Rita and I had discussed going on a day excursion to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina due to its historic bridge, recent history and its proximity to Dubrovnik. We had looked at group bus tours, renting a car and going on our own but ended up hiring a guide for the day. In the end it proved to be the right decision. When Pepo Klaic picked us up at 08:00 we were not so sure as he was driving an older minibus that was spewing blue smoke from the exhaust, had some sort of alarm going off and the engine sputtering erratically. Pepo apologized about the car stating his normal car was not available and assured us it would not jeopardize our trip. Since he was recommended in our Rick Steves book and first impressions were positive, we decided to get in the car and start our adventure. Pepo turned out to be a very talkative and entertaining tour guide who was also part of the Dubrovnik civilian militia that defended the city from the Fort at the top of Mount Srd. It was very chilling to get a first had account of his time defending Dubrovnik. He also had some very interesting theories about how Yugoslavia fell into its ugly civil war that split one country into six. Several thought provoking discussions became part of our day trip. On the way to Mostar we stopped for a break at the medieval fortress town of Pocitelj inside Bosnia-Herzegovina and saw our first Mosque and Minaret. Arriving in Mostar we toured the city by car, then parked, took a short walk to the Old Town and had a traditional Bosnian lunch. After lunch Pepo gave us two hours on our own to explore before picking us up for the ride back home. It was a very emotional day as there are still lots of reminders of the war in many bombed out and pock-marked buildings. But at the same time, the destroyed Old Town and its famous bridge have been fully restored and rebuilt. By using the limestone blocks from the original quarry, hand carving the stone blocks and assembling the stones with the same technology used when they were first built; the Old Town and Bridge look as they did prior to the war. And most important, the tourists are back by the busloads spending their money to help this very poor and still divided country slowly get back on its feet.
Mostar was part of the Ottoman Empire for over four centuries and the majority of its South Slave citizens converted to Islam and you can feel and hear this Turkish heritage everywhere. It's embodied in the skyline of minarets and in the five times daily call to prayer. And in it's famous stone bridge that was commissioned in 1557 by the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent to replace a rickety suspension bridge, guarded by Mostari ("watchers of the bridge"), who gave the city its name. The old stone bridge was a technical marvel for its time as it was the longest single-span stone arch on the planet. With it's elegant, single pointed arch and flanked by two stone towers, the bridge is striking-even if you don't know its history. Mostar for centuries was the place where East meets West and where cultures mingled - where Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks lived together in relative harmony. But when Yugoslavia started to break apart, Mostar became embroiled in the war. Neighbors and friends took up arms against each other. First the Croats and Bosniaks forced out the Serbs. Then the Croats and Bosniaks turned their guns on each other - establishing a bloody front line that ran through the middle of town. The conflict reached its peak in November 1993 with a symbolic moment that was seen around the world. Mostar's stone bridge was continually shelled by Croat forces until it collapsed into the river. The war has been over since 1995 but the sectarian symbolism is still very powerful as the Croats live on one side of the river and the Muslims on the other. But all sides came together immediately after the war to rebuild the bridge and celebrated its inauguration on July 24, 2004.
The fortress town of Pocitelj was established in 1383 and has both medieval and Ottoman architecture in its stone buildings
The towns Mosque and Minaret was built in the 18th century
The narrow street on the Croat side of the Old Town Bridge is crammed with tourists enjoying the souvenir shops and cafes
Enjoying a traditional Balkan lunch specialty cevapcici (cheh-vahp-chee-chee) made of spiced minced meat rolled into finger size pieces and grilled. About 10 are stuffed inside a pita pocket and served with diced onions and a spicy hot sauce called ajvar (eye-var). It was all very tasty.
Muslim section of Old Town Mostar as seen from the bridge with its Mosques and Minarets
At its highest point, the bridge is 75 ft (23m) above the Neretva River and young men in skimpy speedos tease donations out of the tourists to watch them jump off the bridge. We saw this happen several times during our short stay.
One of the many abandoned and pock-marked buildings outside the Muslim section of Old Town
View of Old Town Mostar, its stone bridge and Neretva River. Croats live on the left side of the River and Muslims on the right
We were having a cappuccino and baklava (phyllo pastry layered with honey and nuts) at a cafe o the other side of the street from this souvenir shop on the Croat side of Old Town. He makes and sold his own jewelry. This man did not like Americans and yelled insults to them in English if they tried to take his picture. Thankfully, he did not see me take this shot
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