The current name, Mostar, was mentioned for the first time in 1474 and derived from "mostari" - the bridge keepers. The historic town of Mostar developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman frontier town and during the short Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. Mostar has been long known for its old Turkish houses and the Old Bridge – Stari most, an extraordinary technological achievement of bridge construction. Architecture here presented a symbol of tolerance: a shared life of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Mosques, churches, and synagogues existed side-by-side indicating that in this region, the Roman Catholic Croats with their Western European culture, the Eastern Orthodox Serbs with their elements of Byzantine culture, and the Sephardic Jews continued to live together with the Bosniaks-Muslims for more than four centuries.
In the 1990 conflict, however, most of the historic town and the Old Bridge were destroyed. The Old Bridge was rebuilt in 2004 and many of the edifices in the Old Town were restored or rebuilt with the contribution of the international scientific committee established by UNESCO.
The Old Bridge Area, with its pre-Ottoman, Eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and Western European architectural features, is an outstanding example of a multicultural urban settlement. The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar are symbols of reconciliation, international cooperation and the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities.
We loved the old town! We spent some time walking around. Then we ate lunch at a nice restaurant with lots of local options. TJ ordered pasta. Ha ha! (Obviously not local.) Joey and Bailey ordered kebabs and fries. They were delicious! Erick and I shared a large platter of lots of local favorites. I can't tell you what any of it was called (sorry). It was delicious! The flavors were amazing! Oh, and David ate bread. Typical.
After lunch we continued to shop in the markets and we enjoyed some ice cream. Local men were jumping from the bridge with huge crowds gawking. It looked so scary! After we were sufficiently tired, we headed back toward our car.
I saw memorials nailed onto street posts and buildings. I saw graffiti. I photographed bullet-riddled buildings. It was such an interesting contrast to the vibrant and beautiful old town. It was a powerful reminder that this city was a war zone two short decades ago.
I loved visiting this town, but I am very glad that Erick was with me on this one.
