Several weeks ago, BH public was thrilled with the photos from Srebrenica, with sisters Bektic on horseback, in the idyllic countryside covered with snow.
Very soon, these photos became a viral hit and almost the entire region talked about magical scenes from Srebrenica and sisters Bektic, who like princesses on horseback told a different story of the city which is usually connected with tragic and sad stories.
We wrote earlier about Camka, Kadira, Fatima and Dzeneta Bektic, whose family came in the center of BH public’s attention, thanks to photographs by Ado Hasanovic. The timeless story that shows the unique and positive image of Srebrenica, the town that was marked by the past, found a place in all media, and following that story we came to more interesting one, the story that talks about the long-standing connection of family Bektic and noble horses from BiH.
The story of Emin Bektic, the father of four sisters who gained great popularity, is hiding the long-standing love for the countryside, and almost untouched nature, in which only a few people really enjoy. In 1962, Emin Bektic was one of the citizens of Srebrenica who enjoyed the nature, and even then he owned horses, with which his family got so close. He used horses as the help in the work, for pulling wood from the forest to make a living for his family.
However, the fate is often strange and Emin sold his horses in 1970’s and he went to Germany, where he worked as a miner for many years. Meanwhile, his village Jasenovo and Srebrenica were changed forever due to the tragic events that happened in the region, but his love for horses and nature grew stronger, and 18 years ago, Emin decided to return to his roots – the nature, horses, and his village of Jasenovo, 20 kilometers away from Srebrenica.
He still lives in Jasenovo with his wife and four daughters, and the horses are again his main preoccupation. Again, with these noble animals, he is making a living by pulling wood from the forest and his daughters are enjoying the idyllic rural life. They noted that the maintenance of this small herd needs 24-hour care, which later grows into a huge and sincere love because the horse becomes like a child. Of course, for all of this is needed rich history connection between men and horses, which dates back to the distant past when it comes to the family Bektic, because their grandfathers created coexistence with these noble animals.
Exactly seven years ago, Mahir Vranac, award-winning and experienced photojournalist from Visoko, spent a few days with family Bektic and made great photos of coexistence of these precious animals and the family that came to the center of the public thanks to these photographs.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)