Mostar

Mostar(Serbian Cyrillic:Мостар,pronounced[mǒstaːr]) is a city and the administrative centre ofHerzegovina-Neretva Cantonof theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity ofBosnia and Herzegovina,and the historical capital ofHerzegovina.
Mostar is situated on theNeretva Riverand is the fifth-largest city in the country.Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who guarded theStari Most(Old Bridge) over the Neretva during theOttomanera.The Old Bridge, aUNESCO World Heritage Site,commissioned bySuleiman the Magnificentin the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's most visited landmarks, and is considered an exemplary piece ofIslamic architecturein theBalkans.
Human settlements on the river Neretva, betweenMount Humand theVelež Mountain, have existed since prehistory, as witnessed by discoveries of fortified enceintes and cemeteries. Evidence ofRomanoccupation was discovered beneath the present town.
As far as medieval Mostar goes, although the Christian basilicas of late antiquity remained in use, few historical sources were preserved and not much is known about this period. The name of Mostar was first mentioned in a document dating from 1474, taking its name from the bridge-keepers (mostari); this refers to the existence of a wooden bridge from the market on the left bank of the river which was used by traders, soldiers, and other travelers. During this time it was also the seat of akadiluk(district with a regional judge). Since Mostar was on the trade route between theAdriaticand the mineral-rich regions ofcentral Bosnia, the settlement began to spread to the right bank of the river.
Prior to 1474 the names of two towns appear in medieval historical sources, along with their later medieval territories and properties – the towns of Nebojša and Cimski grad. In the early 15th century the county (župa) of Večenike covered the site of the present-day Mostar along the right bank of the Neretva, including the sites of Zahum,Cim,Ilići,RaštaniandVojno. It was at the center of this area, which in 1408 belonged toRadivojević, who built Cim Fort (prior to 1443). Mostar is indirectly referred to in a 1454 charter of KingAlfonso V of AragonasPons("bridge"), for a bridge had already been built there. Prior to 1444, the Nebojša Tower was built on the left bank of the Neretva, which belonged to the late medieval county still known as Večenike or Večerić.The earliest documentary reference to Mostar as a settlement dates from 3 April 1452, whenRagusansfromDubrovnikwrote to their fellow countrymen in the service of Serbian DespotĐorđe Brankovićto say thatVladislav Hercegovićhad turned against his fatherStjepanand occupied the town ofBlagajand other places, including“Duo Castelli al ponte de Neretua.”.
In 1468 the region came under the rule of theOttoman Empireand theurbanizationof the settlement began. It was namedKöprühisar, meaning fortress at the bridge, at the centre of which was a cluster of 15 houses. The town was organized into two distinct areas:čaršija, the crafts and commercial centre of the settlement, andmahalaor a residential area.
The town was fortified between the years 1520 and 1566, and the wooden bridge rebuilt in stone.In 1519 (Hijri925) the settlement was recorded as a castle and both as Mostar and as Köprühisar and it was inhabited by Muslims and Christians. It had four Muslim households and 85 Christian households.The stone bridge, theOld Bridge(Stari most), was erected in 1566 on the orders of SultanSuleiman the Magnificentand at 28 m (92 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft) high, quickly became a wonder in its own time. Later becoming the city's symbol, the Old Bridge was designed byMimar Hayruddin,a student and apprentice of Ottoman architectMimar Sinan. In the late 16th century, Köprühisar was one of the towns of theSanjak of Herzegovina. In the 17th century, Turkish traveler and authorEvliya Çelebiwrote of the bridge thus:
The first church in the city of Mostar, aSerbian Orthodox Church, was built in 1834 during Ottoman rule.
Austria-Hungarytookcontrol over Bosnia and Herzegovinain 1878 and ruled the region until theaftermath of World War Iin 1918, when it became part of theState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbsand thenYugoslavia. During this period, Mostar was the main urban centre ofHerzegovina.In 1881, the town became the seat of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Mostar-Duvnoand, in 1939, it became a part of theBanovina of Croatia. DuringWorld War II, Mostar was annexed into theNazi Germanfascistpuppet state, theIndependent State of Croatia.
