Sarajevo

Sarajevo Grad Sarajevo
Metropolis
City of Sarajevo
From top, left to right: Sarajevo panorama, Emperor's Mosque, Sarajevo Cathedral, Orthodox Cathedral, Sarajevo Library, Latin Bridge, and Sebilj.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Jerusalem of Europe,[1] Jerusalem of the Balkans,[2] Rajvosa[3]
Location in Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina (dark blue)
Coordinates: 43°52′N 18°25′E / 43.867°N 18.417°E / 43.867; 18.417Coordinates: 43°52′N 18°25′E / 43.867°N 18.417°E / 43.867; 18.417
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canton	Sarajevo Canton
Municipalities	4
Government
• Mayor	Dr. Ivo Komšić (SDU)
Area[4]
• Urban	141.5 km2 (54.3 sq mi)
Elevation	518 m (1,699 ft)
Population (Census 2013.)[5]
• Urban	448,646
• Metro	688,354
• Demonym	Sarajevan/Sarajlija/Sarajka
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	71000
Area code(s)	+387 (33)
Website	City of Sarajevo

Sarajevo (Bosnia/Croatian/Serbian cyrillic Сарајево) (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [sǎrajeʋo]) is the capital^[6] and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an estimated population of 369,534.^[5] The Sarajevo metropolitan area, including Sarajevo, East Sarajevo and surrounding municipalities, is home to 688,354^[7] inhabitants. Moreover, it is also the capital^[8] of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity,and the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Nestled within the greater Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, it is surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans.

Sarajevo is the leading political, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a prominent center of culture in the Balkans, with its region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts.^[9][10]

The city is famous for its traditional cultural and religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Catholicism coexisting there for centuries.^[11] Due to its long and rich history of religious and cultural variety, Sarajevo is sometimes called the "Jerusalem of Europe"^[1] or "Jerusalem of the Balkans".^[2] It was, until late in the 20th century, the only major European city to have a mosque, Catholic church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighborhood.^[12] A regional center in education, the city is also home to the Balkans' first institution of tertiary education in the form of an Islamic polytechnic called the Saraybosna Osmanlı Medrese, today part of the University of Sarajevo.^[13][14]

Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century.^[15] Sarajevo has attracted international attention several times throughout its history. In 1885, Sarajevo was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, following San Francisco.^[16] In 1914, it was the site of the assassination of the Archduke of Austria that sparked World War I. Seventy years later, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. For nearly four years, from 1992 to 1996, the city suffered the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare (1,425 days long) during the Bosnian War.^[17]

Sarajevo has been undergoing post-war reconstruction, and is the fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[18] The travel guide series, Lonely Planet, has named Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world,^[19] and in December 2009 listed Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.^[20] In 2011, Sarajevo was nominated to be the European Capital of Culture in 2014 and will be hosting the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2019.^[21][22]

Sarajevo is also a metropolis^[23] due to being the most important and influential city in the whole country.

Etymology

The earliest known name for the large central Bosnian region of today's Sarajevo is Vrhbosna.^[3]

Sarajevo is a slavicized word based on saray, the Turkish word for palace^[24] (the letter J is the equivalent in the Bosnian language of the English Y). The evo portion may come from the term saray ovası first recorded in 1455,^[25] meaning "the plains around the palace" or simply "palace plains".^[26] However, in his Dictionary of Turkish loanwords, Abdulah Škaljić maintains that the "evo" ending is more likely to have come from the widespread Slavic suffix "evo" used to indicate place names, than from the Turkish ending "ova", as proposed by some.^[27] The first mention of name Sarajevo was in 1507 letter written by Feriz Beg.^[28]

Sarajevo has had many nicknames. The earliest is Šeher, which is the term Isa-Beg Ishaković used to describe the town he was going to build. It is a Turkish word meaning an advanced city of key importance (şehir) which in turn comes from Persian: شهر‎‎ shahr (city). As Sarajevo developed, numerous nicknames came from comparisons to other cities in the Islamic world, i.e. "Damascus of the North". The most popular of these was "European Jerusalem".

Some argue that a more correct translation of saray is government office or house. Saray is a common word in Turkish for a palace or mansion (from Persian word سرای sarāy, means "house, palace").

Stari Grad

Ferhadija Street

Miljacka river

View towards Novi Grad

Geography

Sarajevo is located near the geometric center of the triangular-shaped Bosnia-Herzegovina and within the historical region of Bosnia proper. It is situated 518 meters (1,699 ft) above sea level and lies in the Sarajevo valley, in the middle of the Dinaric Alps.^[29] The valley itself once formed a vast expanse of greenery, but gave way to urban expansion and development in the post-World War II era. The city is surrounded by heavily forested hills and five major mountains. The highest of the surrounding peaks is Treskavica at 2,088 meters (6,850 ft), then Bjelašnica mountain at 2,067 meters (6,781 ft), Jahorina at 1,913 meters (6,276 ft), Trebević at 1,627 meters (5,338 ft), with 1,502 meters (4,928 ft) Igman being the shortest. The last four are also known as the Olympic Mountains of Sarajevo (see also 1984 Winter Olympics). The city itself has its fair share of hilly terrain, as evidenced by the many steeply inclined streets and residences seemingly perched on the hillsides.

The Miljacka river is one of the city's chief geographic features. It flows through the city from east through the center of Sarajevo to west part of city where eventually meets up with the Bosna river. Miljacka river is "The Sarajevo River", with its source (Vrelo Miljacke) 2 kilometers south of the town of Pale^[30] at the foothills of Mount Jahorina, several kilometers to the east of Sarajevo center. The Bosna's source, Vrelo Bosne near Ilidža (west Sarajevo), is another notable natural landmark and a popular destination for Sarajevans and other tourists. Several smaller rivers and streams such as Koševski Potok also run through the city and its vicinity.

Cityscape

Sarajevo is located close to the center of the triangular shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina in southeastern Europe. Sarajevo city proper consists of four municipalities (or "in Bosnian and Serbian: opština, in Croatian: općina"): Centar (Center), Novi Grad (New City), Novo Sarajevo (New Sarajevo), and Stari Grad (Old City), while Metropolitan area of Sarajevo (Greater Sarajevo area) includes these and the neighbouring municipalities of Ilidža, Hadžići and Vogošća (before the war and new (Deyton) administrative division, Metro of Sarajevo consisted also, beside above mentioned, three municipalities today's divided between Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine and Republika Srpska - Trnovo, Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine / Trnovo, Republika Srpska, Lukavica and Pale). The city has an urban area of 1,041.5 square kilometres (402.1 sq mi). Veliki Park (Great park) is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It’s nestled between Titova, Koševo, Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part there is a monument dedicated to the Children of Sarajevo.

Climate

Sarajevo has an humid continental climate. Sarajevo's climate exhibits influences of oceanic zones, with four seasons and uniformly spread precipitation. The proximity of the Adriatic Sea moderates Sarajevo's climate somewhat, although the mountains to the south of the city greatly reduce this maritime influence.^[31] The average yearly temperature is 10 °C (50 °F), with January (−0.5 °C (31.1 °F) avg.) being the coldest month of the year and July (19.7 °C (67.5 °F) avg.) the warmest.

The highest recorded temperature was 40.7 °C (105 °F) on 19 August 1946, and on 23 August 2008 (41.0) while the lowest recorded temperature was −26.2 °C (−15.2 °F) on 25 January 1942. On average, Sarajevo has 6 days where the temperature exceeds 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 4 days where the temperature drops below −15 °C (5 °F) per year.^[32] The city typically experiences mildly cloudy skies, with an average yearly cloud cover of 45%.

The cloudiest month is December (75% average cloud cover) while the clearest is August (37%). Moderate precipitation occurs fairly consistently throughout the year, with an average 75 days of rainfall. Suitable climatic conditions have allowed winter sports to flourish in the region, as exemplified by the Winter Olympics in 1984 that were celebrated in Sarajevo. Average winds are 28–48 km/h (17–30 mph) and the city has 1,769 hours of sunshine.

