BOSNIA & HERCEGOVINA: Sarajevo – A Place of Religious Tolerance!
Aside from the food being sensational and cheap, this town had a lot of surprises that I did not expect. Although ignorant of much of this region’s recent history I got quite a lesson today which helped me to really appreciate this town. My hostel host, Haris, gave a fantastic private tour with a couple from Australia. He was 16 years old when the Serbs began their siege of Sarajevo.
TUNNEL OF SALVATION – This tunnel enabled the people of Sarajevo to keep their military supplied and enable people to leave their surrounded city. The tunnel went under the airport and the entrance was underneath a private home of a sweet older lady who doled out water to the emerging troops. The government gave her a new home after the war, and she is alive to this day. Take note of the bullet holes and the red mark on the ground indicating where a mortar round went off and killed people.
Homemade weapons the Bosnians used against the superior firepower of their oppressors.
A portion of the tunnel with tracks for various carts was used to transport supplies.
One of those carts with ammunition boxes and other supplies. In the front is a stretcher.
An example of one of the many types of land mines used against the people of Sarajevo. There are people still dying, and it will take years until all of them are cleared.
A pleasant view from up on one of the hills that were used to shell the city, but this afternoon we enjoyed the scenery and drank Bosnian coffee while our guide Haris shared stories of the war. Evidently on one New Years’ Eve during the war, he went over to his girlfriend’s place to celebrate. They reckoned the shelling would be over early in the evening.
Sure enough, it started up at about 6 pm. The next thing they realized was an artillery explosive crashing through their window and landing on the sofa next to Grandma. Thankfully the cushions stopped it from exploding. They called the police who removed the unexploded bomb, and they were able to proceed with their party.
CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL
OLD SYNAGOGUE
Modern Abstracted Menorah
OLD ORTHODOX CHURCH
And Finally – A MOSQUE
All visible on the same street in the space of 200 meters. This is a city devoid of sectarian tensions. Quite a phenomenon for a region so scarred by war and ethnic cleansing.
Some of the best Burek meat pie in Sarajevo.
The beautifully rebuilt SARAJEVO TOWN HALL.
BEAUTIFUL DETAILING
Quite a nice piece of work for such a poor country.
The opposite side of this bridge is ground zero for World War I which set in motion the conditions necessary for World War II. This is where Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia were murdered on June 28th. 1914. After the failed attempt to bomb his motorcade, Ferdinand decided it a good idea to visit the onlookers who were injured by the grenade blast. On the way to the hospital is car broke down in front of a bar/sandwich shop just as Gavrilo Princip had finished his lunch. The rest is history, of course, and sealed the fate of millions of people arguably to this very day.
The Plaque Commemorating This Horrendous Event
ANOTHER ANCIENT SHOPPING MALL
OLDEST HOSTEL IN TOWN – Now a restaurant, you can see where they used to park their horses on the perimeter of the courtyard.
2 Comments
BigD
August 20, 2015As I understand it, the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife was a product of pure dumb chance. After the failed attempt to bomb his motorcade Ferdinand decided it a good idea to visit the onlookers, who were injured by the grenade blast, in the hospital. On the way to the hospital His car broke down in front of a bar/sandwich shop just as Gavrilo Princip had finished his lunch. The rest is history, of course, and sealed the fate of millions of people arguably to this very day.
The Travel Zealot
August 20, 2015Big D,
Your observations are of good quality, and I am going to insert them into my blog. In fact there have been parallels drawn with the Kennedy assassination which I believe to be a pivotal part of history as well. It is really amazing to parade through all of this history in such a short period of time, and to discuss world affairs with youth who are by and large far more engaged with world affairs than their sedentary counterparts back home. You would be astounded by the passion and insights of the young people I have met in my travels.
I know you have voiced concerns about the future of mankind, but in my encounters I have found renewed optimism in my dialogue with the leaders of tomorrow. Granted some have been party animals and drunken buffoons, but the majority are most impressive in their depth and insight. I wish you could be along for the ride as I feel it would assuage some of your concerns. Not to mention all the other benefits involved in the journey.