During the period of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878–1918), Mostar's city council cooperated with the Austro-Hungarian administration to implement sweeping reforms in city planning: broad avenues and an urban grid were imposed on the western bank of the Neretva, and significant investments were made in infrastructure, communications and housing. City administrators likeMustafa Mujaga Komadinawere central players in these transformations, which facilitated growth and linked the eastern and western banks of the city. Noteworthy examples of Austro-Hungarian architecture includeHotel Neretva, the Municipality building, which was designed by the architectJosip VancašfromSarajevo, residential districts around the Rondo, andGimnazija Mostarfrom 1902 designed byFrantišek Blažek.
After World War II, Mostar developed industries producingplastics,tobacco,bauxite,wine,aircraftandaluminium. Severaldams(Grabovica,Salakovac,Mostar) were built in the region to harness thehydroelectric powerof the Neretva. The city was a major industrial and tourist center and prospered economically during the time of theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Between 1948 and 1974 the industrial base was expanded with construction of ametal-workingfactory,cotton textile mills, and an aluminum plant. Skilled workers, both men and women, entered the work force and the social and demographic profile of the city was broadened dramatically; between 1945 and 1980, Mostar's population grew from 18,000 to 100,000.
Because Mostar's eastern bank was burdened by inadequate infrastructure, the city expanded on the western bank with the construction of large residential blocks. Local architects favored an austeremodernistaesthetic, prefabrication and repetitive modules. Commercial buildings in thefunctionaliststyle appeared on the historic eastern side of the city as well, replacing more intimate timber constructions that had survived since Ottoman times. In the 1970s and 1980s, a healthy local economy fueled by foreign investment spurred recognition and conservation of the city's cultural heritage. An economically sustainable plan to preserve the old town of Mostar was implemented by the municipality, which drew thousands of tourists from the Adriatic coast and invigorated the economy of the city. The results of this ten-year project earned Mostar anAga Khan Award for Architecturein 1986.
According to the1991 census, Mostar had 127,000 inhabitants with roughly an equal number ofBosniaks(34.6%) andCroats(34%), 18.8%Serbs, and 13.6% of those who declared themselvesYugoslavsor Others.
After Bosnia and Herzegovina declaredindependencefrom Yugoslavia in April 1992, the town wasbesiegedby theYugoslav People's Army(JNA), following clashes between the JNA and Croat forces. The Croats were organized into theCroatian Defence Council(HVO)and were joined by a sizable number of Bosniaks.The JNA artillery periodically shelled neighbourhoods outside of their control from early April.
On 7 June theCroatian Army(HV) launched an offensive code namedOperation Jackal, the objective of which was to relieve Mostar and break the JNAsiege of Dubrovnik. The offensive was supported by the HVO, which attacked theArmy of Republika Srpska(VRS) positions around Mostar. By 12 June the HVO secured the western part of the city and by 21 June the VRS was completely pushed out from the eastern part. Numerous religious buildings and most of the city's bridges were destroyed or severely damaged during the fighting.Among them were theCatholicCathedral of Mary, Mother of the Church, theFranciscanChurch and Monastery, the Bishop's Palace and 12 out of 14 mosques in the city. After the VRS was pushed from the city, theSerbian OrthodoxŽitomislić Monasteryand theCathedral of the Holy Trinitywere demolished.
Throughout late 1992, tensions between Croats and Bosniaks increased in Mostar. In early 1993 theCroat–Bosniak Warescalated and by mid-April 1993 Mostar had become a divided city with the western part dominated by HVO forces and the eastern part controlled by theArmy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina(ARBiH).Fighting broke out in May when both sides of the city came under intense artillery fire.The city was divided along ethnic lines, with a number of offensives taking place, resulting in a series of stalemates.The Croat–Bosniak conflict ended with the signing of theWashington Agreementin 1994, and the Bosnian War ended with theDayton Agreementin 1995. Around 2,000 people died in Mostar during the war.
Two wars (Serb forces versus Bosniak and Croatian and Croat-Bosniak war) left Mostar physically devastated and ethno-territorially divided between a Croat-majority west bank (with ca. 55,000 residents) and a Bosniak-majority old City and east bank (with ca. 50,000 residents), with the frontline running parallel to the Neretva River. Most Serbs had fled the city.
Since the end of the wider war in 1995, great progress has been made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar under theEuropean Union Administration of the City of Mostar(EUAM).Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.
