Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of

Tuzla Canton The Tuzla Canton ( bs, Tuzlanski kanton; hr, Tuzlanska županija; sr, Тузлански кантон) is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cantonal seat is the ci ...

of the

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists ...

. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, educational, health and tourist centre of northeast Bosnia. It is an educational center and is home to two universities. It is also the main industrial machine and one of the leading economic strongholds of

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

with a wide and varied industrial sector including an expanding service sector thanks to its salt lake tourism. The city of Tuzla is home to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

's only salt lake as part of its central park and has more than 350,000 people visiting its shores every year. The history of the city goes back to the 9th century; modern Tuzla dates back to 1510 when it became an important garrison town in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuzla is also regarded as one of the most multicultural cities in the country and has managed to keep the pluralist character of the city throughout the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

and after, with

Bosniaks The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

and a small minority of

Bosnian Jews The history of Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina spans from the arrival of the first Bosnian Jews as a result of the Spanish Inquisition to the survival of the Bosnian Jews through the Holocaust and the Yugoslav Wars. Judaism and the Jewish com ...

residing in Tuzla.

Etymology

The name Tuzla is the

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...

word for salt mine, ''tuzla'', and refers to the extensive salt deposits found underneath the city. Leveraging on their shared name, the city is twinned with

Tuzla Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, ed ...

, a suburb of

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

History

Early history

Archaeological evidence suggests that Tuzla was a rich

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

settlement. Being inhabited continuously for more than 6,000 years, Tuzla is one of the oldest

an sustained settlements. During the period of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

(before the area was conquered by

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

), Tuzla (or Salines as it was called at the time) was ruled by the

Illyrian tribe This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...

Breuci This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greek ...

Middle Ages to 20th century

The city was first mentioned in 950 by

Constantine Porphyrogenitus Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Kar ...

in his

De Administrando Imperio ''De Administrando Imperio'' ("On the Governance of the Empire") is the Latin title of a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is ("To yown son Romanos"). It is a domes ...

as a fort named ''Salines'' ( el, Σαλήνες). The name '' Soli'' was used in the Middle Ages. It means "

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

s" in Bosnian and the city's present name means "place of salt" in

. During the Middle Ages it belonged mostly to the medieval

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( sh, Kraljevina Bosna / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and ...

. After the fall of the kingdom to the

in 1463, the region was controlled by the House of Berislavić before the Ottomans occupied the villages of "Gornje Soli" and "Donje Soli" around 1512, and took control of the entire Usora in the 1530s. It remained under Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years, where it was administered as part of the

Sanjak of Zvornik The Sanjak of Zvornik ( tr, İzvornik Sancağı, sh, Zvornički sandžak) was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Zvornik (in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) as its administrative centre. It was divided into 4 different districts: Že ...

. In 1878 it was occupied by

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. After the dissolution of the monarchy it became the part of the newly formed

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...

. The

Husino uprising The Husino rebellion ( sh, Husinska buna, Хусинска буна) was a short-lived miners strike and armed rebellion against industrial slavery in the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. 7,000 miners from Tuzla, Breza, Bos ...

took place in 1920. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Tuzla was included in the puppet

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

and controlled by the mainly Muslim

Hadžiefendić Legion The Hadžiefendić Legion ( sh, Hadžiefendićeva legija) or Muslim Legion was a Bosniak self-defence militia and Croatian Home Guard (Independent State of Croatia), Croatian Home Guard unit based in the predominantly Muslim Tuzla region of the In ...

of the Croatian Home Guard.Redžić, Enver (2005)
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Second World War
Abingdon: Frank Cass. , p. 223 Tuzla was among the first areas in Europe to be liberated, when Tito's

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...

freed it from the German occupiers on 2 October 1943. Many members of the Legion deserted to the Partisans at this time. In December 1944, the city was unsuccessfully attacked by

Chetnik The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...

forces of

Draža Mihailović Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...

along with the

Serbian State Guard The Serbian State Guard ( sr, Srpska državna straža, italics=yes, SDS; sr-Cyrl, Српска државна стража; german: Serbische Staatsgarde/Serbische Staatswache) was a collaborationist paramilitary force used to impose law and ...

