Džidžikovac ( cyrl, Џиџиковац) is a neighborhood in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and, since 2008, has been designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Džidžikovac derives its name from the Bosnian pronunciation of the Ottoman Turkish word güzel, meaning "beautiful" or "picturesque."

Location

Džidžikovac is situated above the central parts of Sarajevo's old city center, just above the area where the Building of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located. It is part of the Centar municipality. Džidžikovac and its immediate surroundings are also home to several major embassies, including the French and Austrian embassies, which are located at the heart of the neighborhood.

History

The central area of the neighborhood was designed and developed after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, primarily between 1946 and 1959. However, the surrounding streets and areas had already been developed, featuring many luxurious villas and buildings constructed in the second half of the 19th century in various architectural styles of the era by architects from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The neighborhood was conceived as a residential area on a steep hillside above the city center, characterized by abundant greenery. Before its development, the area had never been built upon and was home to numerous small private flower gardens, as well as orchards filled with plum, apple, cherry, and pear trees. This natural beauty is reflected in the name Džidžikovac, derived from the word "''džidži''," the Bosnian pronunciation of the

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

word "''güzel''." In Bosnian, it translates to ''nadžidžan'', ''nagizdan'', ''gizdav'', ''ukrašen'', meaning ''picturesque'', ''ornate'', or ''florid''.

Features

As in many other areas in central Sarajevo, the neighborhood's designers took advantage of the abundant natural greenery, integrating it into the development while preserving as much of it as possible. This approach became a defining characteristic of Džidžikovac, contributing to its unique charm and appeal.

National monument

In 2008, Džidžikovac was declared a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the "''Residential Complex on Džidžikovac – Architectural Ensemble''" by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, recognizing its architectural and landscaping significance.

References

External links