Beside the fact that Sarajevo was the
first city in Europe and the second city ( after San Francisco ) in the world
to have a full-time electric tram network, it is also called the „Jerusalem of
Europe“, because it is the only major European city to have a mosque, Catholic
church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighborhood.
Tonight, Sarajevo will become the center
of the world. The 23rd edition of Sarajevo Film Festival will kick off on
Friday 11 August with a number of movies, special events, numerous festival
guests, and a lot of parties, music and fun in many Sarajevo restaurants and
clubs.
The Festival has been attended by
celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom,
Daniel Craig, Morgan Freeman, Michael Moore, Gillian Anderson, Kevin Spacey,
Benicio del Toro and many others.
The Sarajevo Film Festival is hosted at
the National Theater in front of which the Festival Square and the red carpet
are located.
If you are visiting this unique
Festival, it will be a great oportunity for you to get to know Sarajevo through
its multicultural architecture, delicious food, and lot of bars and coffee
shops.
Kazandžiluk
Here is the short list of things worth
to do&visit in Sarajevo:
1.
Visit
Old Town Baščaršija
In the heart of
Sarajevo, you will find old Bazzar built in the 15th century. It is full of
narrow streets lined with shops and cafes. Don't skip Kazandžiluk Street,
filled with copper goods, where you can get the best souvenir of all time –
traditional Bosnian coffee set.
On of the
symbols of Sarajevo is Sebilj, located at the center square of Baščaršija,
known also as the pigeon square.
Sebilj
Traditional Bosnian coffee copper set
2.
Try
the local food and Bosnian coffee
The best way to
experience the Bosnian food is to start with ćevapi. It is a typical Bosnian dish
made out of minced meat with onions, served in pita bread.
The second best
meal in Sarajevo is pita. It is a pie made out of thin layered dough with
cheese, spinach, pumkin, potatoes or minced meat inside.
Bosnian coffee
is really strong, and very similar to Turkish coffee. Combined with a fancy
dessert such is tufahija or baklava, it can be a really nice treat.
If you have enough
time, don't miss a chance to visit many small and very sweet Old Town's coffee/tea
shops such as Miris dunja, Dibek and Tee House Džirlo.
Ćevapi
Tufahija
3.
Visit
The Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque
The Gazi
Husrev-bey Mosque was built in 1532 by a famous Ottoman architect Acem Esir
Ali. It was the first mosque in the world to receive electricity in 1898 and is
one of the most representative Ottoman buildings in Bosnia.
Gazi Husrev-begova džamija
4.
Visit
Vijećnica
Vijećnica was
constructed in 1892-94 and was built to house the cities local officials and
administrative staff. The City Hall was turned into a National library towards
the end of World War 2, and remains the biggest and the most representative building
from the Austro-Hungarian period in Sarajevo.
Before its
destruction on the 25 August 1992 during civil war, the library held 1.5
million volumes and over 155,00 rare books and manuscripts. The majority of the
books could not be saved from the flames.
Twenty years
after it went down in flames, Vijećnica was re-opened to the public.
Vijećnica
5.
See
the city up from the hill
Don't miss a
chance to go to Yellow Fortress ( Žuta Tabija ) up on the hill above Baščaršija
and Vijećnica. It offers stunning view of the city and surrounding mountains.
There is a
really sweet coffee shop right next to the Fortress called Kamarija Point ofView, where you can have a hot or cold beverage and enjoy the view.
Žuta tabija
6.
Visit
the War Tunnel
The siege of
Sarajevo lasted over three years. The city was cut off from the rest of the
country, and the war tunnel was constructed as the only way to get to the other
side of the airport, in that time overseen by the UN forces.
After the war
ended, the tunnel was re-decorated into a museum as a great reminder of the
perservance of Sarajevo people during the war.
