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THE CITY OF LIGHT GOOD PEOPLE AND DIVERSE CULTURES

old bridge mostar

"I, Evlija, God's slave, have passed through 16 empires and have never seen a bridge so high that it seems to be connecting two clouds..." - Celebija wrote once

Placed in the heart of Herzegovina, Mostar is one of the most interesting cities in the region, in terms of culture. It has always been unique, but plural as well - due to its locality, being placed between Mediterran and Dinarian Alps, and because of the richness of various cultures that have through centuries of contact and dialogue, learned to coexist with one another.

 

DIVERSITIES IN HARMONY

Intercultural and spiritual unity of Mostar was reflected in its harmonious architecture, consisted of different architectural forms that fused into a refined entirety, which had made the central Herzegovina a well known region.
Except its cultural richness, Mostar is, by the words Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić, by nature privileged city; placed on the banks of Neretva and its clear and cold tributaries, surrounded by orchards, vineyards, bathed in the Herzegovinian sun.

This idyllic area, a place of confluence of cultures—Orient, Byzanth, Austro-Hungarian empire, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Romani people, and all the others who made the city what it was, in the 1990s of the last century experienced the biggest destruction in its many years of history. Mostar today, is still healing its wounds, but is also regaining its old virtues of coexistence and tolerance.
Mostar's Old Town is interesting for its lively narrow streets.
There are a lot of catering facilities in it and handicraft shops with an array of traditional goods offered.
In the Old Town there are a lot of cultural-historical and religious buildings such as the Old Bridge, the Crooked Bridge, Karadjozbeg Mosque, turbe, the Hamam, the public bath, the old Orthodox church, synagogue etc.

Besides the panoramic view of the nearby Dubrovnik, the Old Bridge was the most popular picture in ex-Yugoslavia. The bridge is even more magnificient than the Nobel prize winning novel „The bridge on the Drina“. It is more than probable that it is the most magnificent bridge of all times.

The bridge was built in 1557 replacing the old wooden suspension bridge unable to meet the needs of the Turkish army. The construction of the bridge lasted 9 years, and then the bridge out-shined the greatest architectural works of its time.
The Old Bridge won glory in the saddest moments of its existence. Man's stupidity and arrogance were caught by the camera witnessing the horrors of the Bosnian war. More than a year after the bridge was completely reconstructed, and Mostar finally restored to its splendor.

The Old-New Bridge is one of the fewest bridges in the world having a semicircular arch construction. The span of the arch is 30 meters long. The bridge is 21 meters high, and 4.5 meters wide. The bridge was constructed of massive stone blocks connected by ironed cramps and melted lead was poured in the slots to connect metal and stone elements.
There is a slab on the bridge with the year 944 of Hijra, or 1566 CE.

Mostar is a big modern city, where approximately 100.000 people live. It lies in an ideal geographic position, only 60 kilometres from the Adriatic coast. Mostar is well-known for its second name as the „Town on the Neretva River“, whose canyon is splitting the town in two halves. The eternal green river is a famous attraction and a highlight as the Old bridge itself is, spanning it at unusually great height. The historic town is renowned for its heroical diving competition which was even perpetuated in cult films.