Mostar
Mostar (Мостар) is a city in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the center of the
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the
Federation. The unofficial
capital of
Herzegovina, Mostar is situated on the
Neretva river and is the fifth-largest
city in the country.
Mostar was named after its Old Bridge (
Stari most) and the towers on its sides, "the bridge keepers" (natively:
mostari).
In 1991 the municipality of Mostar had a population of 126,066. The ethnic distribution was;
Bosniak (34.65%),
Croat (33.83%),
Serb (18.97%),
Yugoslav (10.03%) and 2.32% others. Mostar itself had 75,865 inhabitants. In 2003 the population was 105,448. Ethnic distribution was; Bosniaks (47.43%), Croat (48.29%), Serb (3.45%) and .83% others.
As of 2006, Croats form a majority in the city of Mostar.
The city has had a carefully elaborated policy of national equality ever since the end of the war. The Croat and Bosniak ethnic communities each claim one side of the river and even support for the local
football clubs,
Zrinjski and
Velež, is divided along ethnic lines. One Bosnian politician called Mostar "divided by a wall between Croats and Bosniaks" in an interview to RTV Slovenia. The number of Serbs remaining in the city following ethnic cleansing furing the
Bosnian War is negligible.
=History=
Early history
Founded in the late
15th century, Mostar was the chief administrative city for the
Ottoman Empire in the Herzegovina region. The
Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in
1878 and then it became part of
Yugoslavia in the
aftermath of World War I. Since
1881 Mostar has been the seat of the
Bishopric of Mostar-Duvno. The city`s symbol, The Old Bridge (
Stari Most) is one of the most important constructions of Ottoman Era and built by the student of the famous Ottoman Architect Mimar
Sinan ( Architect Sinan), Mimar Hayrettin.
Yugoslav Period
After
World War II, Mostar developed a production of
tobacco,
bauxite,
wine and
aluminium products. Several
dams ("Grabovica", "Salakovac", "Mostar") were built in the region to harness the
hydroelectric power of the Neretva. The city was a major industrial and tourist center and prospered during the time of
SFRY.
1992 JNA Siege
Between
1992 and
1993, after
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from
Yugoslavia, the town was subject to a 18 month
siege. The
Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) first bombed Mostar on April 3rd, 1992 and over the following week gradually established control over a large part of the town. On April 8th, the army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Armija Bosne i Hercegovine, ABIH) was joined by the Herzegovina
Croats founded, the Croatian Defense Council (
Hrvatsko Vijeće Obrane, HVO) as their military formation. These two engaged against the JNA forces in combat. The JNA shelling damaged or destroyed a number of civilian objects and resulted in a mass killing of thousands of innocent civilians. Amongst destroyed monuments were a
Franciscan monastery, the
Catholic cathedral and the
bishop's
palace, with a library of 50,000 books, as well as the Karadžoz-bey
mosque, Roznamed-ij-Ibrahim-efendija mosque and twelve other mosques, as well as secular institutions. On June 12th 1992, the ABIH (4th Corps) and HVO military forces amassed enough weaponry and manpower to force the JNA troops out of Mostar. During the siege that ensued, the city was bombarded by the Bosnian
Serbs from the mountains to the east.
Croat-Bosniak Conflict
After the Serbs were driven out, the heavily armed, Croatia funded Bosnian-Croat forces (HVO) turned their guns at their once allies, the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in hope of capturing the whole city for themselves in the light of Bosnian-Croat Secessionist campaign. The campaign resulted in the deeply rooted division of the city of Mostar into West Mostar (run by HVO) and the East Mostar (run by the Bosnian Government). HVO forces (and its smaller divisions) engaged in a mass execution, ethnic cleansing and rape on the Bosniak people of the West Mostar and its surrounds and a fierce siege and shelling campaign on the Bosnian Government run East Mostar. HVO campaign resulted in thousands of injured and killed and this city's Old Town reduction to Rubble. HVO forces, as part of their campaign, destroyed the city's most recognisable symbol, the 1566 Old Bridge.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R37yzlvM1jo&search=mostar Today, the city is slowly recovering from divisions created by the conflict. Some of the scars of that division still remain today.