A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge, which was destroyed during theBosnian Warby HVO, to the original design, and restore surrounding structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by spring 2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated bySpain(who had a sizable contingent of peacekeeping troops stationed in the surrounding area during the conflict), theUnited States,Turkey,Italy, theNetherlands, andCroatia. A grand opening was held on 23 July 2004 under heavy security.
In parallel, theAga Khan Trust for Cultureand theWorld Monuments Fund, with funding provided by theWorld Bank, undertook a five-year-long restoration and rehabilitation effort to regenerate the most significant areas of historic Mostar, and particularly the urban tissue around the Old Bridge. Also in July 2004, the Stari Grad Agency was launched to operate and maintain the restored buildings, including the Old Bridge complex, and promote Mostar as a cultural and tourist destination.
In July 2005,UNESCOinscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto theWorld Heritage List.
International reconstruction efforts also aimed at the reunification of the divided city. The February 1996 Mostar Agreement led to the adoption of the Interim Statute of the city the same month, and to a 1-year period of EUAM, headed by formerBremenmayorHans Koschnick, until early 1997.
After six years of implementation, in 2003OHRPaddy Ashdownestablished an "international commission for reforming Mostar", whose final report noted how the HDZ/SDA power-sharing in Mostar had entrenched division and corruption, with "rampant parallelism" in administrative structures and usurpation of power by the municipalities over the City.A new Statute was negotiated, and finally imposed in February 2004 byOHRPaddy Ashdown.
In November 2010, theConstitutional Courtstruck down as discriminatory the electoral framework for Mostar. The Bosniak and Croat ruling parties were unable, however, to reach a new compromise. Lacking a legal basis, local elections could not take place in Mostar in2012and2016, and outgoing mayorLjubo Bešlić(HDZ BiH) remained in office as the only person authorised to allocate the city budget on an emergency basis. Almost a decade without administration led to a decline in service provision, including trash collection. In October 2019Irma Baralijawon a case against Bosnia and Herzegovina at theEuropean Court of Human Rightsfor the lack of elections in Mostar. Finally, a political deal, agreed under international mediation in June 2020, enabled legislative amendments in July 2020 and the conduct of the vote in Mostar on 20 December 2020.
Mostar has architecturally noteworthy buildings in a wide range of styles.Historicistarchitectural styles reflectedcosmopolitaninterest and exposure to foreign aesthetic trends and were artfully merged with indigenous styles.Examples include the Italianate Franciscan church, the OttomanMuslibegovića house, the DalmatianĆorović Houseand anOrthodox churchwhich was built as gift from the Sultan.
The Ottomans used monumental architecture to affirm, extend and consolidate their colonial holdings. Administrators and bureaucrats – many of them indigenous people who converted from Christianity toIslam– foundedmosquecomplexes that generally includedKoranicschools, soup kitchens or markets.
Out of the thirteen original mosques dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, seven have been lost during the 20th century for ideological reasons or by bombardment. One of the two 19th-century Orthodox churches has also disappeared, while the early 20th-centurysynagogue, after suffering severe damage in theWorld War II, has been converted into a theatre. Several Ottoman inns also survived, along with other buildings from this period of Mostar's history, such as fountains and schools.
The majority of administrative buildings are from the Austro-Hungarian period and haveneoclassicalandSecessionistcharacteristics. A number of surviving late Ottoman houses demonstrate the component features of this form of domestic architecture – upper storey for residential use, hall, paved courtyard, and veranda on one or two storeys. The later 19th-century residential houses are predominantly in neoclassical style.
A number of early trading and craft buildings still exist, notably some low shops in wood or stone, stone storehouses, and a group of former tanneries round an open courtyard. Once again, the 19th-century commercial buildings are predominantly neoclassical. A number of elements of the early fortifications are visible, namely the Hercegusa Tower dating from the medieval period. By contrast, the Ottoman defence edifices are represented by the Halebinovka and Tara Towers – the watchtowers on the ends of the Old Bridge, and a stretch of the ramparts.
