The anniversary of the destruction of the Old Bridge will traditionally be marked today at the exact time when the recognizable arch of the Old Bridge crashed into Neretva River back in 1993.
The marking of the 24th anniversary of the destruction of the symbol of Mostar on the Old Bridge last year gathered all the generations of jumpers and champions, including Lorens Listo, Mirsad Deda Pasic, Emir Balic and Benaid Kalajdzic.
After 25 years, the tragic event in Mostar still represents a painful topic for all those who have seen the horrible scene and those who learned about it through the media.
The famous Mostar jumper Benaid Kalajdzic recalled that he had an interview on the Old Bridge just half an hour before the tragic event occurred and he even saw the first grenades.
He saw the grenades falling and said that it is a scene that he will never forget. He described the Old Bridge as an old man who was standing in one place for years without disturbing anyone and painfully suffered for two days of severe wounding until his final fall.
One of the best jumpers from the Old Bridge Mirsad Deda Pasic said that the Old Bridge has always been part of him and that the pain he felt when he saw his fall will never completely disappear.
The Old Bridge was the work of Turkish architect Hajrudin, who built it at the order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the period between 1557 and 1566.
The reconstruction of the Old Bridge together with the preparations lasted for almost seven years, and the value of its construction amounted to a total of 13.5 million USD. The money for the construction was raised through the loan from the World Bank, as well as donations from Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and Croatia.
