Sarajevo
Bosnia-Herzegovina
July
2001
The 1984 Winter Olympics
Sarajevo,
also Sarayevo, city and capital, Bosnia and Herzegovina (commonly referred to as
Bosnia), on the Miljacka River, in the east central part of the country. Before
civil war broke out in 1992, the city was an important cultural and commercial
center with a multiethnic population of Muslims, Bosnian Serbs, and Bosnian
Croats.
Sarajevo's
principal manufactures included carpets, silks, fabrics, jewelry, tobacco
goods, and machine tools. The war had a disastrous impact on the city's
economy. Much of Sarajevo's infrastructure, industry, and housing were damaged
or destroyed, and production in all major industries declined sharply.
Unemployment climbed to more than 100,000 people, or about half the workforce.
Several
educational and cultural institutions operated in the city before the war,
including the Bosnian and Herzegovinian National Museum (founded in 1888). The
University of Sarajevo (founded in 1949) remained partially open during the
war, and a rudimentary school system continued to function.
Sarajevo
was settled in the 14th century. From 1429 to 1878 the city was part of the
Ottoman Empire, and numerous examples of architecture from that period still
remain. Sarajevo then came under the rule of Austria-Hungary. On June 28, 1914,
Francis Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb
nationalist. This event touched off World War I (1914-1918). After the war,
Sarajevo, as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, became part of Yugoslavia. In 1984
Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympic Games.
In 1992
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia. War erupted
shortly thereafter between Bosnian Serbs, who wanted to remain part of
Yugoslavia and Bosnian Croats and Muslims. More than 150,000 residents fled
Sarajevo while thousands of poor Muslims from rural areas settled in the city.
Serb separatists abandoned the national legislature and refused to recognize
the authority of the Bosnian government in Sarajevo. They established their own
parliament in the nearby town of Pale, with their administrative headquarters
in Banja Luka, and mounted an armed siege of Sarajevo. More than 10,500
residents were killed in the Sarajevo area between 1992 and 1995, and thousands
more were wounded. Several city districts were captured by radical Serbs and
non-Serbs were forced to flee. The separatists wanted to divide the city into
two distinct areas: one as the capital of Bosnia, the other as the capital of a
Serb republic. The predominantly Muslim Bosnian government opposed partition
and gained international support to keep Sarajevo united. Under the peace plan
signed in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
force was stationed in the country and all three groups (Muslim, Serb, and
Croat) agreed that Sarajevo was to remain united as the capital of Bosnia. Population (1991) 415,631; (1997 estimate)
360,000.
(Intro
notes from Encarta 2002)
Landing at
Sarajevo Airport.
The
downtown area is in the background, and
the
highway leading into it was known as “Sniper Alley”.
Waiting
for our ride after arriving at Sarajevo Airport.
Our hotel near
downtown Sarajevo.
War damage
is still evident on the adjacent buildings.
The next
morning, I awoke early and began a long hike up on the hillside around
town. Here, I am looking down on the
east side of town, looking down on the Miljacka River. There is also a nice swimming pool visible on
the right. This was a beautiful overlook.
I spent quite a while here admiring the beauty of the city. If you look closely, though, just above my
knee is one of numerous cemeteries scattered around the city. It is just one of the reminders of the long
and brutal war.
Walking
along the hillside above town, I passed the former Parliament Building on the
left. It was totally devastated since
the Serbs viewed it as a highly symbolic target. Just behind it, the yellow building is the Holiday Inn that
housed foreign journalists during the war.
It is also the location from which the first sniper shots of the war
killed two people gathered on a nearby bridge.
The most valued rooms were those WITHOUT a view. If you could see the snipers on the
hillside, they could see YOU.
A close-up
of the Parliament Building. Artillery
shells blasted holes in the end of the building. There is not one window in the entire building that is not
broken.
This
apartment building is just up the street from the Parliament Building. Facing the hillside, it was heavily damaged
from incoming sniper fire.
This lady
was enjoying the morning air in the apartment building pictured above. The bullet holes are more visible in this
photo.
The lady
in the previous picture had a view out her window onto the Vrbanja Bridge,
where 2 people in a crowd gathered on April 6, 1992, were killed by a sniper
firing from the Holiday Inn.
