Through the history the whole region of Bosnia and Herzegovina was under several cultural influences which created a unique blend of differences.
Today this country still has notable cultural and architectural remains of the Ottoman period.
The Islamic Ottoman Empire era of rule in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region lasted from 1463/1482 to 1878.
The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a process that started roughly in 1384, when the first Ottoman attacks on the Kingdom of Bosnia took place. Herzegovina fell to the Ottomans in 1482. It took another century for the western parts of today’s Bosnia to succumb to Ottoman attacks, ending with the capture of Bihać in 1592.
The most famous and notable example of Ottoman expertise and knowledge is the Old Bridge. Â The city of Mostar is worldwide known for the many bridges and its name derives from the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva.
The Old Bridge was built in 1566. and since then this town became an important strategic place and the base for Ottomans to conquer the rest of Balkan area. The bridge had to be established with the bridge towers while the pathways were made of cobblestones. In case you have missed it, see our post Kaldrma, the cobblestone pathways spreading through Mostar.
In case you have missed it, read previous article – Six interesting facts about the Old Bridge.
Also there are other notable examples of Islamic architecture.
The Hamam Museum in Mostar is a one of a kind Turkish bath and a unique example of this kind of monumental construction. During the Ottoman rule in Herzegovina, the use of public baths (hammam) was common practice.
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