Climate data for Sarajevo
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	18.2 (64.8)	21.4 (70.5)	26.6 (79.9)	30.2 (86.4)	33.2 (91.8)	35.9 (96.6)	38.2 (100.8)	40.0 (104)	37.7 (99.9)	32.2 (90)	24.7 (76.5)	18.0 (64.4)	40.0 (104)
Average high °C (°F)	3.7 (38.7)	6.0 (42.8)	10.9 (51.6)	15.6 (60.1)	21.4 (70.5)	24.5 (76.1)	27.0 (80.6)	27.2 (81)	22.0 (71.6)	17.0 (62.6)	9.7 (49.5)	4.2 (39.6)	15.8 (60.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−0.5 (31.1)	1.4 (34.5)	5.7 (42.3)	10.0 (50)	14.8 (58.6)	17.7 (63.9)	19.7 (67.5)	19.7 (67.5)	15.3 (59.5)	11.0 (51.8)	5.4 (41.7)	0.9 (33.6)	10.1 (50.2)
Average low °C (°F)	−3.3 (26.1)	−2.5 (27.5)	1.1 (34)	4.8 (40.6)	9.0 (48.2)	11.9 (53.4)	13.7 (56.7)	13.7 (56.7)	10.0 (50)	6.4 (43.5)	1.9 (35.4)	−1.8 (28.8)	5.4 (41.7)
Record low °C (°F)	−26.8 (−16.2)	−23.4 (−10.1)	−26.4 (−15.5)	−13.2 (8.2)	−9.0 (15.8)	−3.2 (26.2)	−2.7 (27.1)	−1.0 (30.2)	−4.0 (24.8)	−10.9 (12.4)	−19.3 (−2.7)	−22.4 (−8.3)	−26.8 (−16.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	68 (2.68)	64 (2.52)	70 (2.76)	77 (3.03)	72 (2.83)	90 (3.54)	72 (2.83)	66 (2.6)	91 (3.58)	86 (3.39)	85 (3.35)	86 (3.39)	928 (36.54)
Average rainy days	8	10	13	17	17	16	14	13	15	13	12	11	159
Average snowy days	10	12	9	2	0.2	0	0	0	0	2	6	12	53
Average relative humidity (%)	79	74	68	67	68	70	69	69	75	77	76	81	73
Mean monthly sunshine hours	57.1	83.8	125.6	152.3	191.7	207.1	256.3	238.2	186.6	148.8	81.2	40.7	1,769.4
Source #1: Pogoda.ru.net[33]
Source #2: NOAA (sun, 1961-1990)[34]

History

Ancient times and Middle Ages

One of the earliest findings of settlement in the Sarajevo area is that of the Neolithic Butmir culture. The discoveries at Butmir were made on the grounds of the modern-day Sarajevo suburb Ilidža in 1893 by Austro-Hungarian authorities during the construction of an agricultural school. The area's richness in flint was no doubt attractive to Neolithic man, and the settlement appears to have flourished. The settlement developed unique ceramics and pottery designs, which characterize the Butmir people as a unique culture. This was largely responsible for the International congress of archaeologists and anthropologists meeting in Sarajevo in 1894.^[35]

The next prominent culture in Sarajevo were the Illyrians. The ancient people, who considered most of the West Balkans as their homeland, had several key settlements in the region, mostly around the river Miljacka and Sarajevo valley. The Illyrians in the Sarajevo region belonged to the Daesitiates, a war-like people who were probably the last Illyrian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to resist Roman occupation. Their defeat by the Roman emperor Tiberius in 9 A.D. marks the start of Roman rule in the region. The Romans never built up the region of modern-day Bosnia very much, but the Roman colony of Aquae Sulphurae was located near the top of present-day Ilidža, and was the most important settlement of the time.^[36] After the Romans, the Goths settled the area, followed by the Slavs in the 7th century.^[37]

Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages Sarajevo was part of the Bosnian province of Vrhbosna near the traditional center of the Kingdom of Bosnia. Though a city called Vrhbosna existed, the exact settlement of Sarajevo at this time is debated. Various documents of the high Middle Ages note a place called Tornik in the region. By all indications, Tornik was a very small marketplace surrounded by a proportionally small village, and was not considered very important by Ragusan merchants.

Other scholars say that Vrhbosna was a major city located at the site of modern-day Sarajevo. Today, that place still exists, but its name for small part of Sarajevo, at the north-east. Papal documents say that in 1238, a cathedral dedicated to Saint Paul was built in the city. Disciples of the notable saints Cyril and Methodius stopped by the region, founding a church at Vrelobosna. Whether or not the city was located at modern-day Sarajevo, the documents attest to its and the region's importance. Vrhbosna was a Slavic citadel from 1263 until it was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in 1429.^[38]

• 

  Stećak inside of National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

• 

  Neolithic period Butmir vase

• 

  White fortress of the old Vratnik Town

Ottoman era

Sarajevo was founded by the Ottoman Empire in the 1450s upon its conquest of the region, with 1461 used as the city's founding date. The first Ottoman governor of Bosnia, Isa-Beg Ishaković, transformed the cluster of villages into a city and state capitol by building a number of key structures, including a mosque, a closed marketplace, a public bath, a hostel, and of course the governor's castle ("Saray") which gave the city its present name. The mosque was named "Careva Džamija" (the Tsar's Mosque) in honor of the Sultan Mehmed II. With the improvements Sarajevo quickly grew into the largest city in the region. Many Christians converted to Islam at this time. To accommodate the new pilgrims on the road to Mecca, in 1541 Gazi Husrev-Bey’s quartermaster Vekil-Harrach built a Pilgrim’s mosque for which it is still known to this day Hadžijska mosque. By the 15th Century the settlement was established as a city, named Bosna-Saraj, around the citadel in 1461. The name Sarajevo is derived from Turkish saray ovası, meaning the field around saray.

Under leaders such as the second governor Gazi Husrev-beg, Sarajevo grew at a rapid rate. Husrev-beg greatly shaped the physical city, as most of what is now the Old Town was built during his reign. Sarajevo became known for its large marketplace and numerous mosques, which by the middle of the 16th century numbered more than 100. At the peak of the empire, Sarajevo was the biggest and most important Ottoman city in the Balkans after Istanbul. By 1660, the population of Sarajevo was estimated to be over 80,000. By contrast, Belgrade in 1838 had 12,963 inhabitants, and Zagreb as late as 1851 had 14,000 people. As political conditions changed, Sarajevo became the site of warfare.

In 1697, during the Great Turkish War, a raid was led by Prince Eugene of Savoy of the Habsburg Monarchy against the Ottoman Empire, which conquered Sarajevo and left it plague-infected and burned to the ground. After his men had looted thoroughly, they set the city on fire and destroyed nearly all of it in one day. Only a handful of neighborhoods, some mosques, and an Orthodox church, were left standing.

Numerous other fires weakened the city, as well. The city was later rebuilt, but never fully recovered from the destruction. By 1807, it had only some 60,000 residents.

In the 1830s, several battles of the Bosnian uprising had taken place around the city. These had been led by Husein Gradaščević. Today, a major city street is named Zmaj od Bosne (Dragon of Bosnia) in his honor. The rebellion failed and, for several more decades, the crumbling Ottoman state remained in control of Bosnia.

The Ottoman Empire made Sarajevo an important administrative centre by 1850. Baščaršija was built becoming an old bazaar and a historical and cultural center of the city in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Isaković founded the town .^[39] The word Baščaršija derives from the Turkish language.

• 

  Baščaršija in twilight

• 

  The Gazi-Husrev-Beg-Bazaar.

• 

  Baščaršija Mosque courtyard

• 

  Pigeon Square

• 

  Sarajevo Old Town souvenirs

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary's occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina came in 1878 as part of the Treaty of Berlin, and complete annexation followed in 1908, angering the Serbs. Sarajevo was industrialized by Austria-Hungary, who used the city as a testing area for new inventions, such as tramways, established in 1885, before installing them in Vienna. Architects and engineers wanting to help rebuild Sarajevo as a modern European capital rushed to the city. A fire that burned down a large part of the central city area (čaršija) left more room for redevelopment. The city has a unique blend of the remaining Ottoman city market and contemporary western architecture. Sarajevo has some examples of Secession- and Pseudo-Moorish styles that date from this period.

The Austro-Hungarian period was one of great development for the city, as the Western power brought its new acquisition up to the standards of the Victorian age. Various factories and other buildings were built at this time, and a large number of institutions were both Westernized and modernized. For the first time in history, Sarajevo's population began writing in Latin script.^[37][40] For the first time in centuries, the city significantly expanded outside its traditional borders. Much of the city's contemporary central municipality (Centar) was constructed during this period.

Architecture in Sarajevo quickly developed into a wide range of styles and buildings. The Cathedral of Sacred Heart, for example, was constructed using elements of neo-gothic and Romanesque architecture. The National Museum, Sarajevo brewery, and City Hall were also constructed during this period. Additionally, Austrian officials made Sarajevo the first city in this part of Europe to have a tramway.