This
plaque marks the spot on the Vrbanja Bridge where these two ladies became the
first two victims of the long and bloody war.
This
gentleman was repairing damage to his home.
There was
a great deal of rebuilding going on all over town.
This
apartment was one of the most heavily damaged homes I saw near the downtown
area. It was obviously in the line of
fire in some pretty nasty fighting. People have moved back into the building
and are starting to rebuild. The upper
floor of the building in the background has collapsed onto the lower
floor. It was probably the site of an
artillery explosion.
A nearby
house with the roof destroyed.
Just up
the street from the previous pictures was this home
that has
been carefully restored to its previous beauty.
Life is
returning to normal in most parts of the city.
Here, a
lady enjoys her back yard flowers.
One
morning, our contact at the American Embassy (Mahmutovic Edin – “Eddie”) took
us out on a tour of the city and surrounding area. He was here the entire duration of the war, fighting to protect
his hometown. He first took us to this
neighborhood near the airport. This was
one of the front-line areas that sustained heavy damage during 3 years of
sustained fighting.
Another
heavily damaged house near the airport.
This
gentleman has probably lived here throughout the war.
He was
walking up the street of this abandoned neighborhood near the airport.
But, the
city is rebuilding. Look at the next
picture.
This picture
was taken directly across the street from the previous picture.
I simply
turned around and took this picture from about the same spot
as the
previous picture.
*Update*
- A friend who was there in 2003 said
most of this
area near the airport has now been restored.
Later,
Eddie took us to the site of the “Tunnel”.
During the first part of the war in 1992, the Airport was used as a
United Nations base. They could not
provide assistance to either side, though, as part of the agreement with the
Serbs. On the other side of the airport
was free territory, but the residents of Sarajevo were not allowed to pass
through the airport area. In addition,
Serb snipers on the hillside killed many who tried to sneak across the
runways. The solution was to build a
tunnel under the runway. Done under
great secrecy, digging began in January, 1992.
It was very hard work – due to the secrecy of the project, equipment was
not readily available. Digging was
started at both ends and was carefully planned to meet midway. Most work was done by hand using picks and
shovels. On July 30th,
diggers from both sides met at 9:00 pm.
Sarajevo had a link to the outside world.
The
current owner of the house used as the entrance to the tunnel.
He now runs
the museum.
The owner
pushed carts like this through the tunnel numerous times. Once, he pushed a cart carrying the
President of Bosnia through the tunnel.
Normally, it was used to carry food and weapons into the city, and for
people to leave the city. But, it was still a long, dangerous route from the
city to the tunnel.
Many
people died trying to reach the tunnel.
Inside the
tunnel. Tracks were laid to run carts
through.
The
picture is deceiving -- the tracks are about 18 inches apart,
and the tunnel is only about 3 feet high.
More
information can be found at
After
leaving the tunnel museum, we passed through this United Nations checkpoint on
the way to the mountaintops surrounding Sarajevo.
On the way
up the mountainside near town, I was reminded of
many
places around my home of West Virginia
Another
picturesque view of the Bosnian
countryside
just outside Sarajevo.
One of the
mountaintops looking over Sarajevo.
Once occupied by the Serbs and their artillery used to rain terror on
the residents of Sarajevo. In the field
just past these houses, UN forces were still clearing the area of landmines 5
years after the end of hostilities.
From
positions like this on surrounding mountaintops, the Serbs were free to fire
their artillery down on the city. A
total of 260 tanks, 120 mortars, numerous rocket launchers, machine guns, and
snipers surrounded the city. An average
of 4000 shells hit the city every day.
From here, you can see the Olympic stadium just to the right of center on
the far edge of town.
From this
mountaintop spot, you can see the radio/television tower that was frequently
shown on news clips during the war.
Built to withstand war shelling, it was used to broadcast news out of
the city during the entire war.
Our last
stop our tour was the Olympic Village used in the 1984 Olympics.
Nobody
thought at the time the stadium grounds would be used 10 years later
as a
cemetery. The Olympic Rings are still visible on the tower.
Another
view of the Olympic Stadium.
