Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see
names in other languages'') is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and largest city of
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 ...
, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits.
The
Sarajevo metropolitan area
The Sarajevo metropolitan area is the largest agglomeration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the wider area of the capital Sarajevo with an estimated population of 555,210 people.
It consists of Sarajevo Canton with a population of 413,593 ...
including
Sarajevo Canton
The Sarajevo Canton, officially the Canton of Sarajevo ( bs, Kanton Sarajevo; hr, Sarajevska županija; sr-Cyrl, Сарајевски кантон), is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It ...
,
East Sarajevo
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and nearby municipalities is home to 555,210 inhabitants.
Located within the greater Sarajevo valley 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 ...
, it is surrounded by the
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...
and situated along the
Miljacka
The Miljacka (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Palja ...
River in the heart of the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, a region of
Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...
.
Sarajevo is the political, financial, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a prominent center of culture in the Balkans. It exerts region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion and the arts. Due to its long history of religious and cultural diversity, Sarajevo is sometimes called the "
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
of Europe"
or "Jerusalem of the Balkans".
It is one of a few major European cities to have a mosque, Catholic church, Eastern Orthodox church, and synagogue within the same neighborhood.
Although there is evidence of human settlement in the area since prehistoric times, the modern city arose in the 15th century as an
Ottoman stronghold, when the latter empire extended into Europe. Sarajevo has gained international renown several times throughout its history. In 1885, it was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, following
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, California, of the United States.
In 1914, it was the site of the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range whil ...
by a local
Young Bosnia
Young Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Mlada Bosna, Млада Босна) was a separatist and revolutionary movement active in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary before World War I. Its members were predominantly ...
activist
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip ( sr-Cyrl, Гаврило Принцип, ; 25 July 189428 April 1918) was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Prin ...
, a murder that sparked
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 ...
. This resulted in the end of
Austro-Hungarian
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 ...
rule in Bosnia and the creation of the multicultural
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 ...
in the Balkan region.
Later, after
World War II
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 ...
, the area came under control of the communist
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Социјалистичка Pепублика Босна и Херцеговина), commonly referred to as Socia ...
within the republic also known as
Second Yugoslavia. As Sarajevo was designated as this larger republic's capital, its population and businesses expanded rapidly, with investment in infrastructure and economic development.
In 1984 the socialist republic hosted the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
, which marked a prosperous era for the city. However, after the start of the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
, the city suffered the
longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, for a total of 1,425 days, from April 1992 to February 1996. This was during 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 the
breakup of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
, under nationalist ethnic passions that tore families apart and resulted in genocide and massacres.
With continued
post-war reconstruction in the aftermath, Sarajevo is the
fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The travel guide series ''
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
'' ranked Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world.
[Lonely Planet (March 2006). ''The Cities Book: A Journey Through The Best Cities in the World'', Lonely Planet Publications, .] In December 2009, it recommended Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.
In 2011, Sarajevo was nominated as the 2014
European Capital of Culture. It was selected to host the
European Youth Olympic Festival
The European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) is a biennial multi-sport event for youth (14 to 18 years old) athletes from the 50 member countries of the association of European Olympic Committees. The festival has a summer edition, held for the fir ...
. In addition, in October 2019, Sarajevo was designated as a
UNESCO Creative City for having placed culture at the center of its development strategies. It is also ranked as one of the world's eighteen
Cities of Film.
Etymology
The name ''Sarajevo'' derives from the Turkish noun , meaning "palace" or "mansion" (from
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
, , of the same meaning). Scholars disagree on the origin of the ''evo'' attached to the end. In Slavic languages, the addition of "evo" may indicate a possessive noun, thereby making the name of Sarajevo, 'city of the palace."
One theory is that the name may have been derived from 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 ...
term , first recorded in 1455, meaning "the plains around the palace" or simply "palace plains".
However, in his ''Dictionary of Turkish Loanwords'', Abdulah Škaljić maintains that the ''evo'' ending is more likely to have come from the widespread
Slavic suffix used to indicate place names, than from the Turkish ending . The first mention of the name Sarajevo was in a 1507 letter written by
Firuz Bey
Firuz Bey ( 1495–1515) was a 15th and 16th-century Ottoman military officer, Sanjak-bey of the Sanjak of Scutari and Sanjak of Bosnia.
Origin
Firuz Bey belonged to the Mihaloğlu family, a noted Byzantine family which converted to Islam and ...
. The official name during the
400 years of Ottoman rule was ''Saraybosna'' ("Palace of Bosnia"), which remains the city's name in Modern Turkish.
Sarajevo has had many nicknames. The earliest is , the term
Isa-Beg Ishaković used to describe the town he was going to build—which is Turkish for "city" (), in turn coming from the Persian (, meaning "city"). As Sarajevo developed, numerous nicknames came from comparisons to other cities in the Islamic world, i.e. "
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
of the North" and "European Jerusalem"; the latter being the most popular.
Environment
Geography
Sarajevo is near the geometric center of the triangular-shaped
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 ...
and within the historical region of
Bosnia proper
Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Bosna, Босна, ) is the northern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, encompassing roughly 81% of the country; the other region, the southern part, is Herzegovina.
The two regions have formed a geopolitic ...
. It is situated
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 ...
and lies in the Sarajevo valley, in the middle of the
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...
.
The valley was once an expansive, fertile and green space, but considerable urban expansion and development took place following World War II. The city is surrounded by forested hills and five major mountains. The highest of the surrounding peaks is
Treskavica
Treskavica ( sr-cyrl, Трескавица) is a mountain range in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in Trnovo municipality just south of city of Sarajevo. Mala Ćaba (Đokin Toranj) peak at 2088 m (6850 ft.), which makes Treskavica the tallest ...
at , followed by
Bjelašnica
Bjelašnica ( sr-cyrl, Бјелашница, ) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mount Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak, by which the mountain group got its name, rises to an elevation ...
mountain at ,
Jahorina
Jahorina ( sr-Cyrl, Јахорина, ) is a mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the tripoint of the municipalities of Pale, Trnovo, Republika Srpska and Trnovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Part of the Dinaric Alps, it borde ...
at ,
Trebević
Trebević ( sr-cyrl, Требевић) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located to the southeast of Sarajevo, in the territory of East Sarajevo city, bordering Jahorina mountain. Trebević is tall, making it the second shortest ...
at , and
Igman
Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of Sa ...
the shortest at . The last four are also known as the Olympic Mountains of Sarajevo
When the city hosted the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
, venues were constructed at these mountains for many winter sports events. The city is developed within hilly terrain; there are many steeply inclined streets and residences that seem to perch on the hillsides.
