Balkans | The nineteenth anniversary of the reopening of the Ottoman Heritage Mostar Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina

19 years have passed since the reopening of the historic Mostar Bridge, the Ottoman heritage, in the city of Mostar, in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The bridge was built in 1566 by Mimar Hayreddin, a student of Mimar Sinan, and was destroyed by the Croatian forces in 1993 during the Bosnian-Herzegovina war. The bridge was reopened with a ceremony 19 years ago, after the completion of the restoration work.

Reconstruction of the Mostar Bridge began in 1997 with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture Research and the World Bank.

The bridge, whose original stones were found by divers of the Hungarian army from the river bed and removed with cranes, was reopened by the King of England, Charles, on July 23, 2004, in a ceremony attended by many of the country’s top representatives after its completion.

456 stone blocks were used in the construction of the bridge, which was built on the Neretva River, which is known for its emerald green colour. The bridge, which is 24 meters high, 30 meters long and 4 meters wide, gave the name to the city of Mostar.

The historical bridge, which has been a symbol of tolerance and cultural diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina for centuries, has also been used as a “jumping platform” by athletes for years. According to tradition, the townspeople jump off the bridge before the wedding to prove their bravery to their fiancé.

The historical bridge was sunk into the river waters on November 9, 1993, when Croatian tank forces attacked the bridge during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The bridge was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2005.

AA