The Healing of Sarajevo

April 16-17, 2005

I almost didn’t make it to Sarajevo but somehow I did.

The journey from Mostar to Sarajevo was an eye opener. I took the bus, coz throughout the Balkans the bus is the most reliable and efficient form of public transport. The whole country is highly mountainous with the river Neretva and its sparkling turquoise water lazed through it like a huge swollen snake. Too bad I can’t see much after that except for sleepy villages dotting the mountains coz dusk was fast approaching and it got very dark on the mountains with no street lights. The mountains loomed all around you and one passed many bridges throughout the journey.

When I finally arrived in Sarajevo after 9PM, Alden and Mehmed were waiting for me at the main bus station. They took me to the HalVat Guest House near the Bacharsije area for me to refresh, before we drove to the Park Princeva Restaurant on top of the hill for dinner. Alden enquired what I would like to eat, and having had cold and dry food minus any protein throughout Italy (except for Milano), I eagerly said MEAT..served hot! The Parc Princeva was an elegant affair..there was also a nice folk band and its view of the whole Sarajevo was spectacular. I felt so out of place in my jeans.. I regret for not changing coz didn’t want the two gentlemen to wait.. arriving at the restaurant, how I wished I had changed into something nicer!

Alden and Mehmed ordered a traditional Bosnian cold starter – with goat cheese, beef and hot buns and made me try some (pretty good :), and ordered for me veal chops with fries on the side, which they won’t try any! I ate ALL 3 slices of veal minus the fries..and Mehmed teased me to say that it is HARAM to waste good food, but I truly can’t eat any fries after finishing the veal :) I think it would be haram for me to eat the fries after I was so full.. My own fatwa, but am sure there is a Hadith somewhere that will backed me up on this! :) They sent me off for a good nite sleep and Alden arranged for a Malay girl named Nurhidayah to show me around town the next day. It seems there are a few Malay families in Sarajevo – mainly involved in civil projects to reconstruct the city, as with the case of Nurhidayah’s family. Alden considered the girl half Bosniak on the fact that she speaks perfect Bosnian!

Sarajevo, BOSNIA

Pics by Teliung

The next morning, somehow I managed to mislocate Nurhidayah. Alden must have changed the location and informed me but I was too tired to pay attention, so off course the next afternoon I was waiting at Mula Mustapha Orthodox Church, the first point mentioned, when Nurhidayah was waiting for me at the tram station right down the street of my guesthouse. I couldn’t reach anyone to find out what happened coz it seems Maxis/its partner doesn’t have proper coverage of Sarajevo (ironic that I could reached Alden from anywhere else in Europe but not Sarajevo..). So for the next hour I walked the street of Sarajevo aimlessly, visiting the morning market along the main street, and noticed that along that vicinity, places of worship of four different religions lie in close vicinity - along Mula Mustafe Basekije, the old Orthodox Church and the old Jewish synagogue, the Gazi-Husrevbey Mosque and several madrasahs in the old town and the Catholic church at Ferhadija. Finally at the end of the road, at the Park where many recent war victims and shahids were buried and memorialized, I found a newspaper kiosk that sell telephone card to make a public phone call to Alden.

Alden rescued me and took me to the quaint and scenic Barcharsije area (which I found out was just running parallel behind this street!). I tried the meat and potato burek Alden ordered for lunch..it was quite good and most importantly everything were served piping hot! He also took me to the Begova Mosque, as well the point where the Austrian crown prince got assassinated which triggered WW1, the City Hall and the Turkish-influenced scenic stalls. There's also the Morica Han now an arabic cafe along Saraci but was formerly a tavern and stable when Sarajevo was a crossroad between East and West. He also showed me the surrounding hills where Serb and Yugoslavian armies would roll bombs in used tyres to the valley that is Sarajevo where thousands of fleeing Muslims perished without a chance to save themselves. It all seemed like a nightmare and that was not too long ago.. I didn't get to see the Sarajevo roses- which are skeletal indentations where a shell exploded.


It was interesting to go through the cobbled Turkish Quarters.. some of the stalls sell souvenirs made of bombs and bullet shells.. many of the vendors are war veterans with limbs missings. I end up buying a silver coffee set from a war veteran with an arm missing..breaking my own rules of not carrying anything heavy with me. I spent the rest of the evening at the Easy Internet center which cost me only 1 euro for the whole hour with the soothing recitation of the Qur’an in the background. The proprietor, a pious muslim man was very nice to download my camera memory card and doesn’t want to accept any money. After I insisted on paying, he finally agreed to accept payment for the CD only – such a difference from eager internet operators in Italy and Spain who were more that quick to charge you at least 5 euro to download.

In the background, Mt Jahorina site of the 1984 Witner Olympics loomed, offering some of the best skiing in Europe, per Alden as cheap as 10 euro - a bargain basement price! Thruout the city, one can still find faded posters of the 1984 Olympics along with newer poster of Maya Karin coming to Sarajevo for a music festival. It is encouraging to see many little kids playing everywhere and many young people in the Bacharsijiye area. I find this a good sign indeed coz throughout Europe its hard for me to find children and young people (Europe as a whole has a huge aging population) coz for this land to heal from the war, they need their young generations to build the country.

Bacharsijiye, Sarajevo - BOSNIA

Pics by Teliung


I left Sarajevo for Zagreb and at the bus station, saw a man caught by policemen for trying to steal an old lady’s purse. At the end of the interrogation, the guy was crying to plead his case..someone mentioned he is probably a drug addict. There are probably many social problems in this war-torn region, and the public facilities are in dire need of upgrading and major funding. (Currently there are some existing fundings from the international communities- this for the fact there were 5 of us at the Guest House at breakfast and 4 are from international institutions with various fundings programs). Even then, this area is worth a visit as its distinct uniqueness set it apart from the rest of Europe and gives one a refreshing view. This is also probably the only European country I can hear the call to prayers :) When a couple I met in Slovenia was trying to decide where to head next, I without hesitation recommended them to head this way!

The future of Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka, Doboj and Bosnia i Herzegovina as a whole lies in the hand of committed individuals like Haris, Alden, Mehmed and Sedad. Educated young generation contributing to the health of this country from their expertise, whether as an architect, a banker, an economist or a telecommunication specialist. Whether they are in the country or outside, they are directly and indirectly rebuilding this beloved land of theirs, fought and torn apart by so many for so long. I wish them all the best. Amin.

Father and Daughter at Bacharsijiye, BOSNIA

Pics by Teliung