'Mostar' (Мостар) is a city and municipality in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the center of the
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the
Federation. Mostar is situated on the
Neretva river and is the fifth-largest
city in the country. Mostar was named after its Old Bridge (''
Stari most'') and the towers on its sides, "the bridge keepers" (natively: ''mostari'').
Demographics
In 2005 the municipality of Mostar had a population of 127,066. The political control of the ethnically divided city is equally shared between Croats and Bosniaks.
The city has had a carefully elaborated policy of national equality ever since the end of the war. The Croat and Bosniak ethnic communities each claim one side of the river and even support for the local
football clubs,
Zrinjski and
Velež, is divided along ethnic lines. One Bosnian politician called Mostar "divided by a wall between Croats and Bosniaks" in an interview to RTV Slovenia. The number of Serbs remaining in the city following ethnic cleansing during the
Bosnian War is negligible.
History
Early history
Old Bridge, June 2006
The names of two towns appear in mediaeval historical sources, along with their later mediaeval territories and properties – the towns of ''Nebojša'' and ''Cimski grad''. In the early
15th century the late mediaeval župa (county) of ''Večenike'' covered the site of present-day 'Mostar' along the right bank of the
Neretva: Zahum, Cim, Iliće, Hraštane and Vojno. It was at the centre of this area, which belonged to the Radivojević's in
1408, that Cim fort was built prior to
1443; it is referred to in a charter of King Alphonse V dating from
1454 as ''Pons'' (Bridge), for a bridge had already been built there. Prior to
1444, the Nebojša fort was built on the left bank of the Neretva, which belonged to the late mediaeval župa still known as Večenike or Večerić
(Anđelić, 1974, 276-278).
The earliest documentary reference to Mostar as a settlement dates from 3 April
1452, when natives of
Dubrovnik wrote to their fellow countrymen in the service of Đorđe Branković to say that Vladislav Hercegović had turned against his father and occupied ''Blagaj'' and other places, including ''“Duo Castelli al ponte de Neretua.”''
(Mujezinović, 1998, p. 144).
In
1468 Mostar came under
Ottoman rule
(Mujezinović, 1998, p. 144). The urbanization of the settlement began, following the unwritten oriental rule, with a
čaršija – the crafts and commercial centre of the settlement – and mahalas or residential quarters. In 1468 Mostar acquired the name Köpruhisar, meaning fortress on the water, at the centre of which was a cluster of 15 houses
(Institute for Regional Planning, Mostar, 1982, p. 21).
In the late 16th century, Mostar was the chief administrative city for the
Ottoman Empire in the
Herzegovina region. The
Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in
1878 and then it became part of
Yugoslavia in the
aftermath of World War I. Since
1881 Mostar has been the seat of the
Bishopric of Mostar-Duvno.
The city's symbol, ''"The Old Bridge"'' (
Stari Most) is one of the most important constructions of Ottoman Era and built by the student of the famous Ottoman Architect Mimar
Sinan, Mimar Hayrettin. In 1939, Mostar became a part of the
Banovina of Croatia, and during the
Second World War was an important city in the
Independent State of Croatia.
Yugoslav Period
After
World War II, Mostar developed a production of
tobacco,
bauxite,
wine and
aluminium products. Several
dams ("Grabovica", "Salakovac", "Mostar") were built in the region to harness the
hydroelectric power of the Neretva. The city was a major industrial and tourist center and prospered during the time of
SFRY.
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from
Yugoslavia following Referendum held in February 1992. The Yugoslav National Army (Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija - JNA) first bombarded City of Mostar on April 3rd, 1992 and over the following weeks, gradually established control over large portions of the City. The siege lasted for three months.
The Yugoslav National Army (JNA) shelling forced tens of thousands from their homes, and resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,600 people. Amongst the destroyed historic monuments were the Karadžoz-bey
mosque, Roznamed-ij-Ibrahim-efendija mosque and twelve other mosques, a
Franciscan monastery, the
Catholic cathedral and the
bishop's
palace, with a library of 50,000 books, as well as secular institutions.
