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Bascarsija - Heritage Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina
by
ALOHA DEAN
| On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were shot to death in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia, a group aiming at the unification of the South Slavs. The event sparked off the outbreak of World War I. |
BascarsijaThe centre of Bascarsija, Sarajevo‘s old town, consists of the pretty Bascarsija square focusing on the sebilj(fountain) and the stick-armed pensioners selling seeds for the pigeons. Around it, some forty small carsija (streets), each named after the specific craft that was practiced in them. Saraci, the main street linking to Ferhadija is where the leatherworkers resided, and tiny Kazandziluk still houses mainly shops with hand-made copper products. Bascarsija houses Sarajevo‘s main Ottoman-era sights, most of which can be seen on a leisurely stroll of an hour. Bezistan Saraci. If you have been to Istanbul‘s bazaar complex, you‘ll recognize the spacious Ottoman architecture of this beautiful y restored covered market that was built by Gazi Husrev-beg in 1555. See Shopping for what‘s for sale. Gazi Husrev-beg hamam Mula Mustafe Beseskije21, The grandest of seven public baths in Sarajevo, the Gazi Husrev-beg hamam (Turkish bath) dates from 1539 (the ruins of another hamam, the Firuz-beg, can be seen between the Bezistan bazaar and the ruined Europa hotel). Separate male and female sections kept morals as well as bodies clean, and to illustrate Sarajevo‘s traditional religious tolerance, a separate part for Jewish ritual bathing was added in the 19th century Closed after WWI, the hamam was used a sa night club during WWII and as a covered market during the Bosnian war, where shoppers were relatively safe from granades. Still badly damaged during the war, it has recently been restored and is now part of the Bosnian Institute. Free tours can be given on Saturdays if you contact the institute three days in advance. Morica Han Saraci 77. Like all other hans (inns), the best-preserved han of Sarajevo, dating from 1551, has suferednumerous fires. TheMorica hanwas rebuilt timeafter time, andisnow the only one remaining in Bascarsija (where in 1880there were some 50 in and around Sarajevo). The Morica‘sbeautiful cobbled courtyard issurroundedbyold stables andstorehouses (being restored at time of writing) and lodgingrooms upstairs, resting on large wooden pillars. Now home toa restaurant and (upstairs) the Muslim youth organisation,you‘re free to stroll around |
