Mostar's Old Stone Bridge

(12) Comments

11 June 2009 | 00:00

In 1987 while filming a travel program for SBS in the former Yugoslavia we travelled to the town of Mostar in the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was summer and I recall one of the most wondrous views I'd ever seen, the famous old stone bridge spanning the Neretva River and linking the two parts of the town. It looked like a fairytale film set. A few years later that unique old bridge lay in ruins at the bottom of the Neretva.

As it turned out it was the Catholic faction of Mostar who destroyed it. Why? Much has been written about the religious and ethnic conflict which tore apart that part of the world where Catholic, Moslem and even Orthodox religions had hitherto co-existed peacefully for generations. As nationalism reared its ugly head scapegoats had to be found.

While some Serbs and Croats still argue whether the Bosniaks were originally one of theirs before converting to Islam under Ottoman rule during the 15th century, the scapegoat in Bosnia-Herzegovina became anything connected to its Turkish past, as it was the Moslem Bosniaks who wanted to secede from the Yugoslav Federation. And Mostar was a living, breathing example of Turkish architecture with its houses, mosques and minarets. Here it has to be said that Catholic and Orthodox churches and monasteries were built alongside the mosques. The Old Stone Bridge was a symbol not only of unity but it was also the most celebrated icon of its Turkish past.

The Stari Most (Old Bridge) was built in 1566 (or 974 in the Islamic calendar) by Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin. He was a pupil of Sinan, the Ottoman Empire's greatest architect. Hayruddin designed the stone arch in a steep curve. He lived in dread as the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, had sworn to execute Hayruddin if the bridge collapsed when its wooden supports were removed. Fortunately for him, the bridge held!

The bridge stood for 427 years until it was destroyed on November 9, 1993 during the Bosnian War. Slobodan Praljak, commander of the Croatian Defence Council is currently on trial at the International Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslvia in The Hague. Among other charges, he stands accused of ordering the destruction of the bridge.

Through the goodwill of nations and generous donations worldwide the ruins of the bridge were recovered and a new bridge was rebuilt to replace the old one. It was a major restoration project because Hayruddin left no construction plans.

The day finally arrived when the new, Old Bridge was unveiled, amidst tight security, on July 23, 2004. Together with the rebuilt town of Mostar it made its way on UNESCO's List of the World's Heritage. Whether the bridge becomes a symbol of harmony and unity once again remains to be seen.