The oldest single arch stone bridge in Mostar, theKriva Cuprija ("Sloping Bridge"), was built in 1558 by the Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. It is said that this was to be a test before the major construction of the Stari Most began. The Old Bridge was completed in 1566 and was hailed as one of the greatest architectural achievements in the Ottoman  [Balkans]]. The single-arch stone bridge is an exact replica of the original bridge that stood for over 400 years and that was designed by Hajrudin, a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. It spans 28.7 m (94 ft) of the Neretva river, 21 m (69 ft) above the summer water level. The Halebija and Tara towers have always housed the guardians of the bridge and during Ottoman times were also used as storehouses for ammunition. The arch is a perfect semicircle 8.56 m (28.1 ft) in width and 4.15 m (13.6 ft) in height. The frontage and vault are made of regular stone cubes incorporated into the horizontal layers all along the vault. The space between vault, frontal walls and footpath is filled with cracked stone. The bridge footpath and the approaching roads are paved with cobblestones, as are the main roads in the town. Stone steps enable people to ascend to the bridge from either side. During the armed conflict between Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats in the Bosnian War in the 1990s, thebridgewas destroyed by the HVO (Croatian Defence Council).
The Cejvan Cehaj Mosque, built in 1552, is the oldest mosque in Mostar. Later amadrasa(Islamic school) was built on the same compound. The Old Bazaar, Kujundziluk, is named after the goldsmiths who traditionally created and sold their wares on this street, and still sells authentic paintings and copper or bronze carvings of the Stari Most, pomegranates (the natural symbol of Herzegovina), or thestećaks(medieval tombstones).
The Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque, built in 1617, is open to visitors. Visitors may enter the mosque and take photos free of charge. Theminaretis also open to the public and is accessible from inside the mosque. Just around the corner from the mosque is the Tepa Market. This has been a busy marketplace since Ottoman times. It now sells mostly fresh produce grown in Herzegovina and, when in season, the figs and pomegranates are extremely popular. Local honey is also a prominent specialty, being produced all around Herzegovina.
MagazineMost, along withŠantić's Poetry Evenings, was most important outlet for cultural and artistic production in the city and the region, offering space for upstart poets and writers.Dani Matice Hrvatske is one of city's significant cultural events and it is commonly sponsored by theCroatian Governmentand theGovernment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar Summer is another umbrella event which includes Šantić Poetry Evenings, Mostar Summer Festival and Festival of Bosnia and Herzegovina choirs/ensembles. The city is a home of music festival namedMelodije Mostara(Mostar Melodies), which has been held annually since 1995. Theatre festivals includeMostarska Liska(organized by theNational Theatre Mostar) and The Mostar Spring (organized by theMatica hrvatskaMostar).
Mostar art institutions include:
Mostar cuisine is balanced between Western and Eastern influences. Traditional Mostar food is closely related toTurkish,Middle Easternand otherMediterranean cuisines. However, due to years ofAustrianrule and influence, there are many culinary influences fromCentral Europe.Some of the dishes includećevapčići,burek,sarma,japrak,musaka,dolma,sujuk,sač,đuveč, andsataraš. Local desserts includebaklava,hurmašice,sutlijaš,tulumbe,tufahije, andšampita.
Mostar's economy relies heavily on thealuminium& metal industry, banking services & thetelecommunicationsector.The city is home of some of the country's largest corporations.
Along withSarajevo&Banja Luka, it is the largest financial center in Bosnia & Herzegovina. One of three largest banks in the country has its headquarters in Mostar.Bosnia & Herzegovina has three national electric, postal & telecommunication service corporations; the seat of one per each group is placed in Mostar (electric utility providerElektroprivreda HZHB, postal service companyHrvatska pošta Mostar&HT Eronet, the third largest telecommunication company in the country). These three companies (along with banks & aluminium factory) make a vast portion of overall economic activity in the city.
Prior to the 1992–1995Bosnian War, Mostar relied on other important companies which had been closed, damaged or downsized. They includedSOKO(military aircraft factory) & Hepok (food industry). In 1981, Mostar's GDP per capita was 103% of the Yugoslav average.
Aluminum manufacturing companyAluminij Industriesis the sole remaining large company that was prominent during the former Yugoslavia. It is one of the country's largest exporter companies & it has a number of international partners. It is one of the most influential companies in the region as well. The city of Mostar alone has direct income of €40 million annually from Aluminij.
