Mostar

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Mostar
Мостар
Stari most
General Information
Canton: Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
Homepage: Official Website
Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms Mostar coat of arms
Flag
Flag Mostar flag
Map: Mostar in Bosnia
Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mostar)
Politics
Mayor Ljubo Bešlić HDZ
Population
Population: 125,448 (estimate) (2004)
Geography
Area: 1,175 km² (municipality)
Location: 43°20′N 17°48′E / 43.333°N 17.800°E / 43.333; 17.800Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function

Mostar (Мостар) is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after its Old Bridge (Stari most) and the towers on its sides, "the bridge keepers" (natively: mostari).

Demographics

1971

89,580 total

  • Bosniaks (i.e. Bosnian Muslims) - 33,645 (37,55%)
  • Croats - 32,782 (36,59%)
  • Serbs - 19,076 (21,29%)
  • Yugoslavs - 2,329 (2,59%)
  • others - 1,748 (1,98%)

1991

In 1991, population of Mostar municipality numbered 126,628 people, including:

  • Bosniaks: 43,856 (34.63%)
  • Croats: 43,037 (33.98%)
  • Serbs: 23,846 (18.83%)
  • Yugoslavs: 12,768 (10.08%)
  • others: 3,121 (2.48%)

2005

In 2005 the municipality of Mostar had a population of 127,066. The political control of the ethnically divided city is equally shared between Croats and Bosniaks.

The city has had a carefully elaborated policy of national equality ever since the end of the war. The Croat and Bosniak ethnic communities each claim one side of the river and even support for the local football clubs, Zrinjski and Velež, is divided along ethnic lines. One Bosnian politician called Mostar "divided by a wall between Croats and Bosniaks" in an interview to RTV Slovenia. The number of Serbs remaining in the city following ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War is negligible.

History

Early history

Old Bridge, June 2006
File:Kosca.jpg
Hrvatski dom Herceg Stjepan Kosače

The names of two towns appear in mediaeval historical sources, along with their later mediaeval territories and properties – the towns of Nebojša and Cimski grad. In the early 15th century the late mediaeval župa (county) of Večenike covered the site of present-day Mostar along the right bank of the Neretva: Zahum, Cim, Iliće, Hraštane and Vojno. It was at the centre of this area, which belonged to the Radivojević's in 1408, that Cim fort was built prior to 1443; it is referred to in a charter of King Alphonse V dating from 1454 as Pons (Bridge), for a bridge had already been built there. Prior to 1444, the Nebojša fort was built on the left bank of the Neretva, which belonged to the late mediaeval župa still known as Večenike or Večerić (Anđelić, 1974, 276-278).

The earliest documentary reference to Mostar as a settlement dates from 3 April 1452, when natives of Dubrovnik wrote to their fellow countrymen in the service of Đorđe Branković to say that Vladislav Hercegović had turned against his father and occupied Blagaj and other places, including “Duo Castelli al ponte de Neretua.” (Mujezinović, 1998, p. 144). In 1468 Mostar came under Ottoman rule (Mujezinović, 1998, p. 144). The urbanization of the settlement began, following the unwritten oriental rule, with a čaršija – the crafts and commercial centre of the settlement – and mahalas or residential quarters. In 1468 Mostar acquired the name Köpruhisar, meaning fortress on the water, at the centre of which was a cluster of 15 houses (Institute for Regional Planning, Mostar, 1982, p. 21). In the late 16th century, Mostar was the chief administrative city for the Ottoman Empire in the Herzegovina region. The Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in 1878 and then it became part of Yugoslavia in the aftermath of World War I. Since 1881 Mostar has been the seat of the Bishopric of Mostar-Duvno. The city's symbol, "The Old Bridge" (Stari Most) is one of the most important constructions of Ottoman Era and built by the student of the famous Ottoman Architect Mimar Sinan, Mimar Hayrettin. In 1939, Mostar became a part of the Banovina of Croatia, and during the Second World War was an important city in the Independent State of Croatia.