. After the war it developed into a major industrial and cultural centre during the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

period in the former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. File:Siegelmarke Kreisbehörde D. Tuzla W0390952.jpg, Seal of Tuzla county, 1850–1923 File:Siegelmarke Stadt-Bezirksamt D. Tuzla W0301738.jpg, Seal of Tuzla town, 1850–1923 File:Durch Bosnien und die Herzegovina kreuz und quer; Wanderungen (1897) (14801793493).jpg, Tuzla salt mine, 1897 File:3. divizija NOVJ u Tuzli oktobra 1943.jpg, Third

Yugoslav partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...

' Corps marching through liberated Tuzla in October 1943. File:Old industrial park, Tuzla, Bosnia.jpg, Yugoslav-era industrial plants in Tuzla File:Termoelektrana Tuzla.JPG,

Tuzla Power Plant Tuzla Thermal Power Plant is a coal-fired thermal power plant in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the largest power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is operated by Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine (EBiH). History Construction of t ...

Bosnian War

In the 1990 elections the

Reformists Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can eve ...

won control of the municipality being the only municipality in Bosnia where non-nationalists won. During the Bosnian War of Independence between 1992 and 1995 the town was the only municipality not governed by the SDA party-led authorities. After Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence and was recognized by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

the city was besieged by Serbian forces. A few days later Serbian forces attacked Tuzla. The town was not spared the atrocities of the Bosnian War. Early in the war, troops, of the 92nd Motorised Brigade of the

Yugoslav National Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...

, were ambushed by units of Bosnia's Territorial Defence Force, while attempting to withdraw from the city. During the incident, an estimated 92-200 Yugoslav troops were killed, and 33 wounded. It was regarded as a war crime. On 25 May 1995, an attack on Tuzla killed 71 people and injured 200 persons in what is referred to as the Tuzla massacre, when a shell fired from Serb's positions on the Ozren mountain (130 mm towed field gun M-46) hit the central street and its promenade. The youngest civilian who died in that massacre was only two years old. Following the

Dayton Peace Accords The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Daytonski sporazum'', Serbian language, Serbian and Bosnian language, Bosnian: ''Dejto ...

, Tuzla was the headquarters of the U.S. forces for the Multinational Division (MND) during Operation Joint Endeavour

IFOR The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background NATO ...

and subsequent

SFOR The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...

Post-war independence

In February 2014 the city was the scene of the beginning of the

2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina The 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a series of demonstrations and riots that began in the northern town of Tuzla on 4 February 2014 but quickly spread to multiple cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, Zenica, Mostar, Jaj ...

, which quickly spread to dozens of cities and towns throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. After couple of days of calm protests, people lost patience and started burning cars in front of the canton government building, and later building itself. The building has yet to be repaired.

Geography

Tuzla is located in the northeastern part of Bosnia, settled just underneath the Majevica mountain range, on the Jala River. The central zone lies in an east–west oriented plain, with residential areas in the north and south of the city located on the Ilinčica, Kicelj and Gradina Hills. It is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. The climate is moderate

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (al ...

. There are abundant

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

deposits in the region around Tuzla. 6

coal mines Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

continue to operate around the city. Much of the coal mined in the area is used to power the

, which is the largest power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Salt deposits

Extractions of the city's salt deposits, particularly in the 20th century, have caused sections of the city center to sink. Structures in the "sinking area" either collapsed or were demolished, and there are few structures in the city that predate the 20th century, despite the fact that the city was founded over 1000 years ago. In the northeastern part of the town is an area known as Solina, named after the salt deposits.

Pannonian Lakes

Tuzla is the only city in Europe that has a

salt lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...

at its centre. The ancient Pannonian Sea dried up around 10 million years ago, but work by researchers and scientists has now enabled a level of saline water to be kept stable at the surface, and in 2003 the Pannonian Lake was opened. A second lake that includes

artificial waterfall An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

s was inaugurated in 2008. An archaeological park and replica Neolithic lake dwellings were also incorporated into the scheme, providing information about the different cultures which left their material and spiritual mark here. The site has become an international tourist destination. A third lake was completed in August 2012. Construction expenses for this were nearly 2 million Bosnian marks (ca. 1 million euros). This third lake also contains 2 water slides which are an attraction for the younger population. The summer season of 2013 recorded approximately 5,000 visitors per day (c. 450,000 for 3 months).

