WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Sarajevo under the siege

During the Siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995, the Sarajevo Tunnel was constructed by the besieged citizens of Sarajevo in order to link the city of Sarajevo, which was entirely cut-off by Serbian forces, with the Bosnian-held territory on the other end of the supposedly neutral area at the Sarajevo Airport controlled by the United Nations. The tunnel linked the Sarajevo neighborhoods of Dobrinja and Butmir.
Beginning in January 1993, the Sarajevo Tunnel was dug by Bosnian volunteers working in 8-hour shifts. The Sarajevo tunnel was completed in mid-1993, which allowed food and humanitarian aid to come into the city, and people to get out. The tunnel was one of the major ways of bypassing the international arms embargo and providing the city defenders with weaponry.
The tunnel was 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) in height and about 1m in width, and ran for approximately 960 meters (3,150 ft) in length. During the time it was used, it is estimated that 20 million tons of food entered the city, and 1 million people passed in and out of it. The 20 meters (66 ft) of tunnel that are left today now form part of a museum in Sarajevo.

Location: Sarajevo Tunnel

Duration: 14:00 – 16:00

Maximum capacity: 50 people

Transport arrangements:

1. Hotel Bristol
 Gathering of all guests in the Hotel lobby at 14:00
 Bus departure at 14:05  
                           
 Planned arrival at Sarajevo Tunnel is at 14:20
 Planned return to hotel is at 16:00

FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

Coexist “Sarajevo – a cultural crossroads”

‘The crossroads to stay’ (Coexist) is a half day tour which starts from the Sebilj in the Old Town (Baščaršija). The name Sebilj has its roots in the Arabic language and it means: road, water near the road. Sebilj is a public drinking fountain in the form of a kiosque or a public drinking fountain that has been here, though not in this exact form,  for centuries and provided an opportunity to those passing through Sarajevo and Sarajevans to drink water when thirsty. The original sebilj was built in 18th century, during the Ottoman period. However, this one in is from the Austro-Hungarian period.
Sebilj in its today’s form has been here as of 1891 when the Austrian architect Alexander Wittek, modeled it after one of the many Istanbul public drinking fountains. It should be added that Alexander Wittek worked on the City Hall project as well, therefore Sebilj and the City Hall itself, are built in a Pseudo Moorish architectural style. Today Sebilj, along with the City Hall, is perhaps the most recognisable symbol of the city and in some ways its trademark. For Sarajevans it does not only represent a place where you can quench your thirst with quality and always cold water, but it is traditionally a meeting place, a place where people socialise and make job arrangements. That is why there are many interesting little coffee shops here at Baščaršija, whose gardens look like other cafeteria gardens in the world, but the interiors are characteristic for Sarajevo. In them you can enjoy a cup of coffee served in the Bosnian coffee pot and cup known as džezvica and fildžan with two sugar cubes and a piece of Rahat Lokum  aka Turkish delight.

Walk and short visit to the Brusa Bezistan, one of the depadans of the Museum of City of Sarajevo. Bezistan is built by order of Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha in 1551. Brusa Bezistan served as space for sale of silk which he produced in Asia Minor. Bezistan once had a large number of shops, inside and outside. Today it is housing one part of exhibit of Museum of Sarajevo, which presents social, economic and cultural characteristics and events from history of Sarajevo from earliest days to modern ages. After Bezistan tour will continue to the place where Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia, which was the cause for World War I. Museum exhibits show the period of reign of Austro-Hungarian monarchy in these parts and describes characteristics of everyday life, economy, craftsmanship, architecture etc.

After the museum the route takes us to the Despića kuća (Despić House), house of the wealthy merchant Orthodox family, who were first to bring to Sarajevo the European type of theatre.  During the visit, the story will focus on the specific architecture and the events that are held in house. The house was built in several stages; the foundation and ground floor were built in Bosnian-oriental architectural style and most of the elements of European architecture were added in 1881. Walk near Careva džamija (Emperors Mosque), where in 15th century Isa-bey Isaković built the mosque in honour of Sultan Mehmed II El-Fatih; today’s mosque dates from 1566, and was built by order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Next the Gazi Husrev Beys Mosque, which presents the most important Islamic structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, built in 1531 as Gazi Husrev-Bey endowment; belongs to the architectural masterpieces of the period. It is considered that the complex of the mosque with its long time existence influenced the construction of the surrounding streets and mahalas. The Kuršumlija Madrasah, a religious high school that at the time it was founded, was best known on the West Balkans and in the rank of European universities, while the program addressed law, philosophy and religion, which otherwise was called Seldžukija, by daughter of Sultan Suleiman II to which it was dedicated. Finally visit the Old Orthodox Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, which is not known exactly when it was built – according to some data in the first half of the 16th century, until its present appearance dates from the 18th century; this church is interesting because it is rectangular in plan but without the apse and dome.         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The tour continues to the Jewish Museum. The museum is housed in the oldest synagogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina built in 1581 and it presents a long presence of Jews in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with special presentation of their plight during the Second World War. After this, the walk continues next to the Cathedral, which is imposing religious building in the Neo-Gothic style built in the 19th century, all the way to Bosniak Institute. One part of the Bosniak Institute, founded in 2001, is located in Gazi Husrev-beys hammam which is the only surviving hammam in Sarajevo of the former seven from the period 17th century. The Institute is one of the most important cultural institutions in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the rich art and library fund of incalculable value and for this route is most important collection of oriental texts. After the Bosniak Institute the walk continues to Svrzo’s House with a planned visit of this dependence of the Museum of Sarajevo. The house represents typical Bosnian architecture of the 18th century for the wealthy bey family, with a developed base to the men’s and women’s yard (avlija), displaying the organisation of family life and its protection from the view from the street. After this visit, we will depart from Baščaršija.

Locations: SarajeSebilj in the Old Town (Baščaršija), Brusa Bezistan, Despić House, Emperors Mosque,  Gazi Husrev Beys Mosque, Kuršumlija Madrasah, Old Orthodox Church, Jewish Museum, Cathedra, Bosniak Institut, Svrzo’s House

Duration: 15:00 – 17:00

Maximum capacity: 50 people

Transport arrangements:

1. Hotel Bristol
 Gathering of the guests in the Hotel lobby at 14:45
 Bus departure  14:50

 Planned arrival at Baščaršija is at 15:00
 Planned return to hotel is at 17:15