Sarajevo’s Tunnel of Life (Salvation) & Mostar, Herzevogina - Friday, 9/18/20

 The seige of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare - April 5, 1992 to February 29, 1996 (1,425 days) 

 

A tunnel was dug under the Sarajevo airport

 To this house in Ilija - a tunnel was dug to provide humanitarian aid to the people in Sarajevo. Entrance to the tunnel on left next to to the house and exit on the right a few feet from the house.

Tunnel has been filled in, but partially preserved as a museum

This mural shows some of the devastation during the seige. Also depicted is a 25-year old Bosniak woman [Bosnian Muslim] and a 24-year old man [Bosnian Serb] who were killed as they tried to flee from the besieged capital and seek a better future elsewhere.  An unknown sniper killed them on May 19, 1993, as they tried to cross one of the most dangerous front lines in the centre of Sarajevo. 

Beautiful Drive from Sarajevo to Mostar

In the city of Mostar, Stari Most (old bridge) is a rebuilt 16th century Ottoman bridge. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 1993 by Croatian forces during the Croatian-Bosnia War.  The bridge was rebuilt and opened in 2004.  The bridge is considered an exemplary piece of Balkan Islamic architecture and was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557.

Stari Most crosses the Neretva River and connects both parts of the city.

Neretva River in Mostar

More beautiful scenery in Bosnia