Climate

Tuzla has a temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfb'') with hot summers with cool nights and cool winters with chilly nights.

Administration

Tuzla is the seat of the

, which is a canton of the

, as well as of Tuzla Municipality, which is one of the 13 municipalities that together constitute the Tuzla Canton. Administratively, Tuzla is divided into 39 ''mjesne zajednice'' (local districts). Apart from Tuzla, the municipality incorporates several other adjacent settlements, including the town of

Gornja Tuzla Gornja Tuzla ( en, Upper Tuzla) is a town east of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its neighboring town is Simin Han. History There is evidence of the prehistoric Vinča culture being present in Gornja Tuzla as early as 5200 BC. The present-day c ...

(''Upper Tuzla''), as well as the villages of Husino, Par Selo,

Simin Han Simin Han is a town east of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a school, a mosque, and a youth soccer training centre. Its neighboring towns are Gornja Tuzla and Slavinovići. History During the Bosnia Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire Th ...

, Obodnica, Kamenjaši, Plane, Šići and others. The current mayor of Tuzla is Zijad Lugavić, born in 1973, of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SDP BiH). He succeeded long-time mayor

Jasmin Imamović Jasmin Imamović (born 8 October 1957) is a Bosnian writer and politician who is a member of the national House of Representatives. He previously served as the 31st mayor of Tuzla from 2001 to 2022. Imamović is a member of the Social Democratic ...

in 2022. The City council of Tuzla has 30 members, of the following parties: *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

– 12 members *

(SDP BiH) – 8 members *

Platform for Progress The Platform for Progress ( Bosnian: ''Platforma za progres'', abbreviated PzP) is a centrist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded on 25 November 2018. At the party's founding convention, the 1,200 delegates chose Mirsad Hadžikad ...

(PzP) – 2 members *Tuzla alternative – 2 members *

Party of Democratic Action The Party of Democratic Action ( bs, Stranka demokratske akcije; abbr. SDA) is a Bosniak nationalist, conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) was founded on 26 May 1990 in Sarajevo, ...

(SDA) – 1 member *

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

(SD BiH) – 1 member * Our Party (NS) – 1 member *

Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...

(HDZ BiH) – 1 member *

Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina The Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, Stranka za Bosnu i Hercegovinu) is a Bosniak nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The party fervently opposed the continued power in hands of ethnic entities such as the Federation of B ...

(SBiH) – 1 member *

Movement of Democratic Action The Movement of Democratic Action ( Bosnian: ''Pokret demokratske akcije'' or PDA) is a conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History The party was founded by Mirsad Kukić in 2018. After Kukić was removed from the SDA Canton ...

(PDA) – 1 member

Demographics

Demographics in Tuzla municipality:

1971 census

Total: 107,293 *53,271 (49.65%) –

*27,735 (25.84%) –

*21,089 (19.65%) –

*2,540 (2.36%) –

Yugoslavs Yugoslavs or Yugoslavians ( Bosnian and Croatian: ''Jugoslaveni'', Serbian and Macedonian ''Jugosloveni''/Југословени; sl, Jugoslovani) is an identity that was originally designed to refer to a united South Slavic people. It has ...