Considering the fact that three dams are situated on the city of Mostar's territory, the city has a solid base for further development of production. There is also an ongoing project for the possible use of wind power & building of windmills. The private sector has seen a notable increase in small & medium enterprises over the past couple of years contributing to the positive business climate.
Mostar also hosts the annualInternational Economic Fair Mostar("Međunarodni sajam gospodarstva Mostar")which was first held in 1997.
In 2013 the municipality had a total population of 105,797 according to the census results and the city itself had a population of 60,195.
Its population consists of the following ethnic groups:Croats(48.4%);Bosniaks(44.1%) andSerbs(4.1%). The city of Mostar has the largest population of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As in many other cities, its demographic profile was significantly altered after the Bosnian War.
According to the official data of the local elections of 2008, among six city election districts, three western ones (Croat-majority) had 53,917 registered voters, and those three on the east (Bosniak-majority) had 34,712 voters.
The ethnic composition of the city of Mostar, per indicated census years:
The City of Mostar (aside from city proper) includes the following settlements:
After theBosnian War, following theDayton Agreement, the villages ofKamena,KokorinaandZijemljewere separated from Mostar to form the new municipality ofIstočni Mostar(East Mostar), in theRepublika Srpska.
Mostar, andHerzegovinaarea in general, experience a modifiedhumid subtropical climate(Cfa) under theKöppen Climate Classification, with cold, humid winters and hot, drier summers.In the summer months, occasional temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) are not uncommon. In 1901, a temperature of 46.2 °C (115.2 °F) was measured in the city, which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The coldest month is January, averaging about 5 °C (41 °F), and the warmest month is July, averaging about 26 °C (78 °F). The sunniest months are between June and September. The remainder of the year is wet and mild.Mostar is the sunniest city in the country with an average of 2291 solar hours a year.Snow is relatively rare, and it usually melts within a few hours or days.
During the2012 European cold wave, Mostar experienced unusually cold weather with freezing temperatures lasting for days and a record snow depth of 82.5 cm (32 in).
The City of Mostar has the status of amunicipality. The city government is led by the mayor - since 15 February 2021Mario Kordić(HDZ BiH).
International reconstruction efforts aimed at the reunification of the divided city. The February 1996 Mostar Agreement led to the adoption of the Interim Statute of the city the same month and to a 1-year period of EU Administration of Mostar (EUAM), headed by formerBremenmayorHans Koschnick, till early 1997.
The Interim Statute introduced a Yugoslav-style two-level of administration, with a City level with its own council and mayor (with two deputies) and six municipalities, each with its own administration and council, reflecting the wartime division: three in the Croat-majority West Mostar, and three in the Bosniak-majority East Mostar. A tiny "Central Zone" strip (not a municipality) was to host the rebuilt institutions of the city and, according to the original plans, also of theFederation entity.
Mostar citizens would cast three votes: the first two for the City council's 48 members (half from a city-wide lift and half from candidates in each municipality, 4 each), and the third to elect the members of the councils of the six municipalities. Ethnic quotas and veto rights were to prevent any domination.
After six years of implementation, in 2003OHRPaddy Ashdownestablished an "international commission for reforming Mostar", whose final report noted how the HDZ/SDA power-sharing in Mostar had entrenched division and corruption, with "rampant parallelism" in administrative structures and usurpation of power by the municipalities over the City.The Mostar Commission, headed by another former German mayor,Norbert Winterstein, gathered members of all Mostar parties with the overarching aim of reuniting the city. A new Statute was negotiated, although few points of contention remained. Finally, in February 2004OHRPaddy Ashdownimposed via its Bonn Powers the new City Statute and related amendments to the BiH Election Law and cantonal and Federation Constitutions. The 2004 Statute abolished the six municipalities and created a unified City administration with a single budget and one Mayor of Mostar, with no deputies. Ethnic quotas in the City council were replaced by minimum/maximum thresholds; 17 councillors would now be elected from a city-wide list, and 18 from the territories of the six former municipalities, now "city areas", which retained a single residual competence on "the distribution of revenues deriving from allocated construction land", managed by city area "commissions" formed by the 3 city councillors elected in each one. The "central zone" remained outside any city area, and its residents were only entitled to vote for the city-wide list.