Yugoslav Period

After World War II, Mostar developed a production of tobacco, bauxite, wine, aircraft and aluminium products. Several dams ("Grabovica", "Salakovac", "Mostar") were built in the region to harness the hydroelectric power of the Neretva. The city was a major industrial and tourist center and prospered during the time of SFRY.

Bosnian war

1992 JNA Siege

Between 1992 and 1993, after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, the town was subject to a 18 month siege. The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) first bombed Mostar on April 3, 1992 and over the following week gradually established control over a large part of the city. The Croatian Defence Council, which at the time included some of the remaining local Bosnian Muslims who made up around 15% of its force, was the only organised military opposition to the JNA in the city and its metropolitan area. By June 12, 1992 its units amassed enough strength to force the JNA out of Mostar to which the JNA responded with shelling that damaged or destroyed a number of civilian objects and resulted in a mass killing of thousands of innocent civilians. Amongst destroyed monuments were a Franciscan monastery, the Catholic cathedral and the bishop's palace, with a library of 50,000 books, as well as the Karadžoz-bey mosque, Roznamed-ij-Ibrahim-efendija mosque and twelve other mosques, as well as secular institutions. Subsequent to the defeat of the Serbs in Mostar in mid June 1992, the Orthodox monastery in Žitomislići as well as the Saborna Crkva (Orthodox Cathedral Church) in Mostar were damaged.

Croat-Bosniak Conflict

After the Serbs were driven out, the heavily armed, Croatia funded Croatian Defence Council (HVO) turned their guns on the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in hope of capturing the whole city for themselves. The Croats took over the west side of the city and expelled the Bosniak population into into the east side of the city. The HVO shelling reduced much of the east side of Mostar to rubble. The HVO also demolished every bridge over the river including the Stari Most. HVO forces (and its smaller divisions) engaged in a mass execution, ethnic cleansing and rape on the Bosniak people of the West Mostar and its surrounds and a fierce siege and shelling campaign on the Bosnian Government run East Mostar. HVO campaign resulted in thousands of injured and killed.

Reconstruction

The Old Bridge reconstruction in June 2003

Since the end of the wider war in 1995, great progress is being made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar. The city was under direct monitoring from a European Union envoy, several elections were held and each nation was accommodated with regard to political control over the city. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.

A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by Spring 2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by the United States, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and Croatia. A grand opening was held on July 23, 2004 under heavy security.

In parallel with the restoration of the Old Bridge, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the World Monuments Fund (WMF) undertook a five-year long restoration and rehabilitation effort in historic Mostar.[1] Realizing early on that the reconstruction of the bridge without an in-depth rehabilitation of the surrounding historic neighbourhoods would be devoid of context and meaning, they shaped the programme in such a way as to establish a framework of urban conservation schemes and individual restoration projects that would help regenerate the most significant areas of historic Mostar, and particularly the urban tissue around the Old Bridge. The project also resulted in the establishment of the Stari grad Agency which has an important role in overseeing the ongoing implementation of the conservation plan, as well as operating and maintaining a series of restored historic buildings (including the Old Bridge complex) and promoting Mostar as a cultural and tourist destination. The official inauguration of the Stari grad Agency coincided with the opening ceremony of the Bridge.[2]

In July 2005, UNESCO finally inscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto the World Heritage List. Previously, the inscription had been repeatedly deferred on account of poor quality of post-war reconstructions and deplorable use of modern materials in the old town.

Economy

Mostar is home to several of the nation's largest companies including the mail delivery firm Hrvatska pošta Mostar,telecomunication company Hrvatske telekomnikacije Mostar, aluminum manufacturer Aluminij and aircraft manufacturer SOKO.

City government

File:Mostar1.jpg
Mostar
Old part of Mostar

Currently, the city government is equally divided Croats and Bosniaks. This means that no ethnicity controls the city, though each controls one half - Croats, the west, and Bosniaks, the east.

The City of Mostar has the status of a municipality. The city government is led by the Mayor. The current Mayor of Mostar is Ljubo Bešlić (HDZ).