By June 12th 1992, the ABIH (4th Corps of Army of Bosnia Herzegovina) and HVO (Croatian Military Council supported by HOS - Hrvatske Obrambene Snage/Croatian Defence Forces) amassed enough weaponry and manpower to force the JNA troops out of Mostar.
Saborna Crkva (Orthodox Cathedral Church) largest and most beautiful Orthodox Church in Bosnia Herzegovina, built between 1863-1873, was destroyed on the night of June, 15, 1992.
After the Yugoslav National Army were driven out by the Bosnian-Croat forces, the Croatian army (HVO) clashed with Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH).
The campaign reduced the city to rubble - including the famous 400-year-old Stari Most Old Bridge, and resulted in the division of the city of Mostar into West Mostar (administered by Croats) and East Mostar (adminsitered by Bosniaks).
Reconstruction
The Old Bridge reconstruction in June 2003
Since the end of the wider war in
1995, great progress is being made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar. The city was under direct monitoring from a
European Union envoy, several elections were held and each nation was accommodated with regard to political control over the city. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.
A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in
1999 and mostly completed by Spring
2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by the
United States,
Turkey,
Italy, the
Netherlands, and
Croatia. A grand opening was held on
July 23,
2004 under heavy security.
In parallel with the restoration of the
Old Bridge, the
Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the
World Monuments Fund (WMF) undertook a five-year long restoration and rehabilitation effort in historic Mostar.
[1] Realizing early on that the reconstruction of the bridge without an in-depth rehabilitation of the surrounding historic neighbourhoods would be devoid of context and meaning, they shaped the programme in such a way as to establish a framework of urban conservation schemes and individual restoration projects that would help regenerate the most significant areas of historic Mostar, and particularly the urban tissue around the Old Bridge. The project also resulted in the establishment of the
Stari grad Agency which has an important role in overseeing the ongoing implementation of the conservation plan, as well as operating and maintaining a series of restored historic buildings (including the Old Bridge complex) and promoting Mostar as a cultural and tourist destination. The official inauguration of the Stari grad Agency coincided with the opening ceremony of the Bridge.
[2]
In
July 2005,
UNESCO finally inscribed the
Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto the
World Heritage List. Previously, the inscription had been repeatedly deferred on account of poor quality of post-war reconstructions and deplorable use of modern materials in the old town.
Economy
Mostar is home to several of the nation's largest companies including the mail delivery firm
Hrvatska pošta Mostar,telecomunication company
Hrvatske telekomnikacije Mostar, aluminum manufacturer
Aluminij and aircraft manufacturer
SOKO.
City government
Mostar
Old part of Mostar
Currently, the city government is equally divided Croats and Bosniaks. This means that no ethnicity controls the city, though each controls one half - Croats, the west, and Bosniaks, the east.
The City of Mostar has the status of a
municipality. The city government is led by the Mayor. The current Mayor of Mostar is
Ljubo Bešlić (
HDZ).
The City Council is composed of 35 representatives, coming from the following political parties:
★ Croatian Coalition 13
★
★
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
★
★
United Croatian Party of Rights (UHSP)
★
★
Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)
★
★
Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU)
★
★
Croatian People's Union (HNZ)
★
Party of Democratic Action (SDA) 10
★
Social Democratic Party (SDP) 4
★
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 4
★
People's Party Work for Betterment 1
★ Croatian Coalition 1
★
★
Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)
★
★
Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HČSP)
★ Independent 2
Education and Culture
The oldest single arch stone bridge in Mostar, the Kriva Cuprija (Sloping Bridge), built in 1558 by the Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. It is said that this was to be a test before the major construction of the Stari Most began. The Old Bridge was completed in 1566 and was hailed as one of the greatest architectural achievement in the Ottoman controlled Balkans. No matter how many times one does it, crossing the Stari most (Old Bridge) always seems to be an exciting experience. This single-arch stone bridge is an exact replica of the original bridge that stood for over 400 years and that was designed by Hajrudin, a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. It spans 28.7 meters of the Neretva river, 21 meters above the summer water level. The Halebija and Tara towers have always housed the guardians of the bridge and during Ottoman times were storehouses for ammunition.