*2,658 (2.47%) – others and unknown

1981 census

Total: 121,717 *52,400 (43.05%) – Bosniaks *24,811 (20.38%) – Croats *20,261 (16.64%) – Serbs *19,059 (15.65%) – Yugoslavs *5,186 (4.26%) – others and unknown

1991 census

Total: 131,618 *62,669 (47.61%) – Bosniaks *21,995 (16.71%) – Yugoslavs *20,398 (15.49%) – Croats *20,271 (15.40%) – Serbs *6,285 (4.77%) – others and unknown

2013 census

Total: 110,979 *80,774 (72.78%) – Bosniaks *15,396 (13.87%) – Croats *3,378 (3.04%) – Serbs *11,431 (10.30%) – others and unknown Source

Culture

Arts

One of the most influential writers in the Balkans,

Meša Selimović Mehmed "Meša" Selimović (; ; 26 April 1910 – 11 July 1982) was a Yugoslav writer, whose novel '' Death and the Dervish'' is one of the most important literary works in post-World War II Yugoslavia. Some of the main themes in his works are the ...

hails from Tuzla, and Tuzla hosts the annual Meša Selimović book festival in July, where an award for the best novel written in the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

and

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

is presented. The first professional theatre in Tuzla, the

Tuzla National Theatre Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, e ...

, was founded by the brothers Mihajlo and Živko Crnogorčević in 1898 during Austro-Hungarian rule, and is the oldest theatre in the country. The theatre is working continuously since 1944. The Portrait Gallery has continuous exhibitions of work by local and international artists. The Ismet Mujezinović Gallery is mainly dedicated to

Ismet Mujezinović Ismet ( tr, İsmet) is a Turkish form of the Arabic name Ismet. Along with Turkish, the name is also seen in Albanian, Bosnian, and Macedonian. The name means "honesty" or "purity" and in classical "infallibility", "immaculate", "impeccability" an ...

, a painter from Tuzla. The Eastern Bosnia Museum exhibits archaeological, ethnological, historical and artistic pieces and artifacts from the whole region. An open-air museum at ''Solni Trg'', opened in 2004, tells the story of salt production in Tuzla.

Religion

Apart from Tuzla's many mosques, there is also an Orthodox church that went untouched throughout the war. The Franciscan monastery of “St. Peter and Paul” in town is still very active as there is a sizable Catholic community in Tuzla. The church of St.Francis (sv. Franjo) which had been demolished after being hit by a landslide in 1987 is being rebuilt since 2011 and should open by 2019. Just outside the town, in the nearby village of Breska, is a 200-year-old Catholic church. Tuzla is also home to an old Jewish cemetery which recently underwent renovations, organized by the OPEN Organization of Tuzla and the Jewish Municipality of Tuzla. According to a 2013 census, most of the citizens living in Tuzla are

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

, to be precise 75.4%, with

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

accounting for 13.7%, while 3.3% of the population being

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

, 3.6% of people belong to other religions, and 3.9% of people are not religious.

Music

Bosnian roots music came from Middle Bosnia,

Posavina Posavina ( sr-cyr, Посавина) is a geographical region that stretches along the Sava river, encompassing only the inner areas of the Sava river basin, that are adjacent or near to the Sava river itself, namely catch region spanning from t ...

, the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...

valley and

Kalesija Kalesija ( sr-cyrl, Калесија) is a town and municipality located in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, east of Tuzla. As of ...

. It is usually performed by singers with two violinists and a

šargija thumb The ''šargija'' ( sh, šargija, шаргија; sq, sharki or sharkia), anglicized as ''shargia'', is a plucked, fretted long necked lute used in the folk music of various Balkan countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Cr ...

player. These bands first appeared around

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and became popular in the 1960s. This is the third oldest music following after the

sevdalinka Sevdalinka (), also known as Sevdah music, is a traditional Musical genre, genre of folk music originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sevdalinka is an integral part of the Bosniak culture, but is also spread across th ...

and ilahija. Self-taught people, mostly in two or three members of the different choices of old instruments, mostly in the violin, sacking, saz, drums, flutes () or wooden flute, as others have already called, the original performers of Bosnian music that can not be written notes, transmitted by ear from generation to generation, family is usually hereditary. It is thought to be brought from Persia-Kalesi tribe that settled in the area of present Sprecanski valleys and hence probably the name Kalesija. In this part of Bosnia it is the most common. Again, it became the leader of First World War onwards, as well as 60 years in the field Sprecanski doline. This kind of music was enjoyed by all three peoples in Bosnia, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs, and it contributed a lot to reconcile people socializing, entertainment and other organizations through festivala. In Kalesija it's maintained each year with the Bosnian Festival Original music. Studio Kemix firm Dzemal Dzihanovic from

Živinice Živinice ( sr-cyrl, Живинице) is a city located in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, south of Tuzla. As of 2013, it has a ...

together with his artists brought this kind of music to perfection at the end 20th century. With its entirely new form of modernity, it is most common in the

and the cradle of this music city

was named Bosnian town of original music. Songs are performed preferably in a

diphthong A diphthong ( ; , ), also known as a gliding vowel, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of the speech o ...