Although the Bosnia Vilayet de jure remained part of the Ottoman Empire, it was de facto governed as an integral part of Austria-Hungary with the Ottomans having no say in its day-to-day governance. This lasted until 1908 when the territory was formally annexed and turned into a condominium, jointly controlled by both Austrian Cisleithania and Hungarian Transleithania.

In the event that triggered World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, along with his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 by a self-declared Yugoslav, Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia. In response, many residents of Sarajevo (mostly ethnic Croats and Bosniaks) organized riots against the Serbs, killing two and destroying their properties. In the ensuing war, however, most of the Balkan offensives occurred near Belgrade, and Sarajevo largely escaped damage and destruction.

Following the war, after the Balkans were unified under the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Sarajevo became the capital of Drina Province.

• Architecture from Austro-Hungarian period
• 

  Sarajevo Main Post office

• 

  Sarajevo National Theatre design by Karel Pařík

• 

  The Academy of Fine Arts was originally built to serve as an Evangelical Church in 1899.

• 

  Vijećnica in pseudo-Moorish design

• 

  National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina established in 1896

Yugoslavia

After World War I and contributions from the Serbian army alongside rebelling Slavic nations in Austria-Hungary, Sarajevo became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Though it held some political importance, as the center of first the Bosnian region and then the Drinska Banovina, it was not treated with the same attention or considered as significant as it was in the past. Outside of today's national bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, virtually no significant contributions to the city were made during this period.

During World War II the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's army was overrun by superior German and Italian forces. Following a German bombing campaign, Sarajevo was captured on 15 April 1941 by the 16th Motorized infantry Division. The Axis powers created the Independent State of Croatia and included Sarajevo in its territory. On 12 October, a group of 108 notable Bosniak citizens of Sarajevo signed the Resolution of Sarajevo Muslims by which they condemned the persecution of Serbs organized by the Ustaše, made a distinction between the Bosniaks who participated in such persecutions and the rest of the Bosniak population, presented information about the persecutions of Bosniaks by Serbs, and requested security for all citizens of the country, regardless of their identity.^[41] By mid-summer 1942, around 20,000 Serbs found refuge in Sarajevo from Ustaše terror.^[42]

The city was bombed by the Allies from 1943 to 1944.^[43] The Yugoslav Partisan movement was represented in the city. Resistance was led by a NLA Partisan named Vladimir "Walter" Perić. He died while leading the final liberation of the city on 6 April 1945. Many of the WWII shell casings that were used during the attacks have been carved and polished in Sarajevo tradition and are sold as art.

Following the liberation, Sarajevo was the capital of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic Government invested heavily in Sarajevo, building many new residential blocks in Novi Grad Municipality and Novo Sarajevo Municipality, while simultaneously developing the city's industry and transforming Sarajevo into one of the modern cities, in SFRYugoslavia and SR Bosnia. From a post-war population of 115,000, by the end of Yugoslavia, Sarajevo had 600,000 people. Sarajevo grew rapidly as it became an important regional industrial center in Yugoslavia. The Vraca Memorial Park, a monument for victims of World War II, was dedicated on 25 November, the "Day of Statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina" when the ZAVNOBIH held their first meeting in 1943.^[44]

The crowning moment of Sarajevo's time in Socialist Yugoslavia was the 1984 Winter Olympics. Sarajevo beat Sapporo, Japan; and Falun/Göteborg, Sweden for the privilege of hosting the games. They were followed by an immense boom in tourism, making the 1980s one of the city's best decades in a long time.^[45]

• Iconic buildings of Sarajevo, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 

  Eternal flame symbolising WWII victory over fascism

• 

  UNITIC World Trade Towers

• 

  Holiday Inn (now Hotel Holiday)

• 

  Markale market

Siege of Sarajevo during Bosnian War

The Bosnian War for independence resulted in large-scale destruction and dramatic population shifts during the Siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995. Thousands of Sarajevans lost their lives under the constant bombardment and sniper shooting at civilians by the Serb forces during the siege.^[48] It is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare.^[49] Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.

When Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia and achieved United Nations recognition, the Serbian leaders and army whose goal was to create a "greater Serbia", declared a new Serbian national state Republika Srpska (RS) which was carved from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina,^[50] encircled Sarajevo with a siege force of 18,000^[51] stationed in the surrounding hills, from which they assaulted the city with weapons that included artillery, mortars, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine-guns, multiple rocket launchers, rocket-launched aircraft bombs, and sniper rifles.^[51] From 2 May 1992, the Serbs blockaded the city. The Bosnian government defence forces inside the besieged city were poorly equipped and unable to break the siege.

During the siege, 11,541 people lost their lives, including over 1,500 children. An additional 56,000 people were wounded, including nearly 15,000 children.^[48] The 1991 census indicates that before the siege the city and its surrounding areas had a population of 525,980.

When the siege ended, the concrete scars caused by mortar shell explosions left a mark that was filled with red resin. After the red resin was placed, it left a floral pattern which led to it being dubbed a Sarajevo Rose.

• Sarajevo structural damage and destruction
• 

  Vedran Smailović playing on top of the ruins of the National library (in 1992)

• 

  Parliament building in flames May 1992

• 

  Marijin Dvor May 1996

• 

  Grbavica March 1996

• 

  Oslobođenje building destroyed

Present

Various new modern buildings have been built, most significantly the Bosmal City Center, BBI Centar, Sarajevo City Center and the Avaz Twist Tower, which is the tallest skyscraper in the Balkans. A new highway was completed in the late 2000s between Sarajevo and the city of Kakanj. Due to growth in population, tourism and airport traffic the service sector in the city is developing fast and welcoming new investors from various businesses.^[52]

The business enclave Sarajevo City Center is one of the largest and most modern shopping and business centers in the region. It was completed in early 2014.^[53] Airport Center Sarajevo which will be connected directly to the new airport terminal will offer a great variety of brands, products and services.^[54]

If current growth trends continue, the Sarajevo metropolitan area should return to its pre-war population by 2020, with the city following soon after. At its current pace, Sarajevo won’t surpass the million resident mark until the second half of the 21st century. The most widely accepted and pursued goal was for the city to hold the Winter Olympics in 2014; that bid failed, so they will try again perhaps in 2022 or 2026.

Most recently, in 2014 the city saw anti-government protests and riots and record rainfall that caused historic flooding.

Trebević ropeway (cable car) transportation system has been announced to be rebuilt following the use of the same during 1984 Winter Olympic Games. Trebević cable car was one of Sarajevo’s key landmarks. The cost involved will be 12,109.000^[55] euro and it is planned to be competed by late 2016.^[56] Cable cars and equipment have been donated by the Graechen ski centre in Wallis Canton, Switzerland. The selected cable cars are ideally suited to the project and meet the highest quality standards. The new Trebević cable car will have 6 sitting cabins and between 11 and 13 pillars, with a capacity to transport 1,200 passengers an hour.^[57] Further monetary donations (approx 3,000,000 euro) have been made by Dutch national Edmond Offermann.^[58][59]

• 

  Bosmal City Center Towers, erected 2001

• 

  Avaz Twist Tower, erected 2008

• 

  BBI Centar, erected 2009

• 

  Sarajevo City Center, erected 2014

• 

  Hotel Europe, formerly Hotel Evropa

Administration

Largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo is the capital^[60] of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its sub-entity, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as of the Sarajevo Canton. It is also the de jure capital of another entity, Republika Srpska. Each of these levels of government has their parliament or council, as well as judicial courts, in the city. In addition many foreign embassies are located in Sarajevo.

Sarajevo is home to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the operational command of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[61]

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Parliament office in Sarajevo was damaged heavily in the Bosnian War. Due to damage the staff and documents were moved to a nearby ground level office to resume the work. In late 2006 reconstruction work started on the Parliament and was finished in 2007. The cost of reconstruction is supported 80% by the Greek Government through the Hellenic Program of Balkans Reconstruction (ESOAV) and 20% by Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Municipalities and city government

The city comprises four municipalities Centar, Novi Grad, Novo Sarajevo, and Stari Grad. Each operate their own municipal government, united they form one city government with its own constitution. The executive branch (Bosnian: Gradska Uprava) consists of a mayor, with two deputies and a cabinet. The legislative branch consists of the City Council, or Gradsko Vijeće. The council has 28 members, including a council speaker, two deputies, and a secretary. Councilors are elected by the municipality in numbers roughly proportional to their population. The city government also has a judicial branch based on the post-transitional judicial system as outlined by the High Representative's "High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils".^[62]

Sarajevo's Municipalities are further split into "local communities" (Bosnian, Mjesne zajednice). Local communities have a small role in city government and are intended as a way for ordinary citizens to get involved in city government. They are based on key neighborhoods in the city.