Crossing from the west bank to the east you'll also be crossing the ancient point where East and West symbolically met. Up the stairs to the right is the oldest mosque in Mostar: the Cejvan Cehaj Mosque built in 1552. Later a medresa (Islamic school) was built on the same compound. The Old Bazaar, Kujundziluk is named after the goldsmiths who traditionally created and sold their wares on this street, it is the best place in town to find authentic paintings and copper or bronze carvings of the Stari Most, pomegranates (the natural symbol of Herzegovina) or the famed stecaks (medieval tombstones).
The Koski Mehmed pasa Mosque, built in 1617 is open to visitors. Visitors may enter the mosque and take photos free of charge. For those willing to bear the dizzy spiral to the top, the minaret is also open to the public and is accessible from inside the mosque. The view speaks for itself! Just around the corner from the mosque is the Tepa Market. This has been a busy marketplace since Ottoman times. It now sells mostly fresh produce grown in Herzegovina. When in season, the figs and pomegranates can't be beaten. Be sure to look for local honey, organically produced in sunny villages all over Herzegovina.
Kriva cuprija is a stone one-arch bridge of small dimension and closely resembles the Stari Most. The arch is a perfect semicircle 8.56m in width and 4.15m in height. The frontage and vault are made of regular stone cubes incorporated into the horizontal layers all along the vault. The space between vault, frontal walls and footpath is filled with cracked stone. The bridge footpath and the approaching roads are paved with cobblestones, as is the case with the main roads in the town. Stone steps enable people to ascend to the bridge either side. A synagogue was also recently built in the city.
The Catholic Church, which was recently renovated, is nearly impossible to miss. A steeple of over 30m dominates the skyline. The bishop's residence in Mostar marks the more recent Catholic traditions of the region and is built in the Viennese architecture that greatly added to the town's charm. The roundabout by the Rondo on the west side is home to the former Cultural Centre for the City of Mostar. It is now the Croatian Cultural Centre and certainly worth a peek inside. The Partisan Memorial Cemetery commemorates the fallen partisans. It is located off KP Kresimira IV Street on Bijeli Brijeg. This part of town is covered with lots of greenery and is also a nice place for a stroll with a great view of the city.
★
University of Mostar
★
Džemal Bijedić University
★
Pavarotti Music Center
★
United World College in Mostar
★ Gymnasium Mostar
★ "Gradska" Library (Rondo)
★ "Dječja i Narodna" Library (Carina)
★ Cultural Center Mostar (ul. Rade Bitange)
★ "Hrvatski dom Herceg Stjepan Kosače" cultural Center (Rondo)
★ Gallery "Aluminij" (near by hospital by building Uglovnica)
★ City Park "Zrinjski" (with the
Bruce Lee bronze statue)
★ Narodno Pozorište (National theatre)
Tourism
Mostar is an important tourist centre in the country.
Mostar International Airport serves the city. Mostar's old city is an important tourist destination with the
Stari most being its most recognizable feature. The "Rondo shopping centre",and the "Mercator shopping mall" are some of the city's newer attractions. The Catholic pilgrimage site of
Međugorje is also nearby.
Recreation and sports
The most popular sport in Mostar is
football. The two most successful teams are
NK Zrinjski Mostar and
Velež Mostar.
As of 2006 both teams compete in the
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the Bosnian War each club has generally been supported by a particular ethnic group (Zrinjski for the Croats and Velež for the Bosniaks). The matches between the two clubs are some of the country's most intense matches.
Bijeli Brijeg Stadium and
Vrapčići are the city's two main football grounds.
In
basketball HKK Zrinjski Mostar competes at the nation's highest level while the
Zrinjski banner also represents the city in the top
handball league.
Gallery
References
1. Conservation and Revitalisation of Historic Mostar - AKTC
2. Resurgence of Mostar’s Historic City Centre
See also
★
Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
★
Serbs of Mostar
External links
★
Visit Mostar
★
City of Mostar
★
Mostar International Airport
★
National Monument- Muslibegovica House
★
Pictures of Mostar 2004
★
Ultimate guide to Mostar
★
Bridge opens but Mostar remains a divided city, ''
The Guardian'', July 23, 2004
★
War documentry about besieged East Mostar, the bloodiest place in Herzegowina duirng the Bosnian War.
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