The next day we headed into the heart of the old town. Mostar's history of course extends far back in time from evidence of human habitation in pre-history to the formation of the town around the 'Mostari' or gate keepers who protected 'Stari Most' the ancient bridge used as a trade route. Under Ottoman rule the original wooden bridge was built in stone and was one of the most important structures from this era. It is sad that with this rich history,the most prevalent part seen today is the Croat-Bosniak War which held Mostar under an 18th month siege and left the city devastated.
One of my favourite things we did in Mostar was to visit a photography exhibition showing photos from the war.It seems crazy to me that something as recent and monumental as the Bosnian War isn't taught or even really mentioned at school. As such I have to unfortunately admit I came to Eastern Europe with only the vague idea that a war had occurred but not the knowledge that it took place so recently as the 1990s and nor the scale of conflict. I had imaged it as perhaps short skirmishes and fighting, I had no idea it was an explosive war that created a conflict between numerous countries. It was interesting to talk to my parents later and realize that for them and the world at the time it was an extremely shocking event.
This photography collection really brought the conflict to life for me and gave me a better idea of what it was like.
Seeing these kids dressed in typical nineties clothes and hairstyles surrounded by destruction was oddly jarring for me, as it was far less removed from me than the usual stark photos of war provided by World War I and II. I was surprised to learn the photographer behind this gallery was in fact a New Zealander! Turning up in former Yugoslavia to try photojournalism with no former experience, he soon found himself in the middle of a war zone which he then set about spending the next few years of his life documenting.
For all that it was shelled horribly during the siege of Mostar, beautiful old buildings still survived, and it remains a lovely old town to this day. After admiring the view we decided it was lunchtime and wandered in the beating sun for a time, finally settling on Burek - a type of filled pastry found all over Eastern Europe however in my opinion arguably the best right here in Mostar.
The bridge of Mostar was the one thing I had been looking forward to above all else. One of the most famous architectural structures in history and considered a modern wonder in its day - in the 17th century one traveler described it as 'a rainbow arch soaring up to the skies' - it looked spectacular arching elegantly over the water. However it wasn't until this moment that I discovered it had in fact (in a moment which shocked the world) been blown up in the 9th November 1993 by Croat forces after standing for 427 years. Although extremely depressing, It has been beautifully reconstructed, a testament to Mostar's enduring spirit.
And of course I fulfilled my goal and finally not only saw it, but had Yannick document my victorious moment!
No comments:
Post a Comment