Metropolis

Due to being political, economic, cultural, social, university, scientific infrastructure and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo is with over 688,354^[7] inhabitants on its metropolitan area the only metropolis of the country. Not only the importance, size and opulence but also the panorama of Sarajevo, its skyscrapers like Avaz Twist Tower, Sarajevo City Center, Bosmal City Center, or Sarajevo Tower (which is under construction),^[63] and worldwide famous festivals like Sarajevo Film Festival give Sarajevo the flair of a metropolis. With possible construction of in 2015 announced urban district Nova Ilidža (€2.2 billion),^[64] Tourist district Trnovo (€2.4 billion),^[65] other neighbourhoods like Sarajevo Waves and buildings which are under construction (only in 2014 over 700 million KM were invested in real estates),^[66]

Also, the proposed tram network extension to neighborhoods Hrasnica^[67] and Dobrinja as well as metro^[68] from Bascarsija to Otoka (1. phase) will improve the city´s infrastructure and attract new investments.

Between 2015 and 2017 Sarajevo will reconstruct the whole tram line from Marijin Dvor to Ilidža with estimated costs of 25 million KM.^[69] Due to this, Sarajevo will become the only city in the Balkans with completely reconstructed tram network. In 2015 the city will also get fully renovated trams from Konya and new trolleybuses from Geneva.

Also, the direct connection from Stup Interchange to the Sarajevo Bypass and thus to A1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) will be finished by the end of 2015. Therefore, Sarajevo will have three direct connections to the motorway. Sarajevo Beltway was already finished in 2005.

Economy

Sarajevo is Bosnia and Herzegovina's economic focal point, with Sarajevo Canton (which doesn't encompass the whole urban territory) generating almost 25% of the country's GDP.^[70] After the years of war, Sarajevo's economy was subject to reconstruction and rehabilitation programs.^[71] Amongst economic landmarks, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened in Sarajevo in 1997 and the Sarajevo Stock Exchange began trading in 2002. The city's large manufacturing, administration, tourism sector, combined with a large informal market,^[72] makes it the strongest economic regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While Sarajevo had a large industrial base during its communist period, only a few pre-existing businesses have successfully adapted to the market economy. Sarajevo industries now include tobacco products, furniture, hosiery, automobiles, and communication equipment.^[37] Companies based in Sarajevo include B&H Airlines, BH Telecom, Bosnalijek, Energopetrol, Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, and Sarajevska Pivara (Sarajevo Brewery).

In 2002 the total export for the greater Sarajevo region was worth about 259,569,000KM. This was an increase of 21.9% from the previous year. Most of Sarajevo's exports (28.2%) head to Germany, with Great Britain following behind at 16.8% and Serbia and Montenegro thirds with 12.8%. The largest amount of imported goods come from Germany, at 15.8%. With a worth of total import at about 1,322,585,000KM, the total import is almost 5.1 times the total export.

Foreign companies with a foothold in the Sarajevo region include Harris Communications, Brown & Root, and, most notably, Coca Cola. The Bosnian-Malaysian firm Bosmal is also situated in the city. Their main exports are clothing, electrical goods.

In 1981 Sarajevo's GDP per capita was 133% of the Yugoslav average.^[73]

Tourism and recreation

Sarajevo has a wide tourist industry and a fast expanding service sector thanks to the strong annual growth in tourist arrivals. Sarajevo also benefits from being both a summer and winter destination with continuity in its tourism throughout the year. The travel guide series, Lonely Planet, has named Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world,^[19] and in December 2009 listed Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.^[20]

In 2013 302.570 tourists visited Sarajevo, up 17.9% compared to 2012, giving 595.637 overnight stays, which is 18% more than in 2012.^[74][75]

Sports-related tourism uses the legacy facilities of the 1984 Winter Olympics, especially the skiing facilities on the nearby mountains of Bjelašnica, Igman, Jahorina, Trebević, and Treskavica. Sarajevo's 600 years of history, influenced by both Western and Eastern empires, makes it a tourist attraction with splendid variations. Sarajevo has hosted travellers for centuries, because it was an important trading center during the Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian empires. Examples of popular destinations in Sarajevo include the Vrelo Bosne park, the Sarajevo cathedral, and the Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque. Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, cultural aspects and winter sports.

Gross pay in Sarajevo in February 2015 was 1,578 km or 790 €, while net salary was 1,020 km or 521 €.^[76] Sarajevo is after Ljubljana and Zagreb the richest city in former Yugoslavia and one of the richest cities in the Balkans.

Sarajevo is host to many parks throughout the city and on the outskirts of city. A popular activity among Sarajevo citizens is street chess, usually played at Trg oslobođenja Alija Izetbegović. Veliki Park is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It’s nestled between Titova, Koševo, Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part there is a monument dedicated to the Children of Sarajevo. Hastahana skate park is a popular place to relax in the Austro-Hungarian neighborhood of Marijin Dvor.^[77] Goat's Bridge, locally known as Kozija Ćuprija, in the Miljacka Canyon is also a popular park destination along the Dariva walkway and river Miljacka.^[78][79]

Sarajevo is also famous for its beautiful city lookouts; best of which is an observation deck on Avaz Twist Tower, Park Prinčeva restaurant, Vidikovac lookout (Mt. Trebević), Zmajevac lookout and Yellow/White fortresses lookouts (in Vratnik) as well as numerous other rooftops throughout the city (i.e. Alta Shopping Center, BBI Center, Hotel Hecco Deluxe).

• Parks, rivers and public spaces in Sarajevo
• 

  Great Park (Veliki Park)

• 

  Koševo Park

• 

  Vilsonovo šetalište (Wilson's Promenade) around Miljacka

• 

  Koševski Creek flows through Pionirska dolina Zoo park

• 

  River Bosna at Vrelo Bosne Park

• 

  Chess, a popular outdoor activity

• 

  Hastahana Park in Marijin Dvor (in 2005)

• 

  Sarajevo Admejdan (Muzički paviljon)

• 

  Great Lane (Velika aleja), Ilidža

Demographics

The last official census in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place 1991 and recorded 527,049 people living in city of Sarajevo (ten municipalities). In the settlement of Sarajevo proper, there were 416,497 inhabitants.^[80] The war displaced hundreds of thousands of people, a large majority of whom have not returned.

Today, Sarajevo's population is not known clearly and is based on estimates contributed by the United Nations Statistics Division and the Federal Office of Statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, among other national and international non-profit organizations. As of June 2011, the population of the city's four municipalities is estimated to be 411,161, whereas the Sarajevo Canton population is estimated at 578,757.^[81] With an area of 1,280 square kilometres (490 sq mi), Sarajevo has a population density of about 2,173 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,630/sq mi). The Novo Sarajevo municipality is the most densely populated part of Sarajevo with about 7,524 inhabitants per square kilometre (19,490/sq mi), while the least densely populated is the Stari Grad, with 2,742 inhabitants per square kilometre (7,100/sq mi).^[82]

The war changed the ethnic and religious profile of the city. It had long been a multicultural city,^[83] and often went by the nickname of "Europe's Jerusalem".^[1] At the time of the 1991 census, 49.2 per cent of the city's population of 527,049 were Bosniaks, 29.8 percent Serbs, 10.7 percent Yugoslavs, 6.6 percent Croats and 3.6 percent other ethnicities (Jews, Romas, etc.). By 2002, 79.6 per cent of the canton's population of 401,118 were Bosniak, 11.2 percent Serb, 6.7 percent Croat and 2.5 percent others (Jews, Romas, etc.).^[84] Since its formalisation following the Dayton Agreement, the Bosniak category has been endorsed by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the ethnic or national designation of choice to replace the former "Muslim by nationality" employed by the Yugoslav government. According to academic Fran Markowitz, it is not clear, however, whether the shift in identification from Muslim to Bosniak by such large numbers of Sarajevo's residents can be primarily attributed to a successful endorsement by the state among Muslims (and maybe also those who previously identified as Yugoslavs or Ostali (others)), or if its citizens have made that switch intrinsically.^[85] Her analysis of marriage registration data shows that 67 per cent of people marrying in 2003 identified as Muslim or Bosniak, which is significantly lower than the 79.6 per cent census figure (unlike the census, where people respond to an interviewer, applicants to the marriage registry fill in the form themselves). To explain this discrepancy, Markowitz points to a number of "administrative apparatuses and public pressures that push people who might prefer to identify as flexible, multiply constituted hybrids or with one of the now unnamed minority groups into one of the three Bosniac-Croat-Serb constituent nations".^[86] These include respondents being encouraged by census interviewers to identity as belonging to one of the three constituent peoples.^[87]

Many Serbs left urban areas including Sarajevo during the conflict, but the falling number of Serbs is also partly due to the redrawing of municipal boundaries as part of the Dayton Agreement.^[88]

Due to Census 2013, Sarajevo has 291,422^[5] inhabitants while 438,443^[5] live in Sarajevo Canton. Sarajevo Metropolitan Area is home to 608,354.^[5] In comparison to Census 1991, the population decreased by 63,745 inhabitants.

