039 Sarajevo

The view from the Yellow Fortress, one of the medieval fortifications that made up the defensive wall of the old town, gives an immediate impression of the kaleidoscopic character of Sarajevo, which is built lengthwise along a large valley delimited by tall mountains. 

- 

The minarets of mosques rise up alongside the belfries of churches, and in their midst we see synagogues and the cupola of the Serbian Orthodox cathedral. All around on the hills, the unrestrained expansion of a myriad of small houses with pitched roofs contrasts with a more contemporary skyline made up of modern skyscrapers and numerous shopping malls. Sarajevo is an extraordinary city for being multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi centric. 

There are so many terms with the prefix ‘multi’ I could use to describe it that I’ll define it a “multiple city”. The multiple essence of Sarajevo in the heart of the Balkans is due largely to its strategic position, which has made it a place of transit, encounter and clashes. The city was occupied by the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg Empire. It was attacked during World War I, which was instigated precisely here when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, and again during World War II. From 1992 to 1995, Sarajevo was ravaged by the horrible Bosnian War against Bosnian culture and identity. This tumultuous and troubled past has been chequered by falls and destruction, recovery and reconstruction.