, the first and second voice which is a special secret performance of this music and some performers sing in troglasju as they do Kalesijski triple that was recorded in 1968, as the first written record of the tone on the album, along with Higurashi no naku.

Sports

Founded in 1927, the Workers Sports Society Sloboda became the first sporting organization in Tuzla. It has 14 member clubs. The city is home to two

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

clubs. '' FK Sloboda'' and ''

FK Tuzla City Fudbalski klub Tuzla City ( en, Football Club Tuzla City), formerly known as Fudbalski klub Sloga Simin Han ( en, Football Club Sloga Simin Han), is a professional football club based in Simin Han, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in ...

''. Both teams play in the top tier

Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The m:tel Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, m:tel Premijer liga Bosne i Hercegovine / м:тел Премијер лига Босне и Херцеговине), also known as Liga 12, is the top tier football league in Bosnia and Herz ...

with home games played at the

Tušanj City Stadium The Tušanj City Stadium ( bs, Gradski stadion Tušanj), commonly known as Tušanj Stadium ( bs, Stadion Tušanj) is a multi-purpose stadium in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK S ...

. OKK Sloboda

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

club and RK Sloboda

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

club play their home games in the Mejdan Sports Arena which has a seating capacity of 4,900. Jedinstvo Tuzla is the female counterpart to Sloboda. The women's basketball team Jedinstvo Aida won the FIBA Women's European Champions Cup, with the most famous sportswoman from Tuzla, Razija Mujanović. She was inducted to the

FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA, in 1991. It includes the " Samar ...

in 2017.

Miscellaneous

On 1 September 2007, 6,980 couples kissed for 10 seconds in Tuzla, Bosnia erasing the previous

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

World kissing Records of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

(for synchronised osculation in 2004 with 5,327

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

couples, overtaken by Hungary in 2005 with 5,875 couples; Filipinos came back in February 2010 with 6,124 couples but the Hungarians responded in June 2010 with 6,613 couples). The record now awaits official certification. On 26 September 2008, Tuzla began offering free

wireless internet Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

access in the city center. On 7 May 2010, Tuzla tried to break the World Record for the world's largest mass waltz dance. It is estimated that over 1,521 couples danced together on the main city square.

Transport

Tuzla has an

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...

located at Dubrave (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...

code: TZL), and an effective and well-developed public bus network. There are plans to introduce a

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

network in the city soon. The airport was opened and obtained

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

certificate for civilian Air traffic in 2008. The airport had comprised a portion of "Eagle Base", an American military base that has been home to NATO troops serving in SFOR, Bosnia's stabilization force. Nowadays former Eagle Base become home of Bosnian Military Forces. In 2013. the airport became a base for

Wizz Air Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...

Tuzla International Airport Tuzla International Airport ( bs, Međunarodni aerodrom Tuzla/Међународни аеродром Тузла); is an airport near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tuzla International Airport is the second largest airport in Bosnia and Herzegov ...

nowadays has connection to 17+ European cities and expanding. More than 300000 passengers have been traveled via Tuzla International Airport in 2016.In 2017

broke its own record for most passengers in one year with 535.596 passengers. While in 2018 that number again rose up to 584.47

Tuzla has a railway station that has passenger services to

Doboj Doboj ( sr-cyrl, Добој, ) is a city located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of Bosna river, in the northern region of the Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 ...

, from where trains run to

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, and Belgrade. The services to

Brčko Brčko ( sr-cyrl, Брчко, ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, ...

were discontinued in 2012. Tuzla is well connected with other major cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and even with some European cities via its bus connections. Bus and taxi traffic is very well organised in Tuzla and is affordable to its citizens. Bus stations were built in 1970 and completely renovated and modernized in 2017.

