Bosnia and Herzegovina
Baščaršija
This is one of my favorite shots. It represents the essence of traditional crafts all around the world, because most of these are passed from generation to generation, preserving the techniques as much as they can. This scene is typical of coppersmiths in the old town of Sarajevo. Mirsad is teaching his grandson how to work the copper, which he will perfect in the years to come before getting to engraving and detailing the pieces. I took this shot as I left the shop, and I fell in love with this sight.
The Sulejmanija Mosque
The ‘Ornamented Mosque’ in Travnik has a frescoed façade and it is decorated with brightly colored Islamic ornaments. Its current structure dates back to 1757, but much of it was reconstructed after a fire in 1815. Miraculously the building survived the war, and is one of the most popular religious landmarks in the country.
It’s also well-known for its bezistan (mini bazaar) built into the stone walls of the mosque. During Ottoman times, the bezistans were of such importance that cities were classified under two categories: cities with one, or without one.
Woodwork
Vehab Halilović is a well-known craftsman from Goduša. As we enter his presentation room, we see an impressive collection of colorful flutes and traditional Turkish pipes (čibuks). The craft has been passed on for several generations, and many families in the town still make a living out of making these ornamental pieces. He displays his ability of making flutes with traditional techniques, the way his father used to make them without electricity (which only arrived in 1964), and also shows us his speed at making chess pieces and small beads with some modern machinery.
Počitelj
Looking down upon the winding cobbled path that leads up to the tower is a magnificent sight. Počitelj is a fortified town protected by UNESCO due to its political, and now historical, importance throughout the centuries. At the start of the millennium, the government funded a project to reconstruct the damaged buildings, invited the return of the locals who fled due to the war and is attempting bring the center of the town back to life.
Dervish House
The Blagaj Tekija It is nested next to the source of the Buna river, under colossal cliffs crowned by a fort-town from the Middle Ages. Usually dervishes don’t live in the Tekijas, but this one was the exception, a monastic lifestyle flourished in this complex and it became a place of religious, cultural and scientific importance.
Stolac has layer upon layer of history built onto it. It has prehistoric cave markings, an Illyrian fort, monumental medieval tombstones, and more recent Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav architecture and culture. It also remains a deeply divided town due to its more recent history.