<gallery mode=packed heights=135px caption="Heralded as the "European Jerusalem" due to city's diverse ethnic and religious makeup"> Tsars Mosque.jpg|Emperor's Mosque Bosnia Church.jpg|Catholic Cathedral Sacred Heart Saborna crkva u Sarajevu noću.jpg|Orthodox Cathedral Sarajevo Synagoge 03.jpg|Sarajevo Synagogue </gallery>

Transportation

Roads and highways

Sarajevo's location in a valley between mountains makes it a compact city. Narrow city streets and a lack of parking areas restrict automobile traffic but allow better pedestrian and cyclist mobility. The two main roads are Titova Ulica (Street of Marshal Tito) and the east-west Zmaj od Bosne (Dragon of Bosnia) highway (E761). Sarajevo is Bosnia's main intersection and the most passable city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the third in region. The city is connected to all the other major cities by highway or national road like Zenica, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Mostar, Goražde and Foča. Tourists from Central Europe and elsewhere visiting Dalmatia driving via Budapest through Sarajevo also contribute to the traffic congestion in and around Sarajevo. The trans-European highway, Corridor 5C, runs through Sarajevo connecting it to Budapest in the north, and Ploče at the Adriatic sea in the south.^[89] The highway is built by the government and should cost 3.5 billion Euro. Up until March 2012, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina invested around 600 million Euro in the A1. In 2014 the sections Sarajevo-Zenica and Sarajevo-Tarcin were completed including the Sarajevo Beltway ring road.

Tram, bus and trolleybus

Sarajevo's electric tramways, in operation since 1885, are the oldest form of public transportation in the city.^[90] Sarajevo had the first full-time (dawn to dusk) tram line in Europe, and the second in the world.^[16] Opened on New Year's Day in 1885, it was the testing line for the tram in Vienna and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and operated by horses. Originally built to 760 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ in) Bosnian gauge, the present system in 1960 was upgraded to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge. The trams played a pivotal role in the growth of the city in the 20th century.

There are seven tramway lines supplemented by five trolleybus lines and numerous bus routes. The main railroad station in Sarajevo is located in the north-central area of the city. From there, the tracks head west before branching off in different directions, including to industrial zones in the city. Sarajevo is currently undergoing a major infrastructure renewal; many highways and streets are being repaved, the tram system is undergoing modernization, and new bridges and roads are under construction.

Future metro plans

Sarajevo-based architect, Muzafer Osmanagić, in order to solve traffic congestion in Sarajevo, has proposed a study called "Eco Energy 2010–2015", idealizing a subway system underneath the bed of the river Miljacka. The first line of Metro Sarajevo should connect Basčarsija with Otoka. This line should cost some 150 million KM and be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.^[91]

Cable car (Mt. Trebević)

Trebević ropeway (cable car), Sarajevo’s key landmark during 1984 Winter Olympic Games, has been announced to be rebuilt by JKP GRAS Sarajevo and Sarajevo Canton as one of the new transportation systems due out in last quarter of 2016. The cable car would run from Sarajevo at Bistrik station to Trebević at Vidikovac station.^[92]

Airport

Sarajevo International Airport (IATA: SJJ), also called Butmir, is located just a few kilometers southwest of the city and was voted Best European Airport With Under 1,000,000 Passengers at the 15th Annual ACI-Europe in Munich in 2005. During the war the airport was used for UN flights and humanitarian relief. Since the Dayton Accord in 1996, the airport has welcomed a thriving commercial flight business.

In 2011 Sarajevo International Airport had 599,996 passengers which is more than all of the airports in Bosnia-Herzegovina had together and 6,5% more than in 2010. The growth rate in 2012 is expected to be around 10%.^[93]

Plans for extension of the passenger terminal, together with upgrading and expanding the taxiway and apron, are planned to start in Fall 2012. The existing terminal will be expanded by approximately 7,000 square metres.^[94] The upgraded airport will also be directly linked to the commercial retail center Sarajevo Airport Center, making it easier for tourists and travellers to spend their time before flight boarding shopping and enjoying the many amenities that will be offered.^[54] Between 2015 and 2018 the airport will be upgraded for more than 25 Million €.

Railway

Sarajevo has only two daily international connections to Zagreb and Ploče. There are also connections between Sarajevo and all major cities within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once, the East Bosnian railway connected Sarajevo to Beograd. The Sarajevo Main Railway Station is among the biggest in Europe.

• Sarajevo Railway
• 

  Sarajevo Railway Station outside

• 

  A locomotive hauled train at Sarajevo Railway Station.

• 

  Sarajevo Railway Station inside

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Sarajevo is twinned with:^[95]

Barcelona, Spain (since 2000)[95] Zagreb, Croatia (since 2001)[96][95] Ljubljana, Slovenia (since 2002)[95][97]

Salt Lake City, United States (since 2002)[95] Cairo, Egypt (since 2006)[95] Dubrovnik, Croatia (since 2006)[95]

Lillehammer, Norway (since 2006) Skopje, Macedonia (since 2006)[95][98] Konya, Turkey (since 2007)[95] Rasht, Iran (since 2008)[95]

Fraternity cities

Sarajevo's fraternity cities include:^[99]

Bursa in Turkey (since 1979)[100] Akhisar in Turkey Istanbul in Turkey (since 1997)[101][102] Ankara in Turkey (since 2007)[103] Tianjin in China (since 1981) Shanghai in China Venice in Italy (since 1994) Collegno in Italy (since 1994) Ferrara in Italy (since 1978) Naples in Italy (since 1976) Prato in Italy (since 1995) Budapest in Hungary (since 1995)[104][105]

Karlovac in Croatia Coventry in England, United Kingdom (since 1957)[106][107] Wolfsburg in Germany (since 1985) Magdeburg in Germany (since 1972)[108] Friedrichshafen in Germany (since 1972) Madrid in Spain (since 2007)[109] Barcelona in Spain (since 1986)[110] Innsbruck in Austria (since 1980) Amsterdam in the Netherlands Serre Chevalier in France (since 1995)

Skopje in Macedonia (since 2007) Stockholm in Sweden (since 1997) Tábor in Czech Republic Tirana in Albania (since 1996) Dayton in the United States (since 1999) Baku in Azerbaijan (since 1972)[111] Kuwait City in Kuwait (since 1998) Algiers in Algeria Tlemcen in Algeria (since 1964) Tripoli in Libya (since 1976)

Communications and media

As the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo is the main center of the country's media. Most of the communications and media infrastructure was destroyed during the war but reconstruction monitored by the Office of the High Representative has helped to modernize the industry as a whole.^[112] For example, internet was first made available to the city in 1995.^[113]

Oslobođenje (Liberation), founded in 1943, is Sarajevo's longest running continuously circulating newspaper and the only one to survive the war. However, this long running and trusted newspaper has fallen behind Dnevni Avaz (Daily Voice), founded in 1995, and Jutarnje Novine (Morning News) in circulation in Sarajevo.^[114] Other local periodicals include the Croatian newspaper Hrvatska riječ and the Bosnian magazine Start, as well as weekly newspapers Slobodna Bosna (Free Bosnia) and BH Dani (BH Days). Novi Plamen, a monthly magazine, is the most left-wing publication currently.

The Radiotelevision of Bosnia-Herzegovina is Sarajevo's public television station, one of three in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other stations based in the city include NRTV "Studio 99", NTV Hayat, TV 1, Open Broadcast Network, TV Kantona Sarajevo and Televizija Alfa.