The
Miljacka
The Miljacka (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Palja ...
river is one of the city's chief geographic features. It flows through the city from east through the center of Sarajevo to the west part of the city, where it eventually meets up with the
Bosna river. Miljacka river is also known as "The Sarajevo River". Its source (''Vrelo Miljacke'') is south of the town of
Pale
Pale may refer to:
Jurisdictions
* Medieval areas of English conquest:
** Pale of Calais, in France (1360–1558)
** The Pale, or the English Pale, in Ireland
*Pale of Settlement, area of permitted Jewish settlement, western Russian Empire (179 ...
at the foothills of Mount Jahorina, several kilometers to the east of Sarajevo center. The Bosna's source,
Vrelo Bosne near
Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and is ...
(west Sarajevo), is another notable natural landmark and a popular destination for Sarajevans and other tourists. Several smaller rivers and streams such as
Koševski Potok
Koševski Potok is a river in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The river is partially subterranean, as a significant portion of its course passing through long box culvert, covering the river in a man-made structure and diversion project, desi ...
also run through the city and its vicinity.
Cityscape
Sarajevo is close to the center of the triangular shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina in southeastern Europe. The Sarajevo city proper consists of four municipalities (or "in Bosnian and Croatian: općina, in Serbian: opština"):
Centar Centar may refer to:
* Centar Municipality (Skopje), a municipality in Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia.
* Centar Municipality, Sarajevo, a municipality in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
*Centar, Niš
Centar (Serbian Cyrillic: Цeнтap ...
(Center),
Novi Grad (New City),
Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo ( sr-cyrl, Ново Сарајево, ; lit. "New Sarajevo") is a municipality of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Neighborhoods
*'' Grbavica I''
*'' Grbavica II''
*''Pofalići I''
*''Pofalići II''
*''Velešići''
*''G ...
(New Sarajevo), and
Stari Grad (Old City), while the
Sarajevo metropolitan area
The Sarajevo metropolitan area is the largest agglomeration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the wider area of the capital Sarajevo with an estimated population of 555,210 people.
It consists of Sarajevo Canton with a population of 413,593 ...
(Greater Sarajevo area) includes these and the neighbouring municipalities of
Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and is ...
,
Hadžići
Hadžići ( sr-cyrl, Хаџићи) is a town and municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located south west of the city of Sarajevo. According to the 20 ...
,
Vogošća
Vogošća ( sr-cyrl, Bогошћа) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality is located about 6 kilometers north of the city of Saraje ...
and
Ilijaš
Ilijaš ( sr-cyrl, Илијаш) is a town and municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located northwest of the inner city of Sarajevo and was established in Ma ...
.
The Metropolitan area was reduced in the 1990s after the war and the
Dayton-imposed administrative division of the country, with several municipalities partitioned along the border of the newly recognised
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 ...
(FBiH) and
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
(RS), creating several new municipalities which together form the city of
Istočno Sarajevo
Istočno Sarajevo ( sr-cyr, Источно Сарајево, lit. "East Sarajevo") is the ''de jure'' capital city of Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of a few suburban areas of pre-war Sarajevo which are now includ ...
in the Republika Srpska:
Istočna Ilidza,
Istočno Novo Sarajevo
Istočno Novo Sarajevo ( sr-cyr, Источно Ново Сарајево, lit. "East New Sarajevo") is a municipality of the city of Istočno Sarajevo located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a populat ...
,
Istočni Stari Grad,
Lukavica,
Pale (RS-section), and
Trnovo (RS-section), along with the municipality of
Sokolac
Sokolac ( sr-Cyrl, Соколац) is a municipality of the city of Istočno Sarajevo located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 12,021 inhabitants, while the town of Sokolac has a populat ...
(which was not traditionally part of the Sarajevo area and was not partitioned).
The city has an urban area of . Veliki Park (Great park) is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It's nestled between
Titova,
Koševo
Koševo ( cyrl, Кошево) is a neighborhood in the municipality of Centar in central Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located between the older parts of the city under Stari Grad and the newer more modern parts of the city under the ...
,
Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part there is a monument dedicated to the Children of Sarajevo.
Climate
Sarajevo has either a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
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 ...
: Dfb), or an
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), depending on if either the 0 °C or the -3 °C isotherms are used. Sarajevo's climate exhibits four seasons and uniformly spread precipitation, typical of both Cfb and Dfb climates. The proximity of the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
moderates Sarajevo's climate somewhat, although the mountains to the south of the city greatly reduce this maritime influence.
The average yearly temperature is , with January ( on average) being the coldest month of the year and July ( on average) the warmest.
The highest recorded temperature was on 19 August 1946, and on 23 August 2008 (41.0) while the lowest recorded temperature was on 25 January 1942. On average, Sarajevo has 7 days where the temperature exceeds and 4 days where the temperature drops below per year.
The city typically experiences mildly cloudy skies, with an average yearly
cloud cover
Cloud cover (also known as cloudiness, cloudage, or cloud amount) refers to the fraction of the sky obscured by clouds on average when observed from a particular location. Okta is the usual unit for measurement of the cloud cover. The cloud co ...
of 45%.
The cloudiest month is December (75% average cloud cover) while the clearest is August (37%). Moderate precipitation occurs fairly consistently throughout the year, with an average 75 days of rainfall. Suitable climatic conditions have allowed
winter sports
Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold area ...
to flourish in the region, as exemplified by the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
that were held in Sarajevo. Average winds are and the city has 1,769 hours of sunshine.
Air quality
Air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
is a major issue in Sarajevo. According to the 2016
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
's Ambient Air Pollution Database, the annual average
PM2.5
Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter (PM) or suspended particulate matter (SPM) – are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The ter ...
concentration in 2010 was estimated to be 30 μg/m
3 based on PM10 measurement, which is 3 times higher than recommended by WHO Air Quality Guidelines for the annual average PM2.5. There are no recent direct long-term PM2.5 measurements available in Sarajevo and only estimates can be made from PM10, which is the less health-relevant than PM2.5. Real-time air quality data in the form of PM10, ozone,
NO2,
CO and
SO2 by th
Federal Hydrometeorological Institute.
History
Ancient times
One of the earliest findings of settlement in the Sarajevo area is that of the Neolithic
Butmir culture. The discoveries at
Butmir
Butmir ( sr-cyrl, Бутмир) is a neighborhood in Ilidža municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo International Airport, the main airport of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in Butmir.
