploying thousands of troops and targeting it with heavy and light weapons. The siege, considered the longest in modern history, left more than 11,000 dead, including some 1,600 children. “…all we want is peace,” Osman remarked.
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As the bus descended into the city, part of our 10-day tour of three Balkan countries, our attention focused on the view before alighting at the Holiday Inn, the hotel that hosted the journalists covering the Bosnian War. Later, on our walking tour, we found ourselves near the Latin Bridge and the exact spot where Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife were shot dead by a Serbian assassin, starting World War I.
Sarajevo suffered from both the world wars and the war of the 1990s. They left their scars: bullet-riddled buildings, broken windows, cemeteries with memorials, the roses of Sarajevo in the streets (craters caused by shots filled with red resin to resemble roses and serve as memorials), museums about the siege and wars and dark memories in the minds of survivors.
In most war-torn countries, the resilience of the population is remarkable and Sarajevo is no exception. Today, the city has a thriving arts and culture scene. The annual Sarajevo Film Festival brings together audiences from all over the world; Tourism is a major draw, given the city’s monuments and history dating back to Ottoman times.
Different ethnic and religious communities live together peacefully. Ferhadija Street, dating from the 16th century, is literally the meeting point between East and West. One moment we’re marveling at the stunning Austro-Hungarian buildings and the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the next moment we’re gaping at the Ottoman architecture. The fact that an Orthodox church, a mosque and a synagogue are all located in this neighborhood is a testament to the city’s multicultural ethos. It was from Ferhadija that Europe’s first tram left, thus adding to the popularity of the street.
The Turkish bazaar, Baščaršija, founded in the 15th century, retains its historic charm with mosques and madrasahs, a clock tower, restaurants, shops selling Turkish coffee makers and fine ironwork. An open-air stage provides evening shows. After strolling through the narrow, winding streets, we sat at an outdoor café in front of the iconic wooden-domed Sebilj Fountain.
In the Turkish quarter, it was humbling and pleasant to see the Town Hall, a neo-Moorish building destroyed during the war and now restored. Transformed into the National Library in 1949, its nearly two million books, including rare volumes reflecting the multicultural life of Sarajevo under the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, were reduced to ashes.
Entering Mostar, the beautiful city in southern Bosnia, we were struck by the number of cemeteries; some old buildings and houses still bore the wounds of war. Mostar was the most heavily bombed city of the Bosnian War, which killed more than 2,000 Bosniaks and injured several thousand.
Strolling through its cobbled streets, one comes across old Turkish houses, reconstructed mosques and churches and impressive bridges over the Neretva which flows quietly and divides Mostar. Winding lanes with colorful bazaars lead you to the star of the show, the Stari Most, a giant stone bridge that connects one side of the old town to the other. You can sit for hours sipping Turkish coffee or eating cevapi (grilled meat sausage with pita bread and raw onion), watching the daredevilry of high-level divers jumping from the bridge into the river below.
Neighboring Croatia, which became a separate state after gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia, is blessed by nature, with forested hills, rivers and the Adriatic Sea on one side. Dubrovnik, the famous port city at the southern tip of Croatia, was hardest hit by the wars. It was bombed for six months, and around 60% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed; strategic infrastructure, such as water, power lines and telecommunications, was bombed. In one of the most violent attacks in December 1991, shells fell on the old city, hitting churches, palaces, hotels and cultural monuments, leaving the city in flames. Hundreds of civilians and soldiers died and thousands were left homeless.
After the war ended in 1995, much of the damage was quickly repaired. Dubrovnik is beautiful, with breathtaking architecture and landscapes. A medieval walled city, its historic old town, surrounded by stone walls, is full of cobbled streets, palaces, ancient baroque monasteries and cathedrals, Renaissance fountains and open-air markets. The old town center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; an episode of Star Wars was filmed in its main street Stradun. Some famous scenes from Game Of Thrones television series have also been filmed in the city. Best of all, the old town offers great views of the Adriatic Sea and neighboring islands.
The Croatian capital, Zagreb, which suffered during World War II, was attacked by Serbs during the 1990s war. Although it appears colorful and modern, its darker history is on display at the Attacks Memorial Center in the rocket on Zagreb, in the tunnels of the Second World War and in the museums. The old quarters have a medieval feel, while the main town has a mix of old and modern buildings, with the iconic blue trams running through it. The funicular is still operational, the city’s oldest and shortest public transport dating from 1888, connecting the lower town with the upper town.
Slovenia was least affected by the war. Was it because she has “love” in her name? I am not sure. But you can easily fall in love with its beautiful and small capital, Ljubljana, picturesque, clean and green. Like its neighbors, Ljubljana has historical monuments and impressive bridges. , museums and markets, as well as rivers, lakes and hills.
Traveling through these war-torn South-Eastern European countries was a profound experience and learning: from the long stories and memorable events, from the horrors of war and its aftermath, from the deaths of innocents, losses and pain, the reconstruction of places and lives, the desire for peace and the joy of freedom. Will lessons be learned from the past? Osman’s words ring in my ears: “We hope and pray that there will be no more wars. All we want is peace. »
Stanley Carvalho is a journalist and writer based in Bangalore. He is the author/editor of three books on the city.