Sarajevo: Land of Blood and Honey
Sitting in the courtyard of one of Sarajevo’s most fabulous Ottoman-styled mosques, the silhouette of the Gazi Husrev-Beg minarets spread across the spacious courtyard. Water constantly ran from the central fountain – but not just for ablution. Its splashes and trickles played calm background music to the grand architecture, setting the scene for moments of serenity.
But it was hard to separate beauty from tragedy.
The past can cling onto the present like an unwanted friend, constantly tugging, constantly reminding. Some people I met wanted to be reminded. Some people just wanted to forget. One thing that can’t be ignored if you travel around is the abundance of striking white fields. Rows upon rows of white tombstones pepper the rolling hills of Sarajevo.
The roof of the fountain in Gazi-Husrevbeg mosque is Sarajevo. The inscription written in different styles around the structure is a Quranic verse which roughly translates, " and We have made every living thing from water"
Before the war, graveyards were on the outskirts of the city but during the war it was hard to move bodies out of town and so cemeteries were built in the city. The 1984 Olympic stadium is now a massive graveyard. In no other place have I been more mesmerised by the dates inscribed on tombstones. But here, get closer to the sea of white pillars and you’ll notice that they are all dated within the same five-year period.
You will also subconsciously calculate how old the people were and realise many were just young lads in their twenties. This is less harrowing than the small graves of children. I can’t help but wonder how their mothers coped.
***
Have you ever met strangers who immediately warm your heart? I met them every day in Sarajevo.
It’s hard to describe why I felt that way but perhaps it was inevitable. Whilst in Mostar, we met a number of people who spoke highly of Sarajevo as a city with depth, with a soul. What made them say it was so special?
One taxi driver answered in eloquent simplicity: ‘the people of Sarajevo are heroic people’.
Sarajevo lives in the hearts of all Bosnians as the city which was under siege for four years (1992-1996) – the longest siege of a capital city in the whole history of modern warfare. According to the UN, nearly 10,000 people were killed and 56,000 were wounded. Other sources record the war claiming the lives of over 12,000 people in Sarajevo – roughly 1,400 of which were children.
Field of white tombstones
The trauma caused was touched upon in the Prosecution Opening Statement against the Serb commander, Stanislav Galić, at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 2003:
The siege of Sarajevo, as it came to be popularly known, was an episode of such notoriety in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia that one must go back to World War II to find a parallel in European history. Not since then had a professional army conducted a campaign of unrelenting violence against the inhabitants of a European city so as to reduce them to a state of medieval deprivation in which they were in constant fear of death. In the period covered in this Indictment, there was nowhere safe for a Sarajevan, not at home, at school, in a hospital, from deliberate attack.
Stanislav Galić was sentenced to life for crimes against humanity.
It was to this once-besieged city we travelled and were welcomed by its inhabitants.
Coaches from Mostar to Sarajevo leave every few hours and only take two and a half hours. Getting there was easy, simple, and beautiful. The road meanders along the Neretva River and is accompanied by mountains on both sides.
Although an amateur picture through the window doesn’t do the scenery justice it may give an idea of the route from Mostar to Sarajevo.
Our hotel – Pansion Stari Grad – was in the ideal location. Situated at the beginning of the Old City (Bascarsija), it took about a minute to walk to the famous Sebilj fountain which is pictured in much of the tourist merchandise. The fountains of Sarajevo continuously flow with fresh water. Once used by the women of the old city to wash their clothes, it now serves as an on-demand water bottle re-filler.
The Sebilj signals a departure from modern Sarajevo – a shift not just in architecture, but in time. A walk through Sarajevo’s old city is a walk through the past. A European past that’s not quite the Europe we know – a familiar stranger I have yet to put my finger on. It is this curious blend of East meets West that makes Sarajevo the city once known as Europe’s Jerusalem.
It is here that eastern empires of the Ottomans and Byzantines blended with the Roman and Venician empires of the West. Where else can this combination of cultures, traditions and religions be more naturally reflected than in its architecture? Within the same square lies an Orthodox church, Catholic church, mosque and synagogue. A distinctive feature of Ottoman rule from the fifteenth century was its relative tolerance of other religions – particularly in contrast to the persecution rife in other European quarters. Its history of having two distinct churches – Catholic and Orthodox meant there was no one established religious ‘truth’ and following the expulsion of Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, parts of that community resettled in Sarajevo.
Sebilj fountain in the centre of Baščaršija (Old City) square
The old city is a colourful labyrinth of winding streets, Turkish-styled cafes and haggling bazaars. A number of bridges rest across the River Miljacka – most famously the Latin Bridge; site of the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 which sparked World War One. One can’t help but stop and feel the weight of history in Sarajevo.
Many features of the Old City constructed in the sixteenth century were due to the great donor of Sarajevo – the Bosnian noble, Gazi Husrev-beg. This includes the famous Gazi Husrev-Beg mosque, a medresa, a school of Sufi philosophy, the city’s first library and a clock tower. The Gazi-Husrev-Beg mosque was built in 1530 by a leading Persian architect of the time and favours the early Istanbul mosque style. Its large and beautiful courtyard is inviting not only to worshippers at times of prayer – but to everyone as a scene of contemplation. A smaller mosque close by, with a green dome, evoked similar emotions. We dubbed it the ‘rose-garden mosque’ because the intimate courtyard cushioned some benches peeking out between the rose bushes.
