Tag: bosnia

Trebinje: A Glimpse into Bosnia’s Rich Historical Tapestry

by ahasic, posted in history

Trebinje, a picturesque city nestled in the southeastern corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, boasts a rich and diverse history that has shaped its unique cultural heritage. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Trebišnjica River and surrounded by lush green hills, Trebinje has been an important crossroads for numerous civilizations throughout the ages. In this article, we will explore the glorious Bosnian history and past of this timeless city.

Founded by the Illyrians in the 3rd century BC, Trebinje has been continuously inhabited for over two millennia. The city’s strategic location, lying between the Adriatic Sea and the Dinaric Alps, made it a highly sought-after prize for various empires, including the Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans.

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Celts, Goths, Illyrians, Slavs and Ancient Bosnia and Herzegovina

by ahasic, posted in culture, history

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mountainous country. The terrain ranges from the dense forest and lush upland pastures in north-central Bosnia to arid and gaunt landscapes in western Herzegovina. Throughout history, the land that comprises modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina attracted many peoples and tribes. Today, the people speak a Slavic language, but the remnants of a diverse past remain.

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The Sarajevo Haggadah

The Power of the Sarajevo Haggadah

by ahasic, posted in culture, history

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the Sarajevo Haggadah is its seemingly everlasting power to connect people. Not just people across the Seder table, although judging from its wine-stained pages, it did that, many times across the years. But more than that, its power to connect people from various backgrounds in the celebration of life.

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Bihac is a city in northwestern Bosnia.

Bihac – The City on the Una

by ahasic, posted in history

Located on the Una River in the northwestern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies the regal city of Bihac. Even though it has less than 60,000 inhabitants, Bihac has always played an important role in the history of the country. The striking natural beauty that surrounds this settlement is perhaps one of its most appealing features, along with its long and storied history.

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The Dragon of Bosnia - Husein Kapetan Gradascevic

The Dragon of Bosnia: Husein Kapetan Gradascevic

by ahasic, posted in culture, history

Perhaps no other leader embodies the spirit of Bosnian resistance and the nation’s will to survive than Husein-Kapetan Gradascevic, the Dragon of Bosnia. Many years after his death, a popular sentiment among the Bosnian people, Muslims, and Christians alike (particularly in the Posavina region) was that his name could not be mentioned without shedding a tear. The tragedy of his life is in many ways a quintessential embodiment of the dual nature of the Bosnian national spirit.

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Tuzla Old City

Tuzla: Bosnia’s ‘Salt of the Earth’

by ahasic, posted in history

The northern Bosnian city of Tuzla has always been unique. Its deep connection to the earth and its people’s openness and tolerance are some of its most cherished features, almost quintessential of Bosnia itself. But the town has a long and interesting history as well. Some scholars speculate that the area in present-day Tuzla is one of the longest continually inhabited settlements in all of Europe, spanning some 6,000 years.

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Travnik: Bosnia’s City of the Viziers

by ahasic, posted in history

Bosnia is well known for many things, but one of them is the striking natural beauty of the country. Still raw and unconquered by industry and urbanization, it covers the gamut in terms of ecological habitats and terrain. In central Bosnia, surrounded by rolling green hills is the “City of Viziers,” the city of Travnik. 

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Mostar’s Stari Most (Old Bridge)

by ahasic, posted in history

There has been so much written on Mostar’s Old Bridge (Stari Most). It has inspired stories, poems, and countless travel literature over its four-and-a-half centuries of existence. Its architecture and sheer shape beckon the imagination to recall the genius work of Ottoman architects and designers. The symbolism of the unification between the two sides of the Neretva River, East and West, is very much a quintessential part of the Bosnian imagination. Continue reading “Mostar’s Stari Most (Old Bridge)” →

The serenity of the Blagaj Tekija:  Bosnia’s oldest Dervish monastery

by ahasic, posted in history

When someone uses the term serene – a certain image or place comes to mind.  In many ways, the Blagaj Tekija or Tekke is a quintessential place of reflection and in the past, prayer and isolation.

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Stecci, and why UNESCO’s inclusion to the World Heritage List is so important

by ahasic, posted in history

Broken stećak depicted by Hugo Charlemont, 1901.

The Bosnian writer and philosopher-poet Mak Dizdar once remarked that the secrets of Bosnia are hidden in the words inscribed on the ancient marble of the stecci (medieval tombstones). Dizdar was so fascinated by these ancient objects (some dating as far back as the 12th century) that it inspired much of his writing and creative contributions to BiH’s literary heritage.

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