Education

Tuzla is home to the

University of Tuzla University of Tuzla ( Bosnian: ''Univerzitet u Tuzli'') is a public university located in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The university was founded in 1958. It became a proper university in 1976, and today is one of the major institutions of high ...

, with 16,500 students, and also the American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Universities

* American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina * European University Kallos of Tuzla

Schools

Association Citizens Educational Center The Association Citizen's Educational Center (''Bosnian language, Bosnian: Građanski edukativni centar'') is an independent, non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization based in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Citizen's Educati ...

Behram-Begova Medresa Tuzla The Behram-Begova Medresa is the oldest educational institution found in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informall ...

* Secondary Music School in Tuzla * Gimnazija Meša Selimović *Gimnazija Ismet Mujezinović * Građevinsko-Geodetska Škola Tuzla * Katolički Školski Centar "Sv.Franjo" Tuzla * Ekonomsko-Trgovinska Škola Tuzla * Elektrotehnička Škola Tuzla *

Medicinska Škola Tuzla Medicinska Škola Tuzla, is a four-year high school that prepares and qualifies students for immediate work in health institutions, as well as for continuing education in colleges and higher education institutions. It was founded April 7, 1954. C ...

* Mješovita Mašinska-Saobraćajna Škola Tuzla

Notable people

Alma Zadić Alma Zadić (; born 24 May 1984) is a Bosnian-born Austrian lawyer and politician of the Green Party. She has been serving as Minister of Justice since 7 January 2020 in the governments of Chancellors Sebastian Kurz, Alexander Schallenberg and K ...

, Austrian politician *

Amer Delić Amer Delić (; born June 30, 1982) is a Bosnian American former professional tennis player. He is a former captain and member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Davis Cup team. Delić was born in Tuzla, then in Yugoslavia, now in the northeastern p ...

, professional tennis player * Andrea Petković, German professional tennis player *

Andreja Pejić Andreja Pejić (; formerly Andrej Pejić, born 28 August 1991) is an Australian model and actress. Since coming out as a trans woman in 2013, she has become one of the most recognisable transgender models in the world. Early life Pejić was bo ...

, Australian model *

Damir Mulaomerović Damir Mulaomerović (born 19 September 1974) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for Cedevita Junior of the Croatian League. Professional career Mulaomerović started his career with S ...

, Croatian basketball player *

Denis Azabagić Denis Azabagić (born 1972 in Tuzla, Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian classical guitarist. Denis Azabagić married to Eugenia Moliner (flutist). Musical background In 1993, at the age of 20, he became the youngest winner of one of the most prestigio ...

, guitarist *

Emir Hadžihafizbegović Emir Hadžihafizbegović (; born 20 August 1961) is a Bosnian actor. Often regarded as one of the best actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has appeared in over fifty films, including ''When Father Was Away on Business'' (1985), ''Remake'' (2003 ...

, actor * Emir Vildić, musician *

Lepa Brena Fahreta Živojinović (; ; born 20 October 1960), known by her stage name Lepa Brena (), is a folk singer, actress, and businesswoman. She is the best-selling female recording artist from the former Yugoslavia. Lepa Brena grew up in Brčko, Bosni ...

, singer *

Maya Sar Maja Sarihodžić (; ; born 12 July 1981), known by her stage name Maya Sar, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter. She represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, 2012 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Korake ti znam". ...

, singer *

, writer *

Milan Đurić Milan Đurić (; born 22 May 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Hellas Verona. Đurić started his professional career at Cesena, before joining Parma in 2010. Later that year, he was loaned to A ...

, footballer *

Mirza Delibašić Mirza Delibašić (9 January 1954 – 8 December 2001) was a Bosnian professional basketball player and basketball coach, coach. Delibašić was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Famer, FIBA ...

, basketball player, Olympic, World and European champion,

member *

Miralem Pjanić Miralem Pjanić (born 2 April 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for UAE Pro League club Sharjah and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Pjanić started his professional career at Metz being there for one ...

, footballer *

Miroslav Tadić Miroslav Tadic solo performance. Miroslav Tadić (born 1959) is a Serbian guitarist, composer, improviser and music educator. Career He performs regularly in Europe, Japan and the United States and made over 30 CDs for numerous labels including ...

, musician *

Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi Bosnevi Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi Bosnevi ( tr, Mehmet Hevayi Uskufi, born c. 1600 in Dobrnja near Tuzla, died after 1651) was a Bosnian poet and writer who used the Arebica script. Uskufi is noted as the author of the first " Bosnian- Turkish" dictionary ...

, writer, poet *

Muhamed Hadžiefendić Muhamed Hadžiefendić (January 1898 – 2 October 1943) was a Bosnian Muslim officer in the Home Guard of the Independent State of Croatia during World War II, commanding the Hadžiefendić Legion. Life Muhamed Hadžiefendić was born in Tuzla. ...

, commander of

Muhamed Konjić Muhamed Konjić (; born 14 May 1970) is a Bosnian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back, most notably for Monaco, Coventry City and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team who he also captained. Club career A solid defen ...

, retired football player *

Nesim Tahirović Nesim Tahirović (23 October 1941 – 14 August 2020) was a Bosnian painter. He studied art (painting) in Belgrade under professor Kosta Hakman. Along with painting he also worked in the area of scenic design and other applied arts. During a ...

, painter *

Jusuf Nurkić Jusuf Nurkić (; born 23 August 1994), nicknamed "the Bosnian Beast", is a Bosnian professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at tall and weighing 290 lb (132 kg ...

, basketball player for

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

Sanja Maletić Sanja Maletić ( sr-cyr, Сања Малетић; born 27 April 1973) is a Bosnian-born Serbian pop-folk singer. Music career Sanja began her music career in the end of 1998. Personal life Maletić was born into an Serbs, ethnic Serb family in ...

, singer * Siniša Martinović, professional ice hockey player *

Svetlana Dašić-Kitić Svetlana () is a common Orthodox Slavic feminine given name, deriving from the East and South Slavic root ''svet'' (), meaning "light", "shining", "luminescent", "pure", "blessed", or "holy", depending upon context similar if not the same as t ...

, retired handball player, Voted World Player of the Year 1988 by the

International Handball Federation The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball. IHF is responsible for the organisation of handball's major international tournaments, notably the IHF World Men's Handball C ...

Zlatan Saračević Zlatan Saračević (born 27 July 1956) is a retired Bosnian shot putter who represented SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Biography He was born in Zenica, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. but represented the clubs AK Sloboda Tuzla, AK Sl ...

, retired Olympic athlete, European Indoor Championships 1980 Sindelfingen gold winner – shot put.

Twin towns – sister cities

Tuzla is twinned with: *

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...

, Turkey *

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

, Italy *

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (; es, Hospitalet de Llobregat), often shortened to L'Hospitalet or just L'H, is a municipality of Spain, located to the immediate southwest of Barcelona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is part of the Bar ...

, Spain *

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...

, Austria *

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

, Croatia *

Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the countr ...

, Hungary * Saint-Denis, France *

, Turkey

Gallery

File:Work Affair Building Tuzla 01TE.jpg, Work Affair and Residential building in the center square of Tuzla. File:Residental Building Stupine Tuzla.jpg, High scale building at residential zone Stupine. File:ISM 02 Tuzla.jpg, Business center, as well as the main Muslim Religious center. File:TrgSlobode2IP.jpg, Trg Slobode File:Tuzla Massacre memorial complex.jpg, WWII memorial File:Panorama Mellain 05.jpg, Panoramic view of the ''Mellain'' Hotel building from the Pannonian Lakes. File:King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Mosque, Tuzla.jpg, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Mosque. File:Tuzla Thermal Power Plant02A.jpg, Tuzla Thermal Power Plant, the largest thermal-powered plant in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

Notes

References

External links

*
Tuzlanski Info Portal
local news website {{Authority control Populated places in Tuzla Cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina