Two decades after the end of the war, Sarajevo rose from its bloody past.
“The first thing that caught my eye was the relief of this city. Surrounded by high mountains, located next to the river, Sarajevo is a city where architectures of East and West meet”, wrote the journalist Anthea Gerrie for the British Independent, and stressed her fascination with the rich heritage of two great empires, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian, which makes Sarajevo one of the most beautiful cities of Europe.
Observing that beauty, she could not avoid noting the shell holes and damaged buildings that testify to the horrors which the residents of this city experienced 20 years ago. She stated that Sarajevo moved forward, as evidenced by the newly constructed glass buildings, but also that the traces of the bloody past are still present.
“Sarajevo experienced its first golden age at the time of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th century, as evidenced by Bascarsija, the biggest attraction of this city. This is a place that has impressive mosques, from which only a few meters away are just as beautiful Orthodox churches, Catholic cathedrals and synagogues”, she wrote.
She added that Sarajevo attracts numerous tourists in the post – war period. Majority of them, in addition to visiting the attractive buildings and enjoying the good food, have a desire to learn as much as possible about the siege of this city as well.
“The second most popular attraction in Sarajevo is the remainder of the tunnel under the airport runway”, wrote Gerrie and recalled that it was the lifeline of the besieged city.
A tour of the tunnel and getting to know people who survived the siege was an extraordinary experience for Gerrie. She learned firsthand what life was like in the building which is located at the border area towards the airport from conversations with Sanela, the girl whom she visited.
“Running down the stairs from the eighth floor of the building to the basement, where they had to hide during the shelling, is the beginning of the story with which Sanela tried to evoke the horror of life, which becomes even more terrible when she witnessed the death of her best friend at the age of eleven, because they went out in front of the building to take some air for a couple of minutes”, Gerrie pointed out, adding that Sanela’s tragedy continues when the teacher, who tried to continue with the commenced school work with the children, was hit by a sniper.
“The hardest for Sanela was when her mother went by foot to the center of the city to get milk for the baby. She walked for more than two hours in one direction, and when returning home, she was hit by sniper shot”, Gerrie said.
However, she emphasized that, 20 years after the war, Sarajevo is being constructed, buildings are being restored, new buildings are being built, which brings along new optimism.
“Tourists are arriving and admiring. The Sarajevo Film Festival attracts more and more guests every year. There is no doubt, Sarajevo is a city whose attraction increases year after year”, the journalist concluded, adding that the strong tourist potential of Sarajevo might represent an economic salvation and the resolution to the problem of unemployment.
(Source: faktor.ba)
