Sarajevo–4 May

On this day 1980, Marshal Tito died nearby in Ljubljana.  Several times I heard (older and younger) people speak longingly of the “good days” under the “father” when the socialist state took good care of all its citizens.  I guess everyone has a tendency to look back to a golden age which really wasn’t all that golden.

Sarajevo is capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina (population probably about 4 million).  It is home to maybe half a million (no census since before the civil war, so all data is estimated).  It calls itself the “Jerusalem of Europe” because for centuries Muslims, Orthodox, Catholics and Jews have lived peacefully together (although, and especially now, with varying degrees of mutual mistrust). One strange result of this is that they have 3 Presidents and 3 ministries to make sure no ethnic group can get complete control.  I was told how when George Dubla Bush put on a state dinner for the Bosnian Presidents he rtaher loudly asked his ambassador: "But which one of these guys is the real President?"  About 60% of city's population are Sunni Muslim, a sizeable Orthodox presence, and a small Catholic and Jewish representation these days.


The Romans laid the foundations of the city; but it was the Ottoman Empire that basically shaped its architecture, religious and civic administration.  Around 1900 the Austria-Hungarian Empire captured the city and in a dozen or so years transformed the place into a more European city:  with rail, trams, electricity. sewerage and many palatial residences.  After World War I, which was triggered by the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife on the corner next from my hotel, the Balkan states were united as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.  After World War II (during which it was Nazi occupied), Bosnia became part of the communist federal republic under Tito.  When he died in 1980 things began to unravel.  B&H declared itself independent.  In 1992 the Serbs under the notorious Slobodan Milosevic tried to incorporate B&H into a Greater Serbia, and Sarajevo was besieged for 5 years.  12000 died; 56000 wounded; 60% of city destroyed, hardly a single building not damaged.

Evidence of these sad times still confronts you on all sides.  But the city is starting to thrive again.  Some very modern buildings and shopping complexes have sprung up with foreign investment.   Tourism is growing, although the city is still not as tourist friendly as it will need to be.  Not much English spoken, but I have been able to make myself understood OK.

Last night I tried a Bosnian meal.  Grilled small sausages, wrapped in fresh baked bread like Indian Nairn.  Tasty and filling.  The Coca Cola was the most expensive part of the meal.  Currency here is the Konvertible Mark (roughly half a euro), but you can pay in either KM or Euros on a 2:1 basis.  Hotel breakfast was a good start to the day.  Went wandering and got lost in the winding lanes of the old town, but managed to take in the cathedrals (both Catholic and Orthodox), eat a gelato (on sale everywhere in Europe, and only 50c Australian here for a heaped up cone!)  Taxis very cheap too, even though petrol is over AUD 3 a litre.  Took in both the city and regional museums which have everything catalogued in English as well as Bosnian. Wasn’t game to enter the main Mosque as I could see no other tourists doing so, I was wearing shorts, and couldn’t find anyone to fill me in on the protocol.  Dipped into the Street of the Copper Artists and saw some lovely hand-worked and coloured serving trays.  No way I could transport them; and I could find no way to have them packaged and posted home.  So I will have to hope I find similar local artisans elsewhere.  (This is one example of not being tourist-ready.  lack of Laundromats, dry cleaning etc.  similarly.)

Only wanted a light lunch, so spotted a Grill that offered cheeseburger for 3MK.  Ordered that with a Coke.  Oh dear – out came a bread roll the size of a bread plate, with meat patty, cheese & lettuce to match!! I would hate to see the size of their Big Mac .   Siesta required.

At 2pm I joined a small group for a tour to the Siege Tunnel.  The drive there in a mini-bus was informative, for it took us right across the city to its edges on the mountains side of the airport.  During the siege, the Serb Army controlled the mountains around three sides of Sarajevo; the free Bosnian Army just the slice above the airport.  After a period of time, the United “Do Nothing” Nations (as they call them here) took control of the airport.  From there they supplied limited food and medicine to both the invading Serbs and the besieged Bosnians.  But no weapons etc. allowed.  To provide a lifeline for themselves, the Bosnians secretly dug a tunnel under the airport to link the city to the troops in the mountains.  This allowed supply of food and weapons, medical evacuations and the like to take place.  To stop the Serbs identifying the tunnel’s position, trenches were dug from each entrance and frequently changed in position;  so those carrying the loads did so doubled over for a considerable distance.  About 50 metres of the tunnel is preserved at the museum at the mountain end, through which we clambered after our history lesson.  Our guide showed us samples from the period.  UN food parcels contained tin meat:  dog food, the guide assured us!  No love of the US or UN here!  The local take is that the US insisted that Yugoslavia had to be destroyed;  it was unacceptable to their capitalist thinking that a socialist state could be seen to be successful.  Well, history is always seen through the eyes of the narrator, I guess.

Can't help but notice the amount of smoking here.  Have even seen cooks working over their stoves with a cigarette in their mouth.  The standard form of driving (including taxi and bus drivers) is cigarette in one hand and mobile phone in the other!

So my experience here has been altogether different from what I expected.  Which of course makes the stopover here all the more worthwhile.  6am flight tomorrow to Istanbul.

Probably spent more time listening today that taking pics, but here are some.