A concert by the Symphony Orchestra of Mostar and the program the “Bridge embracing the coasts”, under the Old Bridge, was part of the marking of the 10th anniversary of entry of the Old Bridge and the old town of Mostar on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
“The cultural heritage is the identifying element of every city, making it different from all the others. This is what is making it unique. I cannot remember a city that has such a distinctive landmark in the whole world such as the Old Town with the Old Bridge in Mostar. It represents the hope and a symbol of reconciliation,” said the mayor of Mostar, Ljubo Bešlić on the occasion.
Speaking about the reconstruction of the Old Bridge, Bešlić said that the act was much more than simple physical connection of two shores of beautiful Neretva River with stone arch, and he thanked all the individuals, institutions, countries, national and international organizations that participated in this act.
“Tonight we are gathered here, below the Old Bridge, in order to officially mark the event, which will be written in the history of Mostar and B&H with the golden letters. There are many reasons for such an assessment, but primarily because it was the first monument from B&H which entered on the UNESCO’s list. Keeping in mind the current political moment, it seems quite appropriate to say that this project has shown to everyone in B&H that we can build a better future for ourselves, if we want it and when we want it, “said the mayor of Mostar.
Director of the UNESCO, Irina Bokova, said that Mostar is a strong symbol of what can be done when the people unite.
“This city incorporates the reality that Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims and Jews can live peacefully together. It shows the power of culture to build bridges between different communities and show that diversity can be a reason for development,” said Bokova.
She added that she absolutely supports the authorities of B&H in their efforts to convert their diversities into power, the power of peace.
“This message must be strong, especially in these turbulent times, when diversities are under the attack in several countries, when cultural heritage is intentionally destroyed, and when the people are being prosecuted due to their cultural or religious origin,” said the director of UNESCO.
According to her, we can never forget the 9th of November 1993 when the Old Bridge was destroyed, but the memory of it should not darken its reconstruction and the opening ceremony in July 2005.
“At the moment, learning from the example of Mostar, UNESCO is finalizing the restoration of 14 mausoleums in Timbuktu, Mali. This is the best answer to extremism,” stated the first woman of UNESCO.
“There are many other similar activities and we must use them because there is still a lot of work to be done. In 2011, I started a global initiative “Culture – a Bridge to development”, which is inspired by Mostar, and within which we want to put creativity and heritage on the service of development “said Bokova.
On this occasion, the annual reward of the Mostar’s Center for Peace and Multiethnic Co-operation was awarded to the Director of UNESCO.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
