A full 19 years have passed since the Old Bridge in Mostar shone with its full glory and connected the banks of the Neretva for the second time. The opening of the restored Old Bridge was attended by a large number of guests from around the world, as many as 56 foreign delegations, and the then chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sulejman Tihić, said that the restoration was also a victory for peace and coexistence in Mostar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The event on the plateau under the bridge was followed by more than 500 accredited journalists. The reconstruction initiative was initiated immediately after the end of the war by the then mayor of Mostar, Safet Oručević.
Support for the reconstruction soon arrived from other countries of the world. With the help of the American administration, donations for construction were delivered by France, the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, the Aga Khan Foundation, Irsica, the Word monument fund and other institutions and individuals.
The project was taken over by the World Bank and UNESCO in partnership with the City of Mostar. Maja Popovac, a young architect from Mostar, played an important role in the renovation. It was, as she says, a turning point in her professional career.
“A big project and a big team of people. Every new day was a new school for me. When it comes to the work itself, bridges have been my focus since then. Mostar today has a monument that half the world wants to see, touch and step on. Despite human malice, the bridge meant a brighter future for our children and for us,” said Popovac.
A year after the restoration, the bridge was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. The old bridge was built according to the designs of the Turkish architect Mimar Hajrudin between 1557 and 1566. It was demolished on November 9, 1993 by shells fired from the position of the Croatian Defense Council.
Recently, the Mostar Peace Center published footage of shelling from HVO positions.
Tonight, the Center for Peace will symbolically send a congratulatory message and a message of gratitude to everyone who contributed and took part in the restoration of the bridge by jumping from the beautiful arch with torches at exactly 10 p.m.