The headquarters of Al Jazeera Balkans are also located in Sarajevo, with a broadcasting studio at the top of the BBI Center. The news channel covers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro and the surrounding Balkan states.^[115]

Many small independent radio stations exist, including established stations such as Radio M, Radio Stari Grad (Radio Old Town), Studentski eFM Radio,^[116] Radio 202, Radio BIR,^[117] and RSG. Radio Free Europe, as well as several American and Western European stations are available.

Education

Higher education has a long and rich tradition in Sarajevo. The first institution that can be classified as a tertiary educational institution was a school of Sufi philosophy established by Gazi Husrev-beg in 1531; numerous other religious schools have been established over time. In 1887, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a Sharia Law School began a five-year program.^[118] In the 1940s the University of Sarajevo became the city's first secular higher education institute, effectively building upon the foundations established by the Saraybosna Hanıka in 1531. In the 1950s, post-bachelor graduate degrees became available.^[119] Severely damaged during the war, it was recently rebuilt in partnership with more than 40 other universities.

There are also several international and private universities located in Sarajevo:

• Sarajevo School of Science and Technology
• International University of Sarajevo
• American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Sarajevo Graduate School of Business
• International Burch University

The University of Sarajevo is the most important institution of higher education in Bosnia-Herzegovina, having been established originally in 1531 as an Ottoman Law School, and in its modern incarnation in 1949. With 23 faculties and around 55,000 enrolled students, it ranks among the largest universities in Europe in terms of enrollment. Since the university opened its doors, 122,000 students received bachelor's degrees, 3,891 received master's degrees and 2,284 doctorate degrees in 43 different fields.^[120]

As of 2005, in Sarajevo there are 46 elementary schools (Grades 1–9) and 33 high schools (Grades 10–13), including three schools for children with special needs,^[121]

'Druga gimnazija' provides the MYP and International Baccalaureate diploma. 'Prva bošnjačka gimnazija' provides the IGCSE and GCE Advanced Level.

There are also several international schools in Sarajevo, catering to the expatriate community; some of which are Sarajevo International School and the French International School^[122] of Sarajevo, established in 1998.

Culture

Sarajevo has been home to many different religions for centuries, giving the city a range of diverse cultures. In the time of Ottoman occupation of Bosnia, Muslims, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and Sephardi Jews all shared the city while maintaining distinctive identities. They were joined during the brief occupation by Austria-Hungary by a smaller number of Germans, Hungarians, Slovaks, Czechs and Ashkenazi Jews.

Historically, Sarajevo has been home to several famous Bosnian poets, scholars, philosophers, and writers during the Ottoman Empire. To list only a very few; Nobel Prize-winner Vladimir Prelog is from the city, as is Academy Award-winning director Danis Tanović, multiple award-winning writer Aleksander Hemon and prominent multiple award-winning writer and screenwriter Zlatko Topčić. One of the region's most prolific and prominent poets, writers and screenwriters, Abdulah Sidran is also a Sarajevo native. Nobel Prize-winner Ivo Andrić attended high school in Sarajevo for two years. Sarajevo is also the home of the East West Theatre Company, the only independent theater company in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Sarajevo National Theatre is the oldest professional theater in Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been established in 1921.

Museums

The city is rich in museums, including the Museum of Sarajevo, the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Museum of Literature and Theatre Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (established in 1888) home to the Sarajevo Haggadah,^[123] an illuminated manuscript and the oldest Sephardic Jewish document in the world issued in Barcelona around 1350, containing the traditional Jewish Haggadah, is on permanent display at the museum. It is the only remaining illustrated Sephardic Haggadah in the world.^[124] The National Museum also hosts year-round exhibitions pertaining to local, regional and international culture and history, and exhibits over 5,000 artefacts from Bosnia's history.

The Alija Izetbegović Museum was opened on 19 October 2007 and is located in the old town fort, more specifically in the Vratnik Kapija towers Ploča and Širokac. The museum is a commemoration to the influence and body of work of Alija Izetbegović, the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The city also hosts the Sarajevo National Theater, established in 1919, as well as East West Theatre Company and the Sarajevo Youth Theatre. Some other cultural institutions include the Center for Sarajevo Culture, Sarajevo City Library, Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Bosniak Institute, a privately owned library and art collection focusing on Bosniak history.

Demolitions associated with the war, as well as reconstruction, destroyed several institutions and cultural or religious symbols including the Gazi Husrev-beg library, the national library, the Sarajevo Oriental Institute, and a museum dedicated to the 1984 Olympic games. Consequently, the different levels of government established strong cultural protection laws and institutions.^[125] Bodies charged with cultural preservation in Sarajevo include the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina (and their Sarajevo Canton counterpart), and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

• Museums of Sarajevo
• 

  Bosniak Institute, containing collections of the history of Bosnia and Bosniaks

• 

  Museum "Sarajevo 1878 – 1918"

• 

  Alija Izetbegović museum

• 

  Medieval tombstones around National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

• 

  Sarajevo Tunnel Museum

Music

Sarajevo is and has historically been one of the most important musical enclaves in the region. The Sarajevo school of pop rock developed in the city between 1961 and 1991. This type of music began with bands like Indexi, and singer/songwriter Kemal Monteno. It continued into the 1980s, with bands such as Plavi Orkestar, Crvena Jabuka, and Divlje Jagode, by most accounts, pioneering the regional rock and roll movement. Sarajevo was also the home and birthplace of arguably the most popular and influential Yugoslav rock band of all time, Bijelo Dugme, somewhat of a Bosnian parallel to the Rolling Stones, in both popularity and influence. Sarajevo was also the home of a very notable post-punk urban subculture known as the New Primitives, which began during the early 1980s with the Baglama Band which was banned shortly after first LP and was brought into the mainstream through bands such as Zabranjeno Pušenje and Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors, as well as the Top Lista Nadrealista radio, and later television show. Other notable bands considered to be part of this subculture are Bombaj Štampa. Besides and separately from the New Primitives, Sarajevo is the hometown to one of the most significant ex-Yugoslavian alternative industrial-noise bands, SCH (1983–current).

Perhaps more importantly, Sarajevo in the late 19th and throughout the 20th century was home to a burgeoning and large center of Sevdalinka record-making and contributed greatly to bringing this historical genre of music to the mainstream, which had for many centuries been a staple of Bosnian culture. Songwriters and musicians such as Himzo Polovina, Safet Isović, Zaim Imamović, Zehra Deović, Halid Bešlić, Hanka Paldum, Nada Mamula, Meho Puzić and many more composed and wrote some of their most important pieces in the city.

Sarajevo also greatly influenced the pop scene of Yugoslavia with musicians like Dino Merlin, Hari Mata Hari, Tifa, Kemal Monteno, Željko Bebek, and many more.

Many newer Sarajevo-based bands have also found a name and established themselves in Sarajevo, such as Regina who also had two albums out in Yugoslavia and Letu Štuke, who actually formed their band in Yugoslavia with the famous Bosnian-American writer Aleksandar Hemon and got their real breakthrough later in the 2000s. Sarajevo is now home to an important and eclectic mix of new bands and independent musicians, which continue to thrive with the ever-increasing number of festivals, creative showcases and concerts around the country. The city is also home to the region's largest jazz festival, the Sarajevo Jazz Festival (see "Festival" section below this).

Festivals

Sarajevo is internationally renowned for its eclectic and diverse selection of festivals. The Sarajevo Film Festival was established in 1995 during the Bosnian War and has become the premier and largest film festival in the Balkans and South-East Europe. The Sarajevo Winter Festival, Sarajevo Jazz Festival and Sarajevo International Music Festival are well-known, as is the Baščaršija Nights festival, a month-long showcase of local culture, music, and dance.

The Sarajevo Film Festival has been hosted at the National Theater, with screenings at the Open-air theater Metalac and the Bosnian Cultural Center, all located in downtown Sarajevo and has been attended by celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Emile Hirsch, Orlando Bloom, Daniel Craig, Danny Glover, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Steve Buscemi, Bono Vox (Bono holds dual Bosnian and Irish citizenship and is an honorary citizen of Sarajevo), Nick Cave, Coolio, Stephen Frears, Mickey Rourke, Michael Moore, Gérard Depardieu, Darren Aronofsky, Sophie Okonedo, Gillian Anderson, Kevin Spacey Willem Dafoe, Eric Cantona and many more.