=Reconstruction=
|
The Old Bridge reconstruction in June 2003 |
Since the end of the wider war in
1995, great progress is being made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar. The city was under direct monitoring from a
European Union envoy, several elections were held and each nation was accommodated with regard to political control over the city. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.
A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures was initiated in
1999 and mostly completed by Spring
2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by the
United States,
Turkey,
Italy, the
Netherlands, and
Croatia. A grand opening was held on
July 23,
2004 under heavy security.
In
July 2005,
UNESCO finally inscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity on the
World Heritage List. Previously, the inscription had been repeatedly deferred on account of poor quality of post-war reconstructions and deplorable use of modern materials in the old town.
=Economy=Mostar is home to several of the nation's largest companies including the mail delivery firm
Hrvatska pošta Mostar, aluminum manufacturer
Aluminij and aircraft manufacturer
Soko.
=City government=
The City of Mostar has the status of a
municipality. The city government is led by the Mayor. The current Mayor of Mostar is
Ljubo Bešlić (
HDZ).
The City Council is composed of 35 representatives, coming from the following political parties:
* Croatian Coalition 13
**
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ}
**
United Croatian Party of Rights (UHSP)
**
Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)
**
Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU)
**
Croatian People's Union (HNZ)
*
Party of Democratic Action (SDA) 10
*
Social Democratic Party (SDP) 4
*
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 4
*
Narodna stranka Radom za boljitak 1
* Croatian Coalition 1
**
Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)
**
Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HČSP)
* Independent 2
=Education and Culture=There is a project underway to create in the Mostar Gymnasium a
United World College, starting September 2006.
The city hosts a yearly music festival entitled
Melodije Mostara which is considered one of the country's best, as well as one of the best festivals of
Croatian music.
Mostar is home to many places of religious worship. It is the seat of the
Bishopric of Mostar-Duvno and its
Cathedral of Mary Mother of the Church. The
Franciscan Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also based in the city. Mostar also contains several mosques, the most famous of which is the
Karađozbeg mosque. A synagogue was also recently built in the city.
*
University of Mostar*
Džemal Bijedić University*
Pavarotti Music Center*Gymnasium Mostar
*"Gradska" Library (Rondo)
*"Dječja i Narodna" Library (Carina)
*Cultural Center Mostar (ul. Rade Bitange)
*"Hrvatski dom herceg-Stjepana Kosače" cultural Center (Rondo)
*Gallery "Aluminij" (near by hospital by building Uglovnica)
*City Park "Zrinjski" (with the
Bruce Lee bronze statue)
*Narodno Pozorište (National theatre)
=Tourism=Mostar is an important tourist centre in the country.
Mostar International Airport serves the city. Mostar's old city is an important tourist destination with the
Stari most being its most recognizable feature. The "Rondo shopping centre",and the "Mercator shopping mall" are some of the city's newer attractions. The Catholic pilgrimage site of
Međugorje is also nearby.
=Recreation and sports=The most popular sport in Mostar is
football. The two most successful teams are
NK Zrinjski Mostar and
Velež Mostar.
As of 2006 both teams compete in the
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the Bosnian War each club has generally been supported by a particular ethnic group (Zrinjski for the Croats and Velež for the Bosniaks). The matches between the two clubs are some of the country's most intense matches.
Bijeli Brijeg Stadium and
Vrapčići are the city's two main football grounds.
In
basketball HKK Zrinjski Mostar competes at the nation's highest level while the
Zrinjski banner also represents the city in the top
handball league.
=See also=
*
Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina=External links=
*
National Monument- Muslibegovica House=Photographs=
*
Europe on the Matrix: Mostar — Photographs and information
*
Visit Mostar — Ultimate tourist guide to Mostar, city of UNESCO
