Day 125: Mostar

Aug 6 - Another day of getting up early to try and hit some sights before the heat gets going. Walk to the old town of Mostar.

The town is first mentioned by its current name in documents from 1474, though the bridge area was described earlier in the 15th Century. The iconic bridge, Stari Most, is the focal point of the city and is one of the most visited landmarks in the country. The name of the city derives from the word mostari, meaning ‘keepers of the bridge’. I will note here that the word ‘most’ meaning bridge is identical to the word in Russian and Croatian, but bears no similarity to the word in Turkish.

The old city that surrounds the bridge has the cobblestone, winding streets and the atmosphere of a Turkish bazaar, much like Baščaršija in Sarajevo (Day 120). It has been hailed as a successful amalgam of Bosniak, Croat, and Serb influences, much like the Red Army story I told on Day 124. However, none of this withstood the 1992-95 war, when much of the city was destroyed by artillery during a prolonged siege.

Looking east up into the mountains behind Karađoz Beg Mosque.

The bazaar is now completely given over to the selling of souvenirs.

The ablution fountain outside Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque.

Stari Most, from the downstream side. The original bridge and towers were almost completely destroyed during the 1992-95 siege, and were rebuilt in 2001-04. The original version was built by the architect Hajrudin between 1557 and 1566, during Ottoman times.

The rebuilt version was designed to stay with the original form, which was considered an architectural marvel in its time.

View upriver from the bridge. The water is amazingly clear for being in a populated valley.

On the east side of the river, there is a little version of Stari Most over a stream, called Kriva Ćuprija.

One of the traditions in Mostar is the diving club. Apparently anyone can join, if they undergo the proper training program. The objective is to dive (or, more likely, jump) from Stari Most. If there are enough onlookers around, some members of the club will pass the hat for donations. Once enough money has been collected, a diver will jump off the bridge.

For whatever reason, both the Hammam Museum and the Herzegovina Museum were closed. Janet and Odette hoofed it back to the apartment, while I took the plunge and entered the Museum of War and Genocide Victims. I felt it was important to see one of these, even though it is extremely depressing and makes one feel that humans are incapable of being nice to each other.

The museum was small but filled with items, all from victims of the war. Some were owned by survivors and others recovered from graves. Each had a story, many related by the owners in later years. Most stories were from Mostar and environs, but a number of exhibits related to the Siege of Sarajevo and the massacre at Srebrenica.

The latter was particularly awful, as that town was a ‘safe area’ with UN protection, and contained a large number of Bosniak refugees. Regardless, the Serbian army (VRS) basically walked in, told the UN personnel to leave, then slaughtered over 8,000 civilians. The massacre formed the basis for a case of genocide against the VRS and its leaders.

Bosnia and Herzegovina