

Surrounded by sloping mountains from
both the north and south sides, Sarajevo spreads east and
west as if open not only to the winds and watercourses but
also to the influences of the variety of cultures flowing
from these directions.
Situated
on the convergence of two major water basins along the
valleys of the Bosnia and Neretva rivers, which connect
northern Europe with the Mediterranean Sea, its location in
the heart of the Balkan Peninsula served as a gateway for
the peoples of Greece and Asia Minor migrating towards West
Central Europe and vice versa since ancient times. The
first known human settlements date back almost 5,000 years.
At Butmir (near Sarajevo International Airport) one of the
most interesting and rich Neolithic findings in the
Balkans was discovered.
The Illyrians
The Illyrians lived in this territory at the end of the
Bronze Age, and remains of their settlements have been
located in many areas around Sarajevo. When the Romans
conquered the Illyrians in the 1st century AD, they
established their headquarters near the thermal springs of
what is today known as Ilid`a. The remains of Roman villas,
baths, mosaics and sculptures can still be seen there.
Arrival of Slavs
When the Slavic tribes from the north arrived in the 7th
century, Slav culture and state models began to
dominate. In the 12th century Bosnia gradually
established itself as a regional power, with its territorial
expansion culminating in the 14th century. A major
centre of the Bosnian state was established in the area of
present-day Sarajevo, where the Vrhbosna region - with the
fortified cities of Hodidjed, Kotorac and Vrhbosna as well
as Trgoviste - was situated.
Ottoman Era
In the middle of the 15th century Sarajevo was
annexed by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans asserted great
influence in Sarajevo decades before Bosnia was officially
conquered. In the early years after the Ottoman invasion the
city of Saraj-ovasi (saraj meaning castle or palace and ovas
meaning field) is mentioned for the first time. Sarajevo
became the first Ottoman administrative and military base in
Bosnia, and soon afterwards the centre of the Bosnian
Sandzak (the largest territorial sub-division in the Ottoman
Empire). In this newly founded city emerged the first
leather craftsmen, blacksmiths, saddlers, millers and
bakers. Life in the city, both from an economical and
cultural point of view, developed at an increasingly rapid
pace during the 16th century. Many bridges were built
over the Miljacka River that runs through the heart of the
city; the Kozija Cuprija, Cehaja and Latinska Cuprija attest
to the magnificence of oriental architecture. On the right
bank of the river flourished the Bascarsija quarter which
became the social, economical and cultural centre of the
young oriental city and the largest commercial centre in the
central Balkans.
The caravans arriving from Venice, Vienna, central Europe,
the Mediterranean and the east were accommodated in one of
the 50 inns of Sarajevo, known as 'han'. The most famous was
Morica han which was built at the end of the 16th
century. Today it is a tourist attraction, offering an
authentic glimpse of Sarajevo's past, but in earlier times
it offered facilities such as guest rooms, a café on the
first floor and a courtyard with a porch for loading and
unloading goods, warehouses and horse stables. By the 16th
century the city had established regular contacts with other
European cities and began to resemble a true metropolis. The
vision of the city expanded with
Ottoman
rule. One of the distinctive features of Ottoman rule was
tolerance of other religious creeds, particularly compared
to the wretched record of religious persecution by most
European powers of that time. The Orthodox, Catholics and
the Sephardic Jews (expelled from Spain in 1492 and
resettled in Sarajevo) lived and worked together in relative
harmony in the Bascarsija quarter. This laid the foundation
for the cultural pluralism for which the city is known
today. Sarajevo is one of the few European cities that
has had a water supply system for more than 400 years.
In the 17th century a Turkish travel writer named Evlija
Celebi pointed out the existence of 110 drinking-water
fountains in his journal.
Austro-Hungarian Period
Sarajevo experienced for the first time the full current of
European culture during the 40 years of Austro-Hungarian
administration. New schools and European-structured
scientific institutes were opened and Sarajevo's young
intellectuals were educated in major cities around Europe.
The city also enjoyed strong economic, cultural and
political development; the first modern industries
appeared: a tobacco factory in 1880, a
carpet-weaving factory in 1888, a furniture factory
in 1869 and a soap factory in 1894, in addition to
the power plants, textile and food industries. The first
railway was also officially opened and mainly used to
exploit Bosnia's rich natural resources. Alongside these
developments, there was growing resistance to yet another
occupying power in Sarajevo. The rebellions in the last
years of Ottoman dominion in Bosnia and Herzegovina set the
stage for a strong resistance movement. On June 28 1914 a
young Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian heir, and his
wife Sofia. Austria then declared war on Serbia. Russia,
having had its eyes on the Balkans for some time, sided with
Serbia and declared war on Austria. It was this event
that ignited World War I.
Tito's Yugoslavia
After World War II and victory by Tito's partisans, Sarajevo
developed rapidly. The population grew considerably and the
territory expanded to include ten new municipalities.
Sarajevo became the artistic, cultural and spiritual heart
of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The highlight of Sarajevo's
emergence from its cultural and social revolution was the
1984 Winter Olympics, at that time the largest Winter
Olympic Games in history.
Sarajevo Today
The city's recovery from the longest siege in modern
European history is a true wonder. Ten years after the
Dayton Peace Accords were signed that ended the 1,400 day
siege of the city Sarajevo is now the fastest changing
city in Europe. Most of the reconstruction efforts have
been completed and the city thrives with new cafe's,
restaurants and shops whilst still maintaining many of the
traditional ways and feel of the city. Sarajevo today is a
place close to heart, a city that makes you feel at
home.....a community that welcomes guests as if you were one
of their own.
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