There are probably prettier cities than Sarajevo, but there isn’t a single place that in so many different ways inspires so many people, cultures and civilizations as Sarajevo does. With this heritage, association ”Klepsidra” which works on protection of culture of Sarajevo founded the award ”Isa Beg Ishaković”.
Steering committee for award ”Isa Beg Ishaković” decided that in 2013 the award will given under motto: Sarajevo- Jerusalem of Europe.
”In first week of February, 551 years ago, Isa beg Ishaković’s waqf was founded, and since then this city has not closed its door to anyone, from Spanish Jews to various other European travellers , artists who hid in Sarajevo from prosecution based on ideology, culture or politics. And so, only in this part of Europe, in single place no larger than smaller European plaza, Muslims, Jews and Christians live here more than six centuries”, said Amel Suljović, president of Association ”Klepsidra” and added: ”Of course, it was because BiH was not based on religion or nation, not even in time when the basic motto of Europe was Cuius regio eius religio(“Whose realm, his religion”).
In this city Jews never lived in a ghetto, like elsewhere in Europe, and that’s why this city, the city of our ancestors, bears the name: Jerusalem of Europe.
On suggestion of David Kamhi whose family in 1511 found their refugee in Bistrik, Steering Committee of the Award decided that this year’s “Isa beg Ishaković” will be awarded under motto ”Sarajevo- Jerusalem of Europe”.
