THE first thing I noticed was the cobblestones paving the street around the Old Town.
They were very different from those in other European countries. At first, I found it painful to walk on them until our guide stopped, stooped down and began explaining their story. Locally, these stones are called “kaldrma”. During the reconstruction of the bridge, several kinds of mortars were used to build them. This style of construction needed to prevent water penetration into the elements of the bridge and it also had to make crossing the bridge easier for merchants with their animals.
Fast forward to the Mostar of today. In this southern city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hordes of unprepared tourists (like me) almost turned back upon seeing the arched walkway. Aggravated by the fact that it was windy and raining, the Bridge Area was very steep and incredibly slippery. If one attempted to cross wearing stilettos, it would be a death wish.
Stari Most (Old Bridge) is the most famous landmark in this city and just recently, Unesco expanded its inscription to the area surrounding this bridge. Originally a 16th century Ottoman Bridge commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent, it crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. When it was completed back then, it was the widest man-made arch in the world.
It stood proudly for 427 years until it was destroyed in 1993 by Croat military forces during the Croat-Bosniak War. More than 60 shells hit the bridge until it collapsed; I remember seeing footages of this war just as cable TV began to emerge in Cebu, and back then, I would never have imagined I would one day find myself in Mostar. After the end of the war, a coalition comprised of Unesco and the World Bank among others, with financial help from other countries, began to oversee its reconstruction in 2001. It took three years and cost US$15 million.
One of the pleasant surprises for me in Mostar was the Turkish style market (Old Bazar Kujundziluk). It was a colorful maze of small artisan shops, galleries, coffee shops, souvenir booths and rows of street food that was dazzling to the senses. The whole area itself was very clean, well organized and I loved the fact that there was no pressure selling. The merchants were gracious enough to help you when you asked, but they let you browse freely, giving you space. I highly recommend spending a few hours there.
Our guide also took us to the Turkish House, a perfectly preserved late 16th century nobleman’s mansion built behind high walls, tucked away in one corner of a quiet street to protect the women of the family from unwanted attention. Again, what caught my eye were the pebbled circular patterns in the courtyard’s garden, a precious remnant of a golden age that put so much attention and care to details in every aspect of one’s home. Mostar is a must-visit, its treasures a must-see.