According to the City Statute, imposed byHigh RepresentativePaddy Ashdownon 28 January 2004 after local politicians failed to reach an agreement, the mayor of Mostar has to be elected by the city council with a two-thirds majority.Ashdown abolished the six municipalities that were divided equally among Bosniaks and Croats and replaced them with six electoral units,ridding Mostar of duplicate institutions and costs.In the process Ashdown also reduced the number of elected officials from 194 to 35.According to the City Statute, the constituent peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs) are guaranteed a minimum of four seats and a maximum of 15 seats.18 councillors are elected by election units (3 councillors from each of the 6 districts) and 15 councillors from a city-wide list.This move was opposed by theParty of Democratic Action(SDA) and theCroatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina(HDZ BiH).
On the basis of the2008 election, the City Council was composed of 35 councillors from the following parties:
Relative winners were SDA with the greatest number of votes. However, neither party had enough votes to ensure election of the mayor from their party. The City Council met 16 times without success. Eventually,OHRwas involved, and High Representative made some minor changes to the City Statute. After that,Ljubo Bešlić(HDZ BiH) was reelected as a mayor.
Following an appeal byHDZ BiH, in November 2010 theConstitutional Courtfound the electoral framework for Mostar (2004 Statute) to be discriminatory and unconstitutional.Among other things, the Constitutional Court noted that the votes of Mostar residents did not count the same, as the six electoral zones all elected 3 councillors despite their different population (with the smallest having 4 times fewer residents than the largest); and that the voters from the "central zone" counted less, as they only elected representatives from the city-wide list and not from any of the electoral zones.
The Court annulled the relevant provisions of the Election Law of BiH and of the 2004 Statute, and ordered the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and the Mostar city assembly to revise them within six months.Yet, the Bosniak and Croat ruling parties did not get to a compromise.
In the absence of a legal basis, local elections could not take place in Mostar in2012and2016. The mandate of the City council also expired in 2012. Bešlić thus remained as acting mayor for eight additional years, during which he affirmed that he considered resigning multiple times,also due to his deteriorating health.During this time, he shared the administrative duties with Izet Šahović, head of the Mostar City's Finance Department, a bureaucrat and member of theBosniakParty of Democratic Action(SDA). For two full mandates, Bešlić and Šahović have decided together how to disburse Mostar's yearly 30 million euro budget, without any legislative oversight or public transparency. The situation has been denounced by multiple NGOs, which have pointed at the SDA-HDZ power-sharing as the source of the mal-administration of Mostar and the recurrent problems with trash collection, water treatment, and continued ethnic duplication of the city services.
During this period, several rounds of talks were held with international facilitation. Between October 2012 and May 2013 DeputyHigh RepresentativeRoderick W. Moorelaunched an 8-months mediation effort that produced a compromise framework aimed at merging the city areas (and central zone) into multi-ethnic voting districts. This was endorsed by thePeace Implementation Council's Steering Board (PIC SB). Yet, the proposal found no political support when it was submitted by Moore's successorTamir G. Waserin July 2014 to theBiH Parliament. A second mediation attempt led by US and UK ambassadors to BiH,Maureen CormackandEdward Ferguson, and based on a model with a single city-wide electoral district, also failed [in 2017]. In 2018, the two main parties HDZ BiH and SDA autonomously negotiated a compromise solution, based only on a formula for the election of the councillors from each city area along the "one man, one vote" principle, which would be later taken up in the June 2020 agreement.
In October 2019, theEuropean Court of Human Rightsruled againstBosnia and Herzegovinain the case brought byIrma Baralijaon the absence of electoral rights for the residents of Mostar.In July 2020, the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina amended the electoral law to allow for local elections in Mostar to be held inDecember 2020.
Following theelection on 20 December 2020, the 35 members of the new City Council include:
Mostar has a number of various educational institutions. These includeUniversity of Mostar,University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar,United World College in Mostar, nineteen high-schools and twenty four elementary schools.High-schools include sixteen vocational schools and three gymnasiums.
