Hello everyone, today I will continue to write about Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When you find yourself at the "Sarajevo meeting of cultures" point, which shows the Eastern and Western sides of the world, if you turn to the East you will see the old Bascarsija and the oriental style of the city, which I already wrote about, but if you turn to the West you will see many imposing buildings of the Austro-Hungarian style. When you step from the eastern to the western part of the city, you feel as if you have come from Istanbul to Vienna.
The most impressive building in downtown is the Cathedral of the Heart of Jesus. It is Roman Catholic cathedral from the end of the 19th century, in front of which a monument to Pope John Paul II was erected.
There is also the church of St. Joseph.
On Liberation Square there is a very unusual cultural monument called Eternal fire. It is a fire that burns constantly, and the monument was erected to the liberators of Sarajevo in the Second World War.
The river Miljacka flows near this square. In this place, Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which is considered the reason for the First World War.
Next to the river there are many beautiful buildings that make this part of the city very beautiful and special. One of them is the Academy of Fine Arts, in front of which a bridge was built called Festina lente, in Latin "hurry slowly".
The next building is the imposing "Vijecnica" (City Hall).
There is an interesting story about the construction of this building. When the Austro-Hungarians came to Sarajevo, they decided that they would build the City Hall building on the right bank of the Miljacka river and that they would demolish all the houses in that place with compensation to the owners. Well, one of the owners of those houses that were supposed to be demolished did not want to leave his property. He resisted for a long time, and in the end they came to a "compromise" — his house was moved brick by brick to the other side of the river, and he also got money. That's how the Inat (Spite) house got the name it still has today. This house is traditional food restaurant now.
Above the river Miljacka there is an attractive sculpture of a cyclist on a wire, which seems to be flying above the river. Very impressive.
There are many more interesting monuments, such as the monument to Nikola Tesla and the famous basketball player Mirza Delibasic.
In downtown there is a pedestrian zone with many shops.
Among others, there is a shop selling items dedicated to the famous singer from this city, Dino Merlin.
And one special part in the pedestrian zone in the center of the city is a display dedicated to the another famous singer of the region, Zdravko Colic. He is a great artist and Sarajevo is his hometown.
When I was a child, I loved his songs, which are now a part of the past and evoke nostalgic memories. But he is not part of the past and performs with the same enthusiasm as he did 50 years ago. It is truly for respect when someone has such a long, successful career and his fellow citizens and fans appreciate it, just as he also greatly appreciates and loves Sarajevo.
Finally, I can say that Sarajevo is one of those cities that has a soul, where people are warm and hospitable, and where you are happy to return.
Thank you very much for reading.
The images and writing are original and mine.
Greetings!
Jelena