Looking to
the left of the previous picture. The
entire Olympic grounds was used as
a cemetery
for those killed during the conflict.
Thousands of graves.
A marker
in the cemetery tells the story of a young
girl
killed just before her 13th birthday.
On the
last morning in Sarejevo, I awoke early (again!) and rode the trolley to the
far end of town near the airport so I could walk back the entire length of the
famous Sniper Alley, about 5 miles.
Although we were strongly advised not to leave the hotel area, I am
always ready to explore the world. Besides,
everyone else sleeps 'til noon. The
first stop on my walk was the old newspaper building. Heavily damaged from frequent shelling, they still published
newspapers every day throughout the war.
The printing presses were moved to the basement, and workers carried the
papers out to the city through hidden exits.
(*Update* - My friend who was there in 2003 says the building has been
mostly rebuilt)
The
television office. Built like a bunker,
it survived heavy shelling to broadcast news of the war (including the killing
of innocent civilians) to the world.
This angered the Serbs, who tried even harder to destroy it.
After I
walked past this old apartment building that I thought was empty, this young
girl came running out playing with a cart handle and a box. This was obviously her family’s home.
These
apartments along Sniper Alley showed the effects of war.
The front
building is covered with bullet holes, and
the
building in the background showed damage from shelling.
As I got closer
to town, there were more and more areas that have been rebuilt to
what the
city probably looked like during its prime in the 1980s.
Near the
downtown area, Sarajevo today looks like many other European cities.
This
stretch is part of the "Sniper's Alley".
Church of
St. Joseph, on Sniper Alley.
Even
churches were not immune from shelling.
Repair
work on the Bristol Hotel.
There were
many holes from artillery and tank shells.
This
building was heavily damaged during the war, and was rebuilt
from just a skeleton framework.
Another
new building along the old "Sniper's Alley".
Sarajevo
is once again a modern, beautiful city.
A new
Mosque being built between Sarajevo and the airport.
The
Miljacka River divides the city of Sarajevo into North and South.
The
Boulevard Mese Selimovica is the main road.
A very important part of history
was written just 3 or 4 blocks up the road on
the left. On June 28, 1914, Francis Ferdinand,
Archduke of Austria, was assassinated in
Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist.
This event touched off World War I
(1914-1918).
One of the
many stone bridges crossing the Miljacka River.
For almost
4 years, the Serbs rained artillery from the mountaintops above.
The old
market section of Sarajevo. There are
hundreds of shops lining the streets where merchants are ready to bargain for
the best prices.
Another
section of the old market area.
Metal
crafting is a very popular business in Sarajevo.
This one
street in the old market is filled with copper shops.
Inside one
of the copper shops.
This
gentleman was entertaining passers-by.
I also bought
an “I Love Sarajevo” keychain from him.
I bought a
copper serving tray from this craftsman.
This
gentleman was waiting outside his shop for the next customer.
This lady
is preparing a popular local meal of sausage in a pita bread wrap.
It's
proper name is cevapcici (pronounced - che vahp tsee tsee).
Although I
do not speak the language, I thought this is a funny advertisement.
The
Academy of Arts continued to hold classes and exhibits
throughout
the war.
Sarajevo
even has its own GREAT beer!
The
Sarajevsko brewery was an important source of water during the war.
Today,
Sarajevo’s streets are alive with cafes and shopping.
It is a
beautiful city once again.
Yes, we
actually did some work while we were in Sarajevo.
Our band
performed on this stage to a large crowd of very appreciative and fun-loving
people.
The old library made a magnificent
backdrop. Early in the war, the Serbs
set fire to the library. Thousands of
priceless books were destroyed.
Ida and
Ines Kuburovic were two of our translators for the concerts.
They both
survived over a year of the war before escaping. They told me as they were escaping, they were spotted by a
Serbian soldier who would have probably killed them. But he recognized their mother as his school teacher, and spared
them.
It is with
mixed feelings that I leave Sarajevo -- sad that I did not have more time to
explore the area and meet the people, but happy that I had the opportunity to
visit one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Europe. I do hope to return someday.
I hope you
enjoyed your brief visit to Sarajevo!