Have you ever wondered how the Sarajevo beauty – “Inat kuca“ got its name? When the Austro-Hungarian monarchy came to power in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it built numerous buildings such as the Post Office, the National Museum, the Faculty of Law etc. But, when they started with the construction of the City Hall, they encountered the defiance and stubbornness of a courageous Bosnian man.
The location for the construction of the City Hall was on the right bank of the river Miljacka. The ruling monarchy wanted to construct a building as never before seen in Sarajevo in order to show citizens its power. The construction of the City Hall envisaged the demolition of surrounding houses including the one of old Benderija, native of Sarajevo. He didn’t allow them to demolish his house because that house was his spiritual peace. After long negotiations, the stubborn old man asked the Monarchy to pay him a bag of gold coins and to move his house to the other bank of Miljacka, brick by brick, stone by stone.
/They had no choice but to do as he asked. Since then, Benderija’s house was named “Inat kuca“ after his spite. As is stated on the official page of “Inat kuca“, it is still there to defy all governments and it symbolizes Bosnian spite.
In 1997, “Inat kuca“ was transformed into a traditional Bosnian restaurant.
Spite and stubbornness are common characteristics of Sarajevans. Many things here are done exclusively out of spite. It is probably one of the reasons why we live here and, like Benderija, watch the Miljacka and admire it as somebody may admire the Thames, the Seine or the Nile.
“Inat kuca“ and the City Hall are connected with the Seher – Cehaja bridge, the first stone bridge in Sarajevo. Originally, it had five arches and one of them was walled in the regulation of the bank of Miljacka. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century by the Mayor of Sarajevo (Seher – Cehaja) after who it was named. It was built harmoniously of travertine and is one of the masterpieces of former architecture. Many stories are connected to it, and this bridge gained special importance with the construction of the City Hall on one bank and the removal of “Inat kuca“ to the other bank.