'Cathedral of Jesus' Heart' - more commonly known as the Catholic Cathedral in Sarajevo
As we made friends in the area, I realised everyone has their own story of tragedy and coping. We visited Sarajevo TV’s studios with Rose, the presenter we had met in Mostar. Whilst sitting in the cafeteria, she mentioned feeling uncomfortable going to report in Serbia because tensions are still strong. This beautiful TV presenter with long blonde hair and striking features had a sadness in her eyes. It turns out her mother was killed during the war when she was eleven. Her editor was also sitting with us and as everyone, had his own story. His brother was killed and he was paralysed when a piece of shrapnel hit his back. Fortunately he managed to go to Italy for treatment. However, once recovered his profession had to change. He was actually a trained medical surgeon, working as a doctor during the war. His injuries meant he has not since been able to practice medicine and had to resort to a less physically demanding profession in journalism.
Bullet cartridges from the war have been found all over Sarajevo. Some locals take them, carve patterns and sell them to tourists.
We were also introduced to a famous Bosnian singer and teacher at the Music School by some local students we befriended. This lady was ethnically Serb but also a proud Bosnian. People like her symbolised the rare instances of inter-ethnic cooperation and brotherhood during the war. As with many wars, artistic expression flourished in the flurry of emotions. One of her famous songs was recorded under the threat of sniper fire as she was forced to run to the studio during the height of the conflict. She translated the lyrics for us before singing – the essence of which were about a lady who was sitting and crying by the River Drina. She had lost her home and her family. But the song caressed her saying don’t cry, you are Bosnian – be proud of it. Even though I couldn’t understand the individual words, when the music room echoed with this rich a cappella brimming with emotion, I felt tears come to my eyes. No wonder then the people of Sarajevo connected with its beauty and pain.
There is a story – probably a myth – of how the Balkans got their name. It says that two Turkish words combined – ‘bal’ meaning honey and ‘kan’ meaning blood. The indication was that this beautiful region would yield its honey – but it would cost blood. Sarajevo feels like that – a land of blood and honey.
A cello player in the partially destroyed National Library, Sarajevo, during the war in 1992.
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(Names may have been changed to retain anonymity)
A very moving account, it touched me..
Simply beautiful! This was a wonderful read.
Great article, Well done. I like your approach!
Gr8 effort MashAllah!
I felt like I was there… Great travelogue, can’t wait to read the next one.
Very touching…strong and precise words coupled with nice, subtle pictures to make every reader feel like being there and feel all the emotions and sadness and… hope too…
Well done!
A beautifully written article…Just one thing that is important to remember is that the Bosnian and Herzegovian people existed long before Turkish people came to Bosnia and established the Ottoman rule there.
I agree with Elma, Bosnian nation exists much before Ottomans came to Bosnia, but that is the time that Islam came to this country.
That’s absolutely right, the Bosnian people and the Bosnian state exist for over a millennium. The Bosnian people were originally adherents of an autonomous Bosnian Church for hundreds of years before most of them converted to Islam in the centuries following the Ottoman occupation of Bosnia. It is important to keep in mind that the Bosnian people of today are the direct descendants of the old Bosnian peoples who migrated to the Balkans and mixed with the indigenous Illyrian population and formed a Bosnian state over a thousand years ago.
It was especially touching for me to read this article because I was in Bosnia during the war delivering aid, 3 of my companions lost their lives.
I have not returned since 1996 when we took our last convoy but have always wished to revisit Bosnia to see how it has changed since the end of the war.
InshaAllah next year I will go there with some of my convoy companions and look for the friends we made during the war and visit the children from the camps we helped who have grown up now with children of their own.
Masha Allah. Awesome article. One of the very best I have come across. You composition of the matter is amazingly done.
May Allah Bless you.
Thanks for your comments.
Elma – I completely agree. Bosnia has a very rich history before the Ottomans came. Its religious history is especially interesting because I think its one of the only places in Europe which actually has 2 official churches co-existing – the Bosnian eastern orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic church. And the Balkans as a whole region has long been important to political map of the world – it was of great importance to the Byzantine Empire, and in the 7th/8th century when the Byzantine empire was declining, the political balance was influenced by the barbarian invasions of the Balkans by the Avars, Slavs, Goths etc.
Khalid – thanks so much for your comment. Bosnia would have changed a lot from 1996. Perhaps its important for you to go back and see how some developments have been made after what I assume must have been a very harrowing experience. I hope you manage to go next year. Whilst in Sarajevo I really wanted to visit an orphanage or organisation that is still in use helping people to deal with trauma, but wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. Perhaps because I didnt give myself enough time to look/research. Which organisation did you deliver aid with? And to which areas did you go?
Masha ALLAH. Awesome article….
great job…
JAZAK ALLAH KHAIR..
A Poignant piece, an enjoyable read
Wonderful Blog! I like the template and theme you’ve used. The article is great!
At the very end of the narrative I had to feel like a Bosnian. It is a piece that reflects the loss of a dear friend when friends were dying left and right. Where are all the flowers gone.
I like this.
Always wanted to know about the place and people, as very little was reported and that also without context in Indian Media. The pain portrayed with emotion always remains as a memory.
Subhanalah! This is very touching,even with your narration i wish myself and my family can someday find residence in this land u have portrayed so well in sha Allaah.ameen.
It’s good article, i would like know during your visit what did you observed about the present situation, is there harmony among people from different ethnicity/religion.
very great post, masha’allah. I have been wondering why the Balkans is referred to as “land of blood and honey” but you have explained it here. The photos are nice, but I wish you would post more! I hope to visit Sarajevo one day, insha’allah. There is a large Bosnian community near where my parents live (in the USA), and you can see that some of the Bosnians, who fled during the 1992-95 war, still have pain in their eyes.
may Allah rest the souls of all those innocent people who perished in the war.
The story is so sad and painful. Nothing can be done to return those who are not between us or really heal the deep sores of the war. But Bosnians should always be proud of themselves, for having this uniqe country and people.
Inshallah everything will be bettter and better,sooner. God is always with you dear Bosnia.