In the past sixteen years, the festival has entertained people and celebrities alike, elevating it to a recognized international level. The first incarnation of the Sarajevo Film Festival was hosted in still-warring Sarajevo in 1995, and has now progressed into being the biggest and most significant festival in south-eastern Europe. A talent campus is also held during the duration of the festival, with numerous world-renowned lecturers speaking on behalf of world cinematography and holding workshops for film students from across South-Eastern Europe.^[126]

The Sarajevo Jazz Festival is the region's largest and most diverse of its kind and has been entertaining jazz connoisseurs for over ten years and has hosted such artists as Richard Bona, Biréli Lagrène, Cristina Branco, Dhafer Youssef, Bugge Wesseltoft, Dennis Chambers, Joseph Tawadros and many more. The festival takes place at the Bosnian Cultural Center (aka "Main Stage"), just down the street from the SFF, at the Sarajevo Youth Stage Theater (aka "Strange Fruits Stage"), at the Dom Vojske Federacije (aka "Solo Stage"), and at the CDA (aka "Groove Stage").

Sports

The city was the location of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Yugoslavia won one medal, a silver in men's giant slalom awarded to Jure Franko.^[130] Many of the Olympic facilities survived the war or were reconstructed, including Olympic Hall Zetra and Asim Ferhatović Stadion. After co-hosting the Southeast Europe Friendship games, Sarajevo was awarded the 2009 Special Olympic winter games,^[131] but cancelled these plans.^[132][133] The ice arena for the 1984 Olympics, Zetra Stadium, was used during the war as a temporary hospital and, later, for housing NATO troops of the IFOR.

In 2011 Sarajevo was the host city of the 51st World Military Skiing Championship with over 350 participants from 23 different nations. This was the first international event of such standing since the 1984 Olympics.^[134]

Football (soccer) is popular in Sarajevo; the city hosts FK Sarajevo and FK Željezničar, which both compete in European and international cups and tournaments and are have a very large trophy cabinet in the former Yugoslavia as well as independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other notable soccer clubs are FK Olimpik and SAŠK. Another popular sport is basketball; the basketball club KK Bosna Sarajevo won the European Championship in 1979 as well as many Yugoslav and Bosnian national championships making it one of the greatest basketball clubs in the former Yugoslavia. The chess club, Bosna Sarajevo, has been a championship team since the 1980s and is the third ranked chess club in Europe, having won four consecutive European championships in the nineties. RK Bosna also competes in the European Champions League and is considered one of the most well organised handball clubs in South-Eastern Europe with a very large fan base and excellent national, as well as international results. Sarajevo often holds international events and competitions in sports such as tennis and kickboxing.

The popularity of tennis has been picking up in recent years. Since 2003, BH Telecom Indoors is an annual tennis tournament in Sarajevo.

Since 2007, the Sarajevo Marathon is being organized in late September. Giro di Sarajevo is also run in the city with over 2,200 cyclists taking part in 2015.^[135]

In 2019, Sarajevo and East Sarajevo will host the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOWF).

Club	Sport	Leagues	Venue	Est.
Željezničar	Football	Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Grbavica Stadium	1921
Sarajevo	Football	Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Asim Ferhatović Hase	1946
Olimpik	Football	Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Otoka Stadion	1993
RK Bosna	Handball	Handball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Dvorana Mirza Delibašić	1948
KK Bosna	Basketball	Premier League of Basketball of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Dvorana Mirza Delibašić	1951
HK Bosna	Ice Hockey	Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League	Olympic Hall Zetra	1980
VK Bosna	Waterpolo	Bosnia and Herzegovina Waterpolo League	Olimpijski Bazen Otoka	1984

See also

Historical Sarajevo gallery

• 

  Sarajevo in 1897

• 

  Sarajevo 1990.

• 

  Sarajevo Tram in 1901

• 

  Sarajevo market (in 1914)

• 

  Miljacka River Sarajevo in 1914

• 

  Sarajevo Vijecnica

• 

  Sarajevo National Theatre

• 

  The Academy of Fine Arts (new look)

• 

  Latin Bridge

• 

  Ferhadija Mosque

• 

  Orthodox Cathedral

• 

  Roman Catholic Cathedral of Jesus' Heart

• 

  Sarajevo Synagogue

• 

  Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

• 

  St. Joseph Church

• 

  The Old Synagogue

• 

  Tsars Mosque

• 

  Old Jewish chapel

• 

  Sahat-kula, Old clock tower

• 

  Baščaršija, Old town in Sarajevo

• 

  Baščaršija early morning

• 

  Old town Baščaršija next to medieval ruins

• 

  Old Town cafés

• 

  Gazi Husrev-beg Bazaar "Bezistan"

• 

  Gazi Husrev-beg Medresa

• 

  Courtyard to the Baščaršija Mosque

• 

  Faculty of Islamic Studies

• 

  Ćumurija bridge and the Ban Kulin alley

• 

  Šeher-Ćehaja bridge

Modern Sarajevo gallery

• 

  Inside BBI Center

• 

  Sarajevo City Center

• 

  Hotel Europe next to medieval ruins

• 

  Bosmal City Center

• 

  UNITIC twin towers

Gifts and donations to city of Sarajevo (post-1992)

• 

  Greece–Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendship Building

• 

  King Fahd Mosque, was financed by Saudi Arabia as the largest mosque in Balkans.

• 

  Istiqlal Mosque, was a gift from Indonesian people and government.

• 

  Malaysian-Bosnian Friendship Bridge, Čengić Vila.

Mountains and hills surrounding Sarajevo

• 

  Hum Hill to North-NW

• 

  Inter-valley headlands (capes) to Northeast

• 

  Mount Trebević to Southeast

• 

  Mount Bjelašnica to Southwest

• 

  Mount Igman to Southwest

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Bollens, Scott A. (2007). Cities, Nationalism, and Democratization. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-41947-6. 
• Donia, Robert J. Sarajevo: A Biography. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press, (2006).
• Gumz, Jonathan (1998). "German Counterinsurgency Policy in Independent Croatia, 1941-1944". The Historian 61 (1): 33–50. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1998.tb01422.x. 
• Halligan, Benjamin. (2010). "Idylls of Socialism: The Sarajevo Documentary School and the Problem of the Bosnian Sub-proletariat". Studies in Eastern European Cinema (Autumn 2010). <http://usir.salford.ac.uk/11571/3/visualrecollectivisationpostcopyedit.pdf>
• Tanzer, Kim; Longoria, Rafael (11 April 2007). The Green Braid: Towards an Architecture of Ecology, Economy and Equity. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-12058-1. 
• Maniscalco, Fabio (1997). Sarajevo. Itinerari artistici perduti (Sarajevo. Artistic Itineraries Lost). Naples: Guida
• Markowitz, Fran (2007). "Census and sensibilities in Sarajevo". Comparative Studies in Society and History 49 (1): 40–73. doi:10.1017/S0010417507000400. 
• Markowitz, Fran (2010). Sarajevo: A Bosnian Kaleidoscope. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-07713-X. 
• Prstojević, Miroslav (1992). Zaboravljeno Sarajevo (Forgotten Sarajevo). Sarajevo: Ideja
• Valerijan, Žujo; Imamović, Mustafa; Ćurovac, Muhamed (1997). Sarajevo. Sarajevo: Svjetlost
• My Life in Fire (a non-fiction story of a child in a Sarajevo war)
• Mehmedinović, Semezdin (1998). Sarajevo Blues. San Francisco: City Lights.

External links

• Quotations related to Sarajevo at Wikiquote
• Media related to Sarajevo at Wikimedia Commons
• facebook page
• Sarajevo's Official Website (Bosnian)
• Chronology of the battle and siege of Sarajevo
• Sarajevo in Encyclopædia Britannica
• SARAJEVO Panorama

Sarajevo History of Sarajevo Ancient times Middle Ages Early Ottoman Late Ottoman Austria-Hungary (Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand) Yugoslav era (1984 Winter Olympics) Modern era (Siege of Sarajevo) Mayors Timeline Municipalities and neighborhoods City proper: Centar Novi Grad Novo Sarajevo Stari Grad Metro area: Ilidža Ilijaš Hadžići Vogošća Neighborhoods: Alipašino polje, Babića bašća, Baščaršija, Čengić vila, Dobrinja, Grbavica, Hrasno, Mejtaš, Marijin dvor, Otoka Buildings and landmarks Avaz Twist Tower BBI Centar Bijela Tabija Bosmal City Center Despić House Eternal flame Goat's Bridge Greek-Bosnian Friendship Building Latin Bridge Morića Han Presidency Building Sarajevo Rose Sarajevo Tunnel Sarajevo Zoo Šeher-Ćehaja Bridge Skakavac Waterfall Svrzo's House UNIS Towers Vraca Memorial Park Vrbanja bridge Vrelo Bosne Places of worship Muslim: Ali Pasha's Emperor's Ferhat-Pasha's Gazi Husrev-Bey's Istiqlal King Fahd's Catholic: Sarajevo Cathedral St. Anthony's St. Joseph's Orthodox: Serbian Orthodox Cathedral Sarajevo Old Orthodox Church Church of the Holy Transfiguration Jewish: Sarajevo Synagogue Culture Sarajevo National Theatre Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra Vijećnica Gazi Husrev-beg Library Galleries and museums Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina National Museum National Gallery Sarajevo City Museum Education Public: University of Sarajevo (Academy of Performing Arts, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Political Science, Law School, Music Academy) Private: American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina International University of Sarajevo Sarajevo School of Science and Technology Sports venues Stadiums: Koševo Stadium Grbavica Stadium Otoka Stadium Indoor arenas: Skenderija Hall Zetra Hall Transport Sarajevo Airport Sarajevo Tramway Events Baščaršija Nights Sarajevo Winter Festival Sarajevo Jazz Festival Sarajevo Film Festival

Neighborhoods of Sarajevo Stari Grad 1 Babića bašća 2 Baščaršija 3 Bistrik 4 Ferhadija 5 Hrid – Jarčedoli 6 Kovači 7 Logavina 8 Mahmutovac 9 Medrese 10 Mjedenica 11 Mošćanica 12 Sedrenik 13 Sumbuluša 14 Širokača 15 Toka–Džeka 16 Vratnik Centar 1 Bardakčije 2 Betanija – Šip 3 Breka – Koševo 2 4 Ciglane – Gorica 5 Donji Velešići 6 Džidžikovac – Koševo 1 7 Hrastovi – Mrkovići 8 Koševsko brdo 9 Marijin dvor – Crni vrh 10 Mejtaš – Bjelave 11 Park – Višnjik 12 Pionirska dolina – Nahorevo 13 Skenderija – Podtekija 14 Soukbunar 15 Trg Oslobođenja – Centar Novo Sarajevo 1 Čengić vila I 2 Čengić vila II 3 Dolac 4 Hrasno 5 Hrasno brdo 6 Gornji Kovačići 7 Gornji Velešići 8 Grbavica I 9 Grbavica II 10 Kovačići 11 Kvadrant 12 Malta 13 Pofalići I 14 Pofalići II 15 Trg Heroja 16 Velešići 17 Vraca 18 Željeznička Novi Grad 1 Ali-pašin most I 2 Ali-pašin most II 3 Ali-pašino polje A I 4 Ali-pašino polje A II 5 Ali-pašino polje B I 6 Ali-pašino polje B II 7 Ali-pašino polje C I 8 Ali-pašino polje C II 9 Aneks 10 Briješće 11 Buča potok 12 Čengić vila 13 Dobrinja A 14 Dobrinja B 15 Dobrinja C 16 Dobrinja D 17 Dobroševići 18 Dolac 19 Staro Hrasno 20 Olimpijsko selo 21 Otoka 22 Reljevo 23 Saraj-polje 24 Naselje heroja Sokolje 25 Švrakino selo I 26 Švrakino selo II 27 Švrkino selo III

Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina      Una-Sana  Central Bosnia  Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva  Tuzla  West Herzegovina  Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo  Bosnian Podrinje  Canton 10 Districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brčko distrikt Municipalities and cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital Sarajevo Municipalities and cities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cities Grad Bihać Grad Mostar Glavni grad Sarajevo Grad Široki Brijeg Grad Tuzla Grad Zenica Municipalities Banovići Bosanska Krupa Bosanski Petrovac Bosansko Grahovo Breza Bugojno Busovača Bužim Čapljina Cazin Čelić Centar, Sarajevo Čitluk Drvar Doboj East Doboj South Dobratići Domaljevac-Šamac Donji Vakuf Foča-Ustikolina Fojnica Glamoč Goražde Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Gračanica Gradačac Grude Hadžići Ilidža Ilijaš Jablanica Jajce Kakanj Kalesija Kiseljak Kladanj Ključ Konjic Kreševo Kupres Livno Ljubuški Lukavac Maglaj Neum Novi Grad, Sarajevo Novo Sarajevo Novi Travnik Odžak Olovo Orašje Pale-Prača Posušje Prozor-Rama Ravno Sanski Most Sapna Srebrenik Stari Grad, Sarajevo Stolac Teočak Tešanj Tomislavgrad Travnik Trnovo (FBiH) Usora Vareš Velika Kladuša Visoko Vitez Vogošća Zavidovići Žepče Živinice Municipalities and cities of Republika Srpska Cities Grad Banja Luka Grad Bijeljina Grad Doboj Grad Istočno Sarajevo Grad Prijedor Grad Trebinje Municipalities Berkovići Bileća Brod Bratunac Čajniče Čelinac Derventa Donji Žabar Foča Gacko Gradiška Han Pijesak Istočni Drvar Istočna Ilidža Istočni Mostar Istočni Stari Grad Istočno Novo Sarajevo Jezero Kalinovik Kneževo Kostajnica Kozarska Dubica Kotor Varoš Krupa na Uni Kupres Laktaši Ljubinje Lopare Milići Modriča Mrkonjić Grad Nevesinje Novi Grad Novo Goražde Osmaci Oštra Luka Pale Pelagićevo Petrovac Petrovo Prnjavor Ribnik Rogatica Rudo Stanari Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Teslić Trnovo Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica Vukosavlje Zvornik Brčko District Brčko

Capitals of European states and territories Capitals of dependent territories and states whose sovereignty is disputed shown in italics. Western Amsterdam, Netherlands1 Andorra la Vella, Andorra Bern, Switzerland Brussels, Belgium2 Douglas, Isle of Man (UK) Dublin, Ireland London, United Kingdom Luxembourg, Luxembourg Paris, France Saint Helier, Jersey (UK) Saint Peter Port, Guernsey (UK) Northern Copenhagen, Denmark Helsinki, Finland Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway) Mariehamn, Åland Islands (Finland) Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark) Olonkinbyen, Jan Mayen (Norway) Oslo, Norway Reykjavík, Iceland Stockholm, Sweden Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (Denmark) Central Berlin, Germany Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary Ljubljana, Slovenia Prague, Czech Republic Vaduz, Liechtenstein Vienna, Austria Warsaw, Poland Southern Ankara, Turkey3 Athens, Greece Belgrade, Serbia Bucharest, Romania Gibraltar, Gibraltar (UK) Lisbon, Portugal Madrid, Spain Monaco, Monaco Nicosia, Cyprus4 North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus4, 5 Podgorica, Montenegro Pristina, Kosovo5 Rome, Italy San Marino, San Marino Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Skopje, Macedonia Sofia, Bulgaria Tirana, Albania Valletta, Malta Vatican City, Vatican City Zagreb, Croatia Eastern Astana, Kazakhstan3 Baku, Azerbaijan3 Chișinău, Moldova Kiev, Ukraine Minsk, Belarus Moscow, Russia3 Riga, Latvia Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh4, 5 Sukhumi, Abkhazia3, 5 Tallinn, Estonia Tbilisi, Georgia3 Tiraspol, Transnistria5 Tskhinvali, South Ossetia3, 5 Vilnius, Lithuania Yerevan, Armenia4 1 Also the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 2 Also the seat of the European Union, see Institutional seats of the European Union and Brussels and the European Union 3 Transcontinental country 4 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe 5 Partially recognised country

Winter Olympic Games host cities 1924: Chamonix 1928: St. Moritz 1932: Lake Placid 1936: Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1940: none[c] 1944: none[c] 1948: St. Moritz 1952: Oslo 1956: Cortina d'Ampezzo 1960: Squaw Valley 1964: Innsbruck 1968: Grenoble 1972: Sapporo 1976: Innsbruck 1980: Lake Placid 1984: Sarajevo 1988: Calgary 1992: Albertville 1994: Lillehammer 1998: Nagano 2002: Salt Lake City 2006: Turin 2010: Vancouver 2014: Sochi 2018: Pyeongchang 2022: Beijing [c] Cancelled due to World War II

Authority control VIAF: 159404628 GND: 4077016-3 BNF: cb12121110v (data) NDL: 00628535