Skip to main content

Highlights of Mostar

Stari Most or Mostar Old Bridge
The original arched bridge was commissioned in 1557 by Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire and completed in 1566. It stood for 427 years until 1993 when it was demolished during the Croat-Bosnian War. It was reconstructed between 2001-2004. Two towers protect the bridge on both ends. The Stari Most area and the old town have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Center.

Mostar was badly damaged during the Croat-Bosnian War. There are still traces of bullet holes on buildings and a few shells of houses destroyed by the war. Another footprint of the conflict are the cemeteries you’ll see along main thoroughfares where the thousands killed during the clashes were laid to rest. 

Stari Most
Divers jump from this bridge to the river below if they have received enough donations (at least €50) from visitors and onlookers. It must be a thrilling sight!

View of the neighborhood across the river

Neretva River and Lučki Most (bridge) 

Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and Neretva River
Before the Croat-Bosnian War, there were 13 mosques in Bosnia. Seven have been lost in the 20th century for various reasons. The Koski Mehmed Pasha mosque was originally built in 1618 and suffered substantial damages from the war. It is a fine example of classical Ottoman architecture.
Notice the outdoor terrace restaurants on both sides of the river. 

View of Kriva Cuprija (Crooked Bridge) from Stari Most
The Kriva Cuprija is a replica of Stari Most and is said to have been built to test the solidity of the architectural plan of Stari Most.

Street art

Church of St. Peter and Paul
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul was destroyed in 1992 during the Serb Montenegrin shelling of Mostar. It was rebuilt in 1999. It has the highest belltower in Southeast Europe at 107 meters. There is a Franciscan monastery in the church complex.

How to get to Mostar from Dubrovnik:
I took a small group day tour from Dubrovnik to Mostar and Kravica Falls through selectdubrovnik.com. This is the best arrangement if you’re not planning to stay in Bosnia Herzegovina or if you’d rather not rent a car. The guide and driver we had was knowledgeable with the history and culture of the country and it was a very pleasant tour with several restroom/coffee breaks. He also knew what roads to take to avoid major traffic jams caused by large tour buses. We had to pass and stop at 3 border control stations along the way to present our passports and it didn’t take long because there were only 8 people in our group.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

 

Labels:
Location: Mostar 88000, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...
Read more

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the ...
Read more

Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila

Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila, Carlos Botong Francisco, 1968, oil on canvas In 1963,  Mayor Antonio Villegas wrote a report, Building a Better Manila, where he indicated in detail his accomplishments on his first year as Mayor of Manila and his vision for the future of the city. Villegas aspired for a prosperous Manila by providing its residents access to health, family and housing services, opportunities for education and employment and improved infrastructure for water and road systems. *Notice the hands at the top of the painting. These hands symbolize the protective reach of God over the city of Manila. Central Panel On either side of the seal of Manila are the former mayors of the city. At the bottom are the city’s old seals. Seal of Manila adopted in 1965 under Mayor Antonio Villegas Timbulan ng Laya (Beacon of Freedom) at Diwang Dakila (Noble Spirit) are written on the seal. A sunburst with 15 rays cast light across the canvas. Below the sun, in red, is the Baybayin let...
Read more