Horse races are held at Butmir.Archived aGhosta ...
were made on the grounds of the modern-day Sarajevo suburb
Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and is ...
in 1893 by
Austro-Hungarian
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 ...
authorities during the construction of an agricultural school. The area's richness in
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
was attractive to Neolithic humans, and the settlement flourished. The settlement developed unique ceramics and pottery designs, which characterize the Butmir people as a unique culture, as described at the International Congress of Archaeologists and
Anthropologists
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and v ...
meeting in Sarajevo in 1894.
The next prominent culture in Sarajevo were the
Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo ...
. The ancient people, who considered most of the
Western Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whol ...
as their homeland, had several key settlements in the region, mostly around the river
Miljacka
The Miljacka (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Palja ...
and the Sarajevo valley. The Illyrians in the Sarajevo region belonged to the ''
Daesitiates
Daesitiates were an Illyrian tribe that lived on the territory of today's central Bosnia, during the time of the Roman Republic. Along with the Maezaei, the Daesitiates were part of the western group of Pannonians in Roman Dalmatia. They were ...
'', the last Illyrian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to resist
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
occupation. Their defeat by the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
emperor
Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
in 9 AD marks the start of Roman rule in the region. The Romans never built up the region of modern-day Bosnia, but the
Roman colony
A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''.
Characteri ...
of Aquae Sulphurae was near the top of present-day Ilidža, and was the most important settlement of the time. After the Romans, the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
settled the area, followed by the
Slavs
Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
in the 7th century.
["Sarajevo", ''New Britannica'', volume 10, edition 15 (1989). .]
Middle Ages
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, Sarajevo was part of the Bosnian province of Vrhbosna near the traditional center of the
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 ...
. Though a city named ''Vrhbosna'' existed, the exact settlement in Sarajevo at this time is
debated. Various documents note a place called ''Tornik'' in the region, most likely in the area of the
Marijin Dvor neighborhood. By all indications, Tornik was a very small marketplace surrounded by a proportionally small village, and was not considered very important by
Ragusan Ragusan may refer to:
* citizen of the Republic of Ragusa
hr, Sloboda se ne prodaje za sve zlato svijeta it, La libertà non si vende nemmeno per tutto l'oro del mondo"Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world"
, population_estimate ...
merchants.
Other scholars say that ''Vrhbosna'' was a major town in the wider area of modern-day Sarajevo.
Papal
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
documents say that in 1238, a cathedral dedicated to
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
was built in the area. Disciples of the notable saints
Cyril
Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varian ...
and
Methodius stopped in the region, founding a church near
Vrelo Bosne. Whether or not the town was somewhere in the area of modern-day Sarajevo, the documents attest to its and the region's importance. There was also a citadel
Hodidjed
Hodidjed is a ruined medieval fort near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Hodidjed was the only known fortification in the area of Vrhbosna ''župa'' in the High Middle Ages. The fort, located at Han Bulog east of Sarajevo, was first taken by th ...
north-east to the
Old City, dating from around 1263 until it was occupied by 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 1429.
Ottoman era
Sarajevo was founded by the Ottoman Empire in the 1450s upon its conquest of the region, with 1461 used as the city's founding date. The first Ottoman governor 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 ...
,
Isa-Beg Ishaković, transformed the cluster of villages into a city and state capital by building a number of key structures, including a mosque, a closed marketplace, a
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
, a hostel, and of course the governor's castle ("Saray") which gave the city its present name. The mosque was named "Careva Džamija" (the
Emperor's Mosque
The Emperor's Mosque ( Bosnian: ''Careva džamija'', Turkish: ''Hünkâr Camii'') is an important landmark in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, being the first mosque to be built (1457) after the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia. It is the largest sing ...
) in honor of Sultan
Mehmed II
Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
. With the improvements, Sarajevo quickly grew into the largest city in the region. By the
15th century
The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD).
In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period.
M ...
the settlement was established as a city, named ''Bosna-Saraj'', around the citadel in 1461.
Following the
expulsion of Jews from Spain
The Expulsion of Jews from Spain was the expulsion from Spain following the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which was enacted in order to eliminate their influence on Spain's large '' converso'' population and to ensure its members did not revert to Jud ...
at the end of the 15th century, and the invitation from the Ottoman Empire to resettle their population,
Sephardic Jews
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...
arrived in Sarajevo, which over time would become a leading center of Sephardic culture and the
Ladino language
Judaeo-Spanish or Judeo-Spanish (autonym , Hebrew script: , Cyrillic: ), also known as Ladino, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish. Originally spoken in Spain, and then after the Edict of Expulsion spreading through the Ottoman Emp ...
. Though relatively small in size, a Jewish quarter would develop over several blocks in
Baščaršija
Baščaršija (Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the city.
Baščaršija is located on the n ...
.
Many local Christians converted to Islam at this time. To accommodate the new pilgrims on the road to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
, in 1541,
Gazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg ( ota, غازى خسرو بك, ''Gāzī Ḫusrev Beğ''; Modern Turkish: ''Gazi Hüsrev Bey''; 1480–1541) was an Ottoman Bosnian sanjak-bey (governor) of the Sanjak of Bosnia in 1521–1525, 1526–1534, and 1536–1541. He w ...
's quartermaster Vekil-Harrach built a Pilgrim's mosque for which it is still known to this day as the
Hadžijska Mosque.
Under leaders such as the second governor Gazi Husrev-beg, Sarajevo grew at a rapid rate. Husrev-beg greatly shaped the physical city, as most of what is now the Old Town was built during his reign. Sarajevo became known for its large marketplace and numerous mosques, which by the middle of the 16th century numbered more than 100. At the peak of the empire, Sarajevo was the biggest and most important Ottoman city in the Balkans after
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, ...
. By 1660, the population of Sarajevo was estimated to be over 80,000.
By contrast,
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in 1683 had 100,000,
and
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 ...
as late as 1851 had 14,000 people. As political conditions changed, Sarajevo became the site of warfare.
In 1697, during the
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
, a raid was led by
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...
of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
against the Ottoman Empire,
which conquered Sarajevo and left it plague-infected and burned to the ground. After his men had looted thoroughly, they set the city on fire and destroyed nearly all of it in one day. Only a handful of neighborhoods, some mosques, and an
Orthodox church
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church
* Oriental Orthodox Churches
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
* State church of the Roman Empire
* True Orthodox church
See also
* Orthodox (di ...
, were left standing. Numerous other fires weakened the city, which was later rebuilt but never fully recovered from the destruction. By 1807, it had only some 60,000 residents.
In the 1830s, several battles of the
Bosnian uprising
Bosnian may refer to:
*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants
*Anything related to Bosnia (region) or its inhabitants
* Bosniaks, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of three const ...
had taken place around the city. These had been led by
Husein Gradaščević
Husein Gradaščević (''Husein-kapetan'') (31 August 1802 – 17 August 1834) was a Bosnian military commander who later led a rebellion against the Ottoman government, seeking autonomy for Bosnia. Born into a Bosnian noble family, Gradašč ...
. Today, a major city street is named ''Zmaj od Bosne'' (Dragon of Bosnia) in his honor. The rebellion failed and for several more decades, the Ottoman state remained in control of Bosnia.
The Ottoman Empire made Sarajevo an important administrative centre by 1850.
Baščaršija
Baščaršija (Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the city.
Baščaršija is located on the n ...
became the central commercial district and cultural center of the city in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the town. The toponym Baščaršija derives from the
Turkish language
Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...
.
Saraybosna-cami-2.JPG, Gazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg ( ota, غازى خسرو بك, ''Gāzī Ḫusrev Beğ''; Modern Turkish: ''Gazi Hüsrev Bey''; 1480–1541) was an Ottoman Bosnian sanjak-bey (governor) of the Sanjak of Bosnia in 1521–1525, 1526–1534, and 1536–1541. He w ...
Mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and Sarajevo Clock Tower.
Courtyard to the Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque.jpg, Mosque courtyard.
Gazi Husrey Bey Complex - panoramio.jpg, Gazi Husrev-beg Library
The Gazi-Husrev-beg Library is a public library in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina founded in 1537 by the Ottomans, and is part of a larger complex with Gazi Husrev-beg Medresa. It holds one of the most important collections of Islamic manusc ...
- Baščaršija
Baščaršija (Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the city.
Baščaršija is located on the n ...
Islamic School (Kurumlija Madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
).
Sarajevo Gazi-Husrev-Beg-Basar01.jpg, The Gazi Husrev-beg-Bazaar.
Sarajevo Bascarsija 2011-10-28 (4).jpg, Pigeon Square.
Sarajevo City Center from Trebevic.JPG, Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary's occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina came in 1878 as part of the
Treaty of Berlin, and
complete annexation followed in 1908, angering the
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 ...
. Sarajevo was industrialized by Austria-Hungary, who used the city as a testing area for new inventions such as
tramways, which were established in 1885 before they were later installed in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. Architects and engineers wanting to help rebuild Sarajevo as a modern European capital rushed to the city. A fire that burned down a large part of the central city area (''čaršija'') left more room for redevelopment. As a result, the city has a unique blend of the remaining Ottoman city market and contemporary western architecture. Sarajevo also has some examples of Secession- and Pseudo-
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or se ...
styles that date from this period.
The
Austro-Hungarian
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 ...
period was one of great development for the city, as the Western power brought its new acquisition up to the standards of the
Victorian age
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian ...
. Various factories and other buildings were built at this time, and a large number of institutions were both Westernized and modernized. For the first time in history, Sarajevo's population began writing in
Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern Italy ...
.
For the first time in centuries, the city significantly expanded outside its traditional borders. Much of the city's contemporary central municipality (
Centar Centar may refer to:
* Centar Municipality (Skopje), a municipality in Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia.
* Centar Municipality, Sarajevo, a municipality in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
*Centar, Niš
Centar (Serbian Cyrillic: Цeнтap ...
) was constructed during this period.
Architecture in Sarajevo quickly developed into a wide range of styles and buildings. The
Sacred Heart Cathedral, for example, was constructed using elements of
neo-gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
and
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
. The
National Museum
A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
,
Sarajevo brewery, and
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
were also constructed during this period. Additionally, Austrian officials made Sarajevo the first city in this part of Europe to have a
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
way.
Although the Bosnia Vilayet ''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
'' remained part of the Ottoman Empire, it was ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' governed as an integral part of Austria-Hungary with the Ottomans having no say in its day-to-day governance. This lasted until 1908 when the territory was formally annexed and turned into a
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
, jointly controlled by both Austrian
Cisleithania
Cisleithania, also ''Zisleithanien'' sl, Cislajtanija hu, Ciszlajtánia cs, Předlitavsko sk, Predlitavsko pl, Przedlitawia sh-Cyrl-Latn, Цислајтанија, Cislajtanija ro, Cisleithania uk, Цислейтанія, Tsysleitaniia it, Cislei ...
and Hungarian
Transleithania
The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( hu, a Szent Korona Országai), informally Transleithania (meaning the lands or region "beyond" the Leitha River) were the Hungarian territories of Austria-Hungary, throughout the latter's entire exi ...
.
In the event that triggered
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 ...
, the
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
F ...
was
assassinated
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
, along with his wife
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg (; cs, Žofie Marie Josefína Albína hraběnka Chotková z Chotkova a Vojnína 1 March 1868 – 28 June 1914) was the wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Their assas ...
in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 by
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip ( sr-Cyrl, Гаврило Принцип, ; 25 July 189428 April 1918) was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
Prin ...
, a Bosnian and self-declared Yugoslav, and member of
Young Bosnia
Young Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Mlada Bosna, Млада Босна) was a separatist and revolutionary movement active in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary before World War I. Its members were predominantly ...
. This was followed by the
Anti-Serb riots in Sarajevo
The anti-Serb riots in Sarajevo consisted of large-scale anti-Serb violence in Sarajevo on 28 and 29 June 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Encouraged by the Austro-Hungarian government, the violent demonstrations ass ...
, which resulted in two deaths and destruction of property.
In the ensuing war, however, most of the Balkan offensives occurred near Belgrade, and Sarajevo largely escaped damage and destruction. Following the war, Bosnia was annexed into the
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 ...
, and Sarajevo became the capital of the
Drina Province.
Glavna posta (2991301799).jpg, Sarajevo Main Post office.
Npsa 3 (2992157218).jpg, Sarajevo National Theatre
The Sarajevo National Theatre ( Bosnian and Serbian: ''Narodno pozorište Sarajevo'', Народно позориште Сарајево, Croatian: ''Narodno kazalište Sarajevo'') was founded in November 1921.
The opening ceremony was led by ...
design by Karel Pařík.
Academy of fine art and Festina lente.jpg, The Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute o ...
was originally built to serve as an Evangelical Church
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
in 1899.
BOR Bank in Sarajevo.JPG, Privredna banka Sarajevo.
Sarajevo City Hall Vijecnica (23242695334).jpg, National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUL) (Bosnian language, Bosnian, Croatian language, Croatian and Serbian language, Serbian: ''Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka Bosne i Hercegovine'' / Национална и у ...
established in 1896.
Yugoslavia
After World War I and pressure from the
Royal Serbian Army
The Army of the Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Војска Краљевине Србије, Vojska Kraljevine Srbije), known in English language, English as the Royal Serbian Army, was the army of the Kingdom of Serbia that existed between 1882 a ...
, alongside rebelling
Slavic nations in
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 ...
, Sarajevo became part of the
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 ...
. Though it held some political significance as the center of first the Bosnian region and then the Drinska Banovina, the city was no longer a national capital and saw a decline in global influence.
During
World War II
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 ...
, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's army was overrun by German and Italian forces. Following a German bombing campaign, Sarajevo was captured on 15 April 1941 by the
16th Motorized infantry Division. The
Axis powers
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
created the
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 included Sarajevo in its territory.
Immediately following the occupation, the main Sephardi Jewish synagogue,
Il Kal Grande, was looted, burned, and destroyed by the
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
. Within a matter of months, the centuries-old Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Sarajevo, comprising the vast majority of
Bosnian Jewry, would be rounded up in the Old Synagogue (Stari hram) and deported to their deaths in
Croatian concentration camps. Roughly 85% of Bosnia's Jewish population would perish at the hands of the Nazis and the
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...
during the Holocaust in the region. The
Sarajevo Haggadah
The Sarajevo Haggadah is an illuminated manuscript that contains the illustrated traditional text of the Passover Haggadah which accompanies the Passover Seder._It_is_one_of_the_oldest_Sephardi_Jews.html" "title="isan in the Hebrew .... It is ...
was the most important artifact which survived this period, smuggled out of Sarajevo and saved from the Nazis and Ustaše by the chief librarian of the National Museum,
Derviš Korkut
Derviš Korkut (5 May 1888 – 28 August 1969) was a Bosnian Muslim scholar — a librarian, teacher, humanist and orientalist. He is the brother of the famous Bosnian translator of the Quran, Besim Korkut.
Derviš Korkut is remembered a ...
.
On 12 October 1941, a group of 108 notable
Bosniak
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, cu ...
citizens of Sarajevo signed the
Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims The Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims or Muslim Resolution of 1941 ( sh, Sarajevska rezolucija/Сарајевска резолуција) was one of the Resolutions of Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina (then parts of the Independent State of Croati ...
by which they condemned the
Genocide of Serbs organized by the Ustaše, made a distinction between the Bosniaks who participated in such persecutions and the rest of the Bosniak population, presented information about the persecutions of Bosniaks by Serbs, and requested security for all citizens of the country, regardless of their identity. During the summer of 1941, Ustaše militia periodically interned and executed groups of
Sarajevo Serbs.
In August 1941, they arrested about one hundred Serbs suspected of ties to the resistance armies, mostly church officials and members of the intelligentsia, and executed them or deported them to concentration camps.
By mid-summer 1942, around 20,000 Serbs found refuge in Sarajevo from Ustaše terror.
The city was bombed by the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
from 1943 to 1944. The
Yugoslav Partisan
The Yugoslav Partisans, Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
movement was represented in the city. In the period February–May 1945,
Maks Luburić MAKS or Maks may refer to:
People
*Maksim (Maks), a Slavic given name
* Kees Maks (1876-1967) Dutch painter
Places
* Maks, a settlement in northern Poland
Other uses
*MAKS Air Show, an international airshow held near Moscow, Russia
*MAKS (space ...
set up an Ustaše headquarters in a building known as
Villa Luburić and used it as a torture and execution place whose 323 victims were identified after the war. The resistance was led by
Vladimir Perić Valter, who died while leading the liberation of the city on 6 April 1945.
After the war, Sarajevo was the capital of the
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Социјалистичка Pепублика Босна и Херцеговина), commonly referred to as Socia ...
within the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
. The Republic Government invested heavily in Sarajevo, building many new residential blocks in the municipalities of
Novi Grad and
Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo ( sr-cyrl, Ново Сарајево, ; lit. "New Sarajevo") is a municipality of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Neighborhoods
*'' Grbavica I''
*'' Grbavica II''
*''Pofalići I''
*''Pofalići II''
*''Velešići''
*''G ...
, while simultaneously developing the city's industry and transforming Sarajevo into a modern city. Sarajevo grew rapidly as it became an important regional industrial center in Yugoslavia. Between the end of the war and the end of Yugoslavia, the city grew from a population of 115,000 to more than 600,000 people. The
Vraca Memorial Park
The Vraca Memorial Park ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Spomen-park Vraca'' / Спомен-парк Враца) is a park dedicated to the World War II victims in Sarajevo. It covers 78,000 square meters and mentions the names of over 11,000 m ...
, a monument for victims of World War II, was dedicated on 25 November, the "
Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina" when the
ZAVNOBIH
The State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Zemaljsko antifašističko vijeće narodnog oslobođenja Bosne i Hercegovine, Земаљскo aнтифашистичко виjеће наро ...
held their first meeting in 1943.
A crowning moment of Sarajevo's time in Socialist Yugoslavia was the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
. Sarajevo beat out
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
, Japan and
Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabita ...
/
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
, Sweden to host the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. The games were followed by a tourism boom, making the 1980s one of the city's most prosperous decades.
File:Health Institute in Sarajevo.JPG, Health Institute in Sarajevo.
File:Sarajevo Tram-227 Line-3 2011-10-05.jpg, Iconic Sarajevo Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...
(now Hotel Holiday) and UNITIC World Trade Towers.
File:Sarajevo Tram-201 Line-3 2011-11-08.jpg, Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...
.
File:Sarajevo Panorama 2011-09-25.jpg, View west toward parts of Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo ( sr-cyrl, Ново Сарајево, ; lit. "New Sarajevo") is a municipality of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Neighborhoods
*'' Grbavica I''
*'' Grbavica II''
*''Pofalići I''
*''Pofalići II''
*''Velešići''
*''G ...
.
File:View on Novi Grad, Sarajevo.JPG, Residential buildings in Novi Grad.
Bosnian War
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 ...
for independence resulted in large-scale destruction and dramatic population shifts during the
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav ...
between 1992 and 1996. Thousands of Sarajevans lost their lives under the constant bombardment and sniper shooting at civilians by the
Serb forces during the siege,
the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Bosnian Serb forces of the
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
and the
Yugoslav People's 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 ...
besieged Sarajevo from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996.
When
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
and achieved
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 ...
recognition, Serbian leaders declared a new Serbian national state Republika Srpska (RS) which was carved out from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Army of Republika Srpska encircled Sarajevo with a siege force of 18,000
stationed in the surrounding hills, from which they assaulted the city with artillery, mortars, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine-guns, multiple rocket launchers, rocket-launched aircraft bombs, and sniper rifles.
From 2 May 1992, the Serbs
blockade
A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force.
A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...
d the city. The
Bosnian government defence forces inside the besieged city were poorly equipped and unable to break the siege.
During the siege, 11,541 people lost their lives, including over 1,500 children. An additional 56,000 people were wounded, including nearly 15,000 children.
The
1991 census indicates that before the siege the city and its surrounding areas had a population of 525,980.
When the siege ended, the concrete scars caused by mortar shell explosions left marks that were filled with red resin. After the red resin was placed, it left floral patterns which led to them being dubbed
Sarajevo Rose
A Sarajevo Rose is a type of memorial in Sarajevo made from concrete scar caused by a mortar shell's explosion that was later filled with red resin. Mortar rounds landing on concrete during the siege of Sarajevo created a unique fragmentation pat ...
s. Division of the territory according to the
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( Croatian: ''Daytonski sporazum'', Serbian and Bosnian: ''Dejtonski mirovni sporazum'' / Дејтонски мир ...
resulted in a
mass exodus in early 1996 of some 62,000 Sarajevo Serbs from the city and its suburbs, creating today's more monoethnic post-war city.
Present
Various modern buildings now occupy Sarajevo's skyline, most significantly the
Bosmal City Center
The Bosmal City Center (BCC) ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Bosmalov gradski centar'' / Босмалов градски центар) is a business and residential tower located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Standing high, it is the ...
,
BBI Centar
BBI Centar is a shopping mall in the center of Sarajevo. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an area of . It was opened on April 6, 2009. The BBI Centar was built on the site where Robna kuća Sarajka, popular ...
,
Sarajevo City Center
Sarajevo City Center (SCC) is a business complex and shopping center in downtown Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that consists of three main parts: a shopping mall and leisure complex, a five star hotel tower and a commercial offices tower, with ...
(all the three by architect
Sead Gološ
Sead Gološ (8 June 1969 – 4 November 2020) was a Bosnian architect.
Biography
Gološ was born in Sarajevo. He graduated in 1994 from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Sarajevo. From 1996 till 2001 he worked for the Sarajevo Cit ...
) and the
Avaz Twist Tower
The Avaz Twist Tower is a 40 story, 172m tall skyscraper in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the headquarters for '' Dnevni avaz'', a Bosnian newspaper company. , which at the time of its building was the tallest skyscraper in former Yugoslavia.
Recent years have seen population growth as well as increases in tourism. In 2014, the city saw
anti-government protests and riots and record rainfall
that caused historic flooding.
Bosmal City Center Sarajevo.jpg, Bosmal City Center
The Bosmal City Center (BCC) ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Bosmalov gradski centar'' / Босмалов градски центар) is a business and residential tower located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Standing high, it is the ...
Towers, erected 2001.
Sarajevo Twist Tower.jpg, Avaz Twist Tower
The Avaz Twist Tower is a 40 story, 172m tall skyscraper in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the headquarters for '' Dnevni avaz'', a Bosnian newspaper company. , erected 2008.
BBI Shopping and Business Center.jpg, BBI Centar
BBI Centar is a shopping mall in the center of Sarajevo. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an area of . It was opened on April 6, 2009. The BBI Centar was built on the site where Robna kuća Sarajka, popular ...
, erected 2009.
Sarajevo Tram-291 Line-3 2013-10-25 (cropped).jpg, Sarajevo City Center
Sarajevo City Center (SCC) is a business complex and shopping center in downtown Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that consists of three main parts: a shopping mall and leisure complex, a five star hotel tower and a commercial offices tower, with ...
, erected 2014.
Sarajevo from the cable car.jpg, Sarajevo cable car
Sarajevo Cable Car ( bs, Sarajevska žičara) is a cable car in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, connecting the old part of the city with the mountain Trebević.
History
Trebević Cable Car was first built in 1959, and opened for the public o ...
, reopened in 2018.
Administration
Largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo is the capital of the country of
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 ...
and its sub-entity, 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 well as of the
Sarajevo Canton
The Sarajevo Canton, officially the Canton of Sarajevo ( bs, Kanton Sarajevo; hr, Sarajevska županija; sr-Cyrl, Сарајевски кантон), is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It ...
. It is also the ''de jure'' capital of another entity,
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
. Each of these levels of government has its parliament or council, as well as judicial courts, in the city. All national institutions and foreign
embassies
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
are in Sarajevo.
Sarajevo is home to the
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Bosnian/ Croatian: ''Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine'', sr, Савјет министара Босне и Херцеговине), often called Bosnian Government ( bs, Vlada Bosne i He ...
,
Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Parlamentarna skupština Bosne i Hercegovine, Парламентарна скупштина Босне и Херцеговине, separator=" / ") is the bicameral legislative ...
,
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Predsjedništvo Bosne i Hercegovine, separator=" / ", Предсједништво Босне и Херцеговине) is a three-member body which collectively serves as head of state of ...
, the
Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Ustavni sud Bosne i Hercegovine, Уставни суд Босне и Херцеговине) is the interpreter and guardian of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, It ...
and the operational command of the
Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's
Parliament office in Sarajevo was damaged heavily in 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 ...
. Due to damage, the staff and documents were moved to a nearby ground-level office to resume work. In late 2006, reconstruction work started on Parliament and was finished in 2007. The cost of reconstruction was 80% funded by the
Greek Government
Greece is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the President of Greece is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government within a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the g ...
through the Hellenic Program of Balkans Reconstruction (ESOAV), and 20% by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Municipalities and city government
The City of Sarajevo comprises four municipalities:
Centar Centar may refer to:
* Centar Municipality (Skopje), a municipality in Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia.
* Centar Municipality, Sarajevo, a municipality in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
*Centar, Niš
Centar (Serbian Cyrillic: Цeнтap ...
,
Novi Grad,
Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo ( sr-cyrl, Ново Сарајево, ; lit. "New Sarajevo") is a municipality of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Neighborhoods
*'' Grbavica I''
*'' Grbavica II''
*''Pofalići I''
*''Pofalići II''
*''Velešići''
*''G ...
, and
Stari Grad. Each operate their own
municipal government
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, while united they form one city government with its own constitution. The
executive branch
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state.
In poli ...
( bs, Gradska uprava) consists of a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
, with two deputies and a cabinet. The
legislative branch
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as ...
consists of the
City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
, or ''Gradsko vijeće''. The council has 28 members, including a council speaker, two deputies, and a secretary. Councilors are elected by the municipality in numbers roughly proportional to their population. The City Statute requires the city council to include at least six councillors from each
constituent people and at least two from the ranks of Others.
Sarajevo's Municipalities are further split into "local communities" (Bosnian, ''Mjesne zajednice''). Local communities have a small role in city government and are intended as a way for ordinary citizens to get involved in city government. They are based on key neighborhoods in the city.
Economy
Sarajevo's large manufacturing, administrative, and tourism sectors make it the strongest economic region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Indeed, Sarajevo Canton generates almost 25% of the country's GDP. After years of war, Sarajevo's economy saw reconstruction and rehabilitation programs. The
Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Centralna banka Bosne i Hercegovine'' / Централна банка Босне и Херцеговине) is the central bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in t ...
opened in Sarajevo in 1997 and the
Sarajevo Stock Exchange began trading in 2002.
While Sarajevo had a large industrial base during its communist period, only a few pre-existing businesses have successfully adapted to the
market economy
A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand, where all suppliers and consumers ...
. Sarajevo industries now include tobacco products, furniture, hosiery, automobiles, and communication equipment.
Companies based in Sarajevo include
BH Telecom
BH Telecom is a Bosnian telecommunications company, headquartered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History
It was established during the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1992 and was the first company in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide GSM, 3G, ...
,
Bosnalijek
Bosnalijek is a Bosnian pharmaceutical company headquartered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in 1951, it is the largest pharmaceutical company in Bosnia and Herzegovina, present in more than 20 markets and having annual revenue of ...
,
Energopetrol,
Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, and
Sarajevska pivara (Sarajevo Brewery).
In 2019, the total export for the Sarajevo Canton was worth about 1,427,496,000
KM. Most of Sarajevo's exports (20.55%) head to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, with
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
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 ...
following behind at 12% respectively. The largest amount of imported goods come from Croatia, at 20.95%. With a worth of total import at about 4,872,213,000
KM, the total import is almost 3.4 times the total export.
In 1981, Sarajevo's GDP per capita was 133% of the Yugoslav average. Gross pay in Sarajevo in 2019 was or , while net salary was or .
Tourism and recreation
Sarajevo has a wide tourist industry and a fast expanding service sector thanks to the strong annual growth in tourist arrivals. Sarajevo also benefits from being both a summer and winter destination with continuity in its tourism throughout the year. The travel guide series, ''
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
'' named Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world,
and in December 2009, listed Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.
In 2019, 733,259 tourists visited Sarajevo, giving 1,667,545 overnight stays, which was 20% more than in 2018.
Sports-related tourism uses the legacy facilities of the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
, especially the skiing facilities on the nearby mountains of
Bjelašnica
Bjelašnica ( sr-cyrl, Бјелашница, ) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mount Igman. Bjelašnica's tallest peak, by which the mountain group got its name, rises to an elevation ...
,
Igman
Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of Sa ...
,
Jahorina
Jahorina ( sr-Cyrl, Јахорина, ) is a mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the tripoint of the municipalities of Pale, Trnovo, Republika Srpska and Trnovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Part of the Dinaric Alps, it borde ...
,
Trebević
Trebević ( sr-cyrl, Требевић) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located to the southeast of Sarajevo, in the territory of East Sarajevo city, bordering Jahorina mountain. Trebević is tall, making it the second shortest ...
, and
Treskavica
Treskavica ( sr-cyrl, Трескавица) is a mountain range in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in Trnovo municipality just south of city of Sarajevo. Mala Ćaba (Đokin Toranj) peak at 2088 m (6850 ft.), which makes Treskavica the tallest ...
. Sarajevo's 600 years of history, influenced by both Western and Eastern empires, makes it a
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural b ...
with splendid variations.
Sarajevo has hosted travellers for centuries, because it was an important trading center during the
Ottoman and
Austro-Hungarian
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 ...
empires and because it was a natural stop for many routes between East and West. Examples of popular destinations in Sarajevo include the
Vrelo Bosne park, the
Sarajevo cathedral
The Sacred Heart Cathedral (Serbo-Croatian: ''Katedrala Srca Isusova/Катедрала Срца Исусова'') is a Catholic church in Sarajevo; commonly referred as the Sarajevo Cathedral (''Sarajevska katedrala/Сарајевска кат ...
, and the
Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque (, ) is a mosque in the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Built in the 16th century, it is the largest historical mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the most representative Ottoman structures in the Balkan ...
. Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, cultural sites and winter sports.
There are many parks throughout the city and on the outskirts. A popular activity among locals is street chess, usually played at
Trg Oslobođenja - Alija Izetbegović. Veliki Park is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It is nestled between
Titova,
Koševo
Koševo ( cyrl, Кошево) is a neighborhood in the municipality of Centar in central Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located between the older parts of the city under Stari Grad and the newer more modern parts of the city under the ...
,
Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part, there is a monument dedicated to the
Children of Sarajevo
''Children of Sarajevo'' ( bs, Djeca) is a 2012 Bosnian drama film directed by Aida Begić. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Special Distinction award. The film was selected a ...
.
Hastahana is a popular place to relax in the Austro-Hungarian neighborhood of
Marijin Dvor.
Goat's Bridge
The Goat's Bridge ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Kozija ćuprija'' / Козја ћуприја) is a large stone bridge that crosses the Miljacka river to the east of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History
It was built by the Ottomans in ...
, locally known as ''Kozija Ćuprija'', in the Miljacka Canyon is also a popular park destination along the
Dariva walkway and river Miljacka. On 24 December 2012, a park hosting two brass sculptures resembling two mourning mothers was dedicated as the Friendship Park, commemorating over 45 years of friendship between Sarajevo and
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
.
Sarajevo is also famous for its city lookouts; including an observation deck on
Avaz Twist Tower
The Avaz Twist Tower is a 40 story, 172m tall skyscraper in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the headquarters for '' Dnevni avaz'', a Bosnian newspaper company. , Park Prinčeva restaurant, Vidikovac lookout (Mt. Trebević), Zmajevac lookout and Yellow/White fortresses lookouts (in
Vratnik) as well as numerous other rooftops throughout the city (i.e. Alta Shopping Center,
BBI Centar
BBI Centar is a shopping mall in the center of Sarajevo. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an area of . It was opened on April 6, 2009. The BBI Centar was built on the site where Robna kuća Sarajka, popular ...
, Hotel Hecco Deluxe). A symbol of Sarajevo is the
Trebević cable car which was reconstructed in 2018, also it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city taking visitors from the city center to Mount Trebević.
There is also a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
tentative monument, the
Old Jewish Cemetery, almost 500 years old site that is the second-largest Jewish sepulchral complex in Europe, the one in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
being the largest. It is also one of the most significant memorial complexes in the world. It represents the eternal proof of coexistence of two or more different confessions under different administrations and rules, and the proof of mutual respect and tolerance.
Sarajevo Veliki park.jpg, Great Park ''(Veliki Park)''.
Koševo Park, Sarajevo.JPG, Koševo Park.
Sarajevo Wilsons-Promenade 2013-10-18 (2).jpg, ''Vilsonovo Šetalište
Vilsonovo Šetalište () is a promenade in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is important street for the city, however, in the afternoon hours and during weekend the traffic restriction is in force, and promenade becomes recreational area. Th ...
'' (Wilson's Promenade) along the Miljacka
The Miljacka (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Palja ...
.
Ilidža - Velika aleja.JPG, Great Lane ''(Velika aleja)'', Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and is ...
.
Bridge on Vrelo Bosne.jpg, The spring of the Bosna river is in Sarajevo.
Demographics
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
Thanks to steady but constant and stable growth after the war, today's built-up area that includes not only previously mentioned urban municipalities but the urban part of
, the westernmost part of the Sarajevo urban settlement, is inhabited by more than 419,000 people, while
including 8 additional municipalities, 14 in total goes up to 555,210 inhabitants. It is noticeable that the fastest-growing municipalities are
, one of the main ones and the most inhabited one where the population has increased by almost 4,000 people or 2.95% since the
, and Ilidža that has recorded an increase of almost 7% since 2013.
In June 2016, the final results of the 2013 census were published. According to the census, the population of the
.
). In the settlement of Sarajevo proper, there were 454,319 inhabitants. The war displaced hundreds of thousands of people, a large majority of whom have not returned.
The war changed the ethnic and religious profile of the city. It had long been a multicultural city, and often went by the nickname of "Europe's Jerusalem".
At the time of the 1991 census, 49.2 per cent of the city's population of 527,049 were
and 3.6 percent other ethnicities (Jews, Romas, etc.).
According to academic Fran Markowitz, there are a number of "administrative apparatuses and public pressures that push people who might prefer to identify as flexible, multiply constituted hybrids or with one of the now unnamed minority groups into one of the three Bosniac-Croat-Serb constituent nations". These include respondents being encouraged by census interviewers to identity as belonging to one of the three
. Her analysis of marriage registration data shows, for instance, that 67 percent of people marrying in 2003 identified as Bosniak or Muslim, which is significantly lower than the 79.6 percent census figure from 2002 (unlike the census, where people respond to an interviewer, applicants to the marriage registry fill in the form themselves).
Sarajevo's location in a valley between mountains makes it a compact city. Narrow city streets and a lack of parking areas restrict automobile traffic but allow better pedestrian and cyclist mobility. The two main roads are
(Dragon of Bosnia) highway (E761). Located roughly at the center of the country, Sarajevo is Bosnia's main intersection. The city is connected to all the other major cities by highway or national road like
through Sarajevo also contribute to the traffic congestion in and around Sarajevo. The trans-European highway,
at the Adriatic sea in the south. The highway is being built by the
. Up until March 2012, the
invested around 600 million Euro in the A1. In 2014, the sections Sarajevo-Zenica and Sarajevo-
ring road.
, in operation since 1884 and electrified since 1895, are the oldest form of public transportation in the city.
Sarajevo had the first full-time (dawn to dusk) tram line in Europe, and the second in the world.
, and operated by horses. Originally built to , the present system in 1960 was upgraded to . The trams played a pivotal role in the growth of the city in the 20th century.
There are seven tramway lines supplemented by five
lines and numerous bus routes. The
in Sarajevo is in the north-central area of the city. From there, the tracks head west before branching off in different directions, including to industrial zones in the city. Sarajevo is undergoing a major infrastructure renewal; many highways and streets are being repaved, the tram system is undergoing modernization, and new bridges and roads are under construction.
To solve traffic congestion in the city, Sarajevo-based architect Muzafer Osmanagić proposed a study called "Eco Energy 2010–2015", proposing a subway system underneath the bed of the river
. The first line of Metro Sarajevo would connect
. This line would cost some 150 million
.
Sarajevo has daily international connections which twice a day connect the city with
. There are also connections between Sarajevo and all major cities within
. Once, the
.
Cable car (Mt. Trebević)
as one of the new transportation systems in 2017 and it reopened on 6 April 2018 at 11:00 AM. The cable car runs from Sarajevo at Bistrik station to the slopes of
at Vidikovac station.
, is just a few kilometers southwest of the city and was voted Best European Airport With Under 1,000,000 Passengers at the 15th Annual ACI-Europe in
in 2005.
The first regular flights to Sarajevo using an airfield in the suburb of Butmir begin in 1930 when the domestic airliner
through Sarajevo.
, and in 1938, the first international flights were introduced when Aeroput extended the route Dubrovnik – Sarajevo – Zagreb to
.
The airfield in Butmir remained in use all the way until 1969. The need for a new airport in Sarajevo, with an asphalt-concrete runway, was acknowledged in the mid-1960s when
, the Yugoslav national carrier at that time, began acquiring jet planes. The construction of the airport began in 1966 at its present location, not far from the old one.
Sarajevo Airport opened on 2 June 1969 for domestic traffic. In 1970,
became the first international destination served. Most of the time the airport was a 'feeder' airport where passengers embarked for flights to Zagreb and Belgrade on their way to international destinations. Over time, the traffic volume steadily grew from 70,000 to 600,000 passengers a year. Later, during the
flights and humanitarian relief. Since the
in 1995, the airport retook its role as the main air gate to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2017, 957,971 passengers travelled through the airport, which was 61,4% of the total airport traffic in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Plans for extension of the passenger terminal, together with upgrading and expanding the taxiway and apron, started in the fall of 2012. The existing terminal was expanded by approximately . The upgraded airport was directly linked to the commercial retail center Sarajevo Airport Center, making it easier for tourists and travellers to spend their time before flight boarding shopping and enjoying the many amenities that are offered.
Between 2015 and 2018, the airport was upgraded for more than 25 million euros.