The City Council is composed of 35 representatives, coming from the following political parties:

Education and Culture

The oldest single arch stone bridge in Mostar, the Kriva Cuprija (Sloping Bridge), built in 1558 by the Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. It is said that this was to be a test before the major construction of the Stari Most began. The Old Bridge was completed in 1566 and was hailed as one of the greatest architectural achievement in the Ottoman controlled Balkans. No matter how many times one does it, crossing the Stari most (Old Bridge) always seems to be an exciting experience. This single-arch stone bridge is an exact replica of the original bridge that stood for over 400 years and that was designed by Hajrudin, a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. It spans 28.7 meters of the Neretva river, 21 meters above the summer water level. The Halebija and Tara towers have always housed the guardians of the bridge and during Ottoman times were storehouses for ammunition.

Crossing from the west bank to the east you'll also be crossing the ancient point where East and West symbolically met. Up the stairs to the right is the oldest mosque in Mostar: the Cejvan Cehaj Mosque built in 1552. Later a medresa (Islamic school) was built on the same compound. The Old Bazaar, Kujundziluk is named after the goldsmiths who traditionally created and sold their wares on this street, it is the best place in town to find authentic paintings and copper or bronze carvings of the Stari Most, pomegranates (the natural symbol of Herzegovina) or the famed stecaks (medieval tombstones).

The Koski Mehmed pasa Mosque, built in 1617 is open to visitors. Visitors may enter the mosque and take photos free of charge. For those willing to bear the dizzy spiral to the top, the minaret is also open to the public and is accessible from inside the mosque. The view speaks for itself! Just around the corner from the mosque is the Tepa Market. This has been a busy marketplace since Ottoman times. It now sells mostly fresh produce grown in Herzegovina. When in season, the figs and pomegranates can't be beaten. Be sure to look for local honey, organically produced in sunny villages all over Herzegovina.

Kriva cuprija is a stone one-arch bridge of small dimension and closely resembles the Stari Most. The arch is a perfect semicircle 8.56m in width and 4.15m in height. The frontage and vault are made of regular stone cubes incorporated into the horizontal layers all along the vault. The space between vault, frontal walls and footpath is filled with cracked stone. The bridge footpath and the approaching roads are paved with cobblestones, as is the case with the main roads in the town. Stone steps enable people to ascend to the bridge either side. A synagogue was also recently built in the city.

The Catholic Church, which was recently renovated, is nearly impossible to miss. A steeple of over 30m dominates the skyline. The bishop's residence in Mostar marks the more recent Catholic traditions of the region and is built in the Viennese architecture that greatly added to the town's charm. The roundabout by the Rondo on the west side is home to the former Cultural Centre for the City of Mostar. It is now the Croatian Cultural Centre and certainly worth a peek inside. The Partisan Memorial Cemetery commemorates the fallen partisans. It is located off KP Kresimira IV Street on Bijeli Brijeg. This part of town is covered with lots of greenery and is also a nice place for a stroll with a great view of the city.

Tourism

Mostar is an important tourist centre in the country. Mostar International Airport serves the city. Mostar's old city is an important tourist destination with the Stari most being its most recognizable feature. The "Rondo shopping centre",and the "Mercator shopping mall" are some of the city's newer attractions. The Catholic pilgrimage site of Međugorje is also nearby.

Recreation and sports

The most popular sport in Mostar is football. The two most successful teams are NK Zrinjski Mostar and Velež Mostar. As of 2006 both teams compete in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the Bosnian War each club has generally been supported by a particular ethnic group (Zrinjski for the Croats and Velež for the Bosniaks). The matches between the two clubs are some of the country's most intense matches.

Bijeli Brijeg Stadium and Vrapčići are the city's two main football grounds.

In basketball HKK Zrinjski Mostar competes at the nation's highest level while the Zrinjski banner also represents the city in the top handball league.

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Conservation and Revitalisation of Historic Mostar [[Aga Khan Trust for Culture| - AKTC]]" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-11-15. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  2. ^ "Resurgence of Mostar's Historic City Centre". Retrieved 2006-11-29.

See also

External links


43°20′N 17°48′E / 43.333°N 17.800°E / 43.333; 17.800

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