All public schools in Mostar, both elementary and secondary education, are divided between Croat curriculum and Federal (unofficially Bosniak) curriculum schools. This ethnic division of schools was emplaced during the very first year of theBosnian warand it continues, with some modifications, to this day. Today, the schools in Mostar and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina are a site of struggle between ethno-national political elitesin ways that reveals the precarious position of youth in the volatile nation building processesA partial exception to divided education isGimnazija Mostar(also known as "Stara gimnazija") that implemented joint school administration and some joint student courses. However, Croat and Bosniak students in Gimnazija Mostar continue to have most courses according to the “national” curriculum, among them the so-called national subjects – history, literature, geography, and religion.
The country's higher education reform and the signing of theBologna Processhave forced both universities to put aside their rivalry to some extent and try to make themselves more competitive on a regional level.
University of Mostaris the second largest university in the country and the only Croatian language university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was founded in 1977 as the University "Džemal Bijedić" of Mostar, but changed name in 1992. The origin of the university can be traced back to the Herzegovina Franciscan Theological School, which was founded in 1895 and closed in 1945, was the first higher education institution in Mostar.Today's University seal shows the building of the Franciscan Monastery.
University Džemal Bijedić of Mostarwas founded in 1993. It employs around 250 professors and staff members. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, Džemal Bijedić University had 2,522 students enrolled during the 2012/2013 academic year.
As of 2015school year, the University of Mostar had 10,712 students enrolled at eleven faculties making it the largest university in the city.Cumulatively, it has been attended by more than 40,000 students since the start of the Bologna process of education.
One of the most popular sports in Mostar isfootball. The two most successful teams areHŠK ZrinjskiandFK Velež. FK Velež won theYugoslav Cupin1981and in1986, which was one of the most significant accomplishments this club has achieved. Since theBosnian War, each club has generally been supported by a particular ethnic group (Velež for the Bosniaks and Zrinjski for the Croats). The matches between the two clubs are some of the country's most intense matches. Since the start of thePremier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, HŠK Zrinjski has won eight championships.
Inbasketball,HKK Zrinjski Mostarcompetes at the nation's highest level while theZrinjskibanner also represents the city in the tophandballleague.Vahid Halilhodžić, a former Bosnian football player and current manager of theMorocco national football team, started his professional career inFK Velež Mostar.
In 2011,rugby unionfootball clubRK Hercegwas founded. The club competes in national leagues within Bosnia & Herzegovina and in the regional league Adria Sevens.
Another popular sport in Mostar isswimming. There are three swimming teams in Mostar: PK Velež, KVS Orka and APK Zrinjski. The best Bosnian-Herzegovinian swimmer,Lana Pudar, is from Mostar. Mostar has plenty of talented swimmers despite having just one 25-meter pool and one 12.5-meter pool.
The city is served byMostar railway station, with connections to the Capital and cross-border traffic with Croatia.
Mostar is an important tourist destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina. TheMostar International Airportserves the city as well as therailwayand bus stations which connect it to a number of national and international destinations. Mostar's old town is an important tourist destination with theStari Mostbeing its most recognizable feature.
Some noteworthy sites includeBishop's Ordinariatebuilding, the remains of an early ChristianbasilicaatCim, ahamam(Ottoman public bath), clock tower (sahat-kula), Synagogue (1889) and Jewish Memorial Cemetery, Nesuh-aga Vučjaković Mosque, Hadži-Kurt Mosque or Tabačica, Metropolitan's Palace (1908),Karagöz Bey Mosque(1557),Cathedral of the Holy Trinity(1873), Catholic Church and Franciscan Monastery,Ottoman Residences (16th–19th century), Crooked Bridge, Tara and Halebija Towers.
TheWorld War IIPartisan Memorial Cemetery in Mostar, designed by the architectBogdan Bogdanović, is another important symbol of the city. Its sacrosanct quality is derived from the unity of nature (water and greenery) with the architectural expression of the designer; the monument was inscribed on the list of National Monuments in 2006.
The Catholic pilgrimage site ofMeđugorjeis also nearby as well as theTekija Dervish Monastery in Blagaj, 13th-century town ofPočitelj,Blagaj Fortress(Stjepan-grad),Kravicawaterfall, seaside town ofNeum, Roman villa rustica from the early fourth centuryMogorjelo,Stolacwith itsstećaknecropolis and the remains of an ancient Greek town ofDaorson. Nearby sites also include the nature park calledHutovo Blato, archeological siteDesilo,Lake Boračkoas well asVjetrenicacave, the largest and most important cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mostar istwinnedwith: