Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Theculture ofBosnia and Herzegovinaencompasses the country's ancient heritage, architecture, science, literature, visual arts, music, cinema, sports and cuisine.
The rock-carving by an artist found inBadanj Cavenear the city ofStolacdates back toPaleolithictimes (c. 12,000 and 16,000BCE). It represents the death of a horse under a rain of arrows. It is the oldest Paleolithic finding in southeast Europe.There is also a rich legacy ofNeolithicculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Particularly beautiful items have been found inButmirnear Sarajevo (5000 BC).During theBronze Age, the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina was occupied byIllyrian tribessuch as the Japods inBihaćand the Daors inDaorson, near Stolac. They were directly influenced by theGreeks, as seen in Daorson especially. The Illyrians were conquered by theRomans, who left roads, bridges, and beautiful villas with mosaics all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The best preserved examples are atMogorjelonearČapljinaand themosaicsat Stolac (dating from the 3rd century). The Christianbasilicaare found throughout the country (Zenica,Visoko,Mostar,Široki Brijeg), and their carved stone stonework influenced the first original medieval Bosnian art, found on tombstones –stećak.
TheCharter of Ban Kulinis the symbolic birth certificate of Bosnia's statehood,as it is the first written document that refers to Bosnia's borders (between the rivers of Drina, Sava and Una) and the elements of the Bosnian state - the ruler, throne and political organization.It is written inBosnian Cyrillicand it also referred to the people of Bosnia - Bosnianins. The Charter was a trade agreement betweenBosniaand the Republic ofDubrovnik.
The most important item in theNational Museum in Sarajevois theSarajevo Haggadah, aJewishilluminatedcodexoriginally from 12th century Spain. Other important items include Hrvojev's mass (Hrvojev misal) andHval's Codex(Hvalov zbornik), both Bosnian books of liturgy produced inCroatiaat the start of the 15th century, a 16th-centuryKur’anand Leontiev's New Testament (Leontijevo četverojevanđelje).
After theOttoman conquest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, urban and city development flourished as the Ottomans brought imperial Islamic architecture to the region, partly mixed with local customs (one of them being the use of squinches instead of triangular pendentives found in Turkey). Many mosques and buildings were designed at the beginning. Afterwards, local merchants had more influence and in the 18th and 19th century, there was a rise in European influence.Moorish architecturedeveloped duringAustro-Hungarian occupation.
During theRoyal Yugoslav period, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained at the margin ofinterwar architectural modernism in Yugoslavia.Immediately following theSecond World War, Yugoslavia's brief association with theEastern Blocushered in a short period ofsocialist realism, which came to an abrupt end with the 1948Tito–Stalin Split. In the following years, modernist architecture came to symbolize the nation's break from the USSR (a notion that later diminished with growing acceptability of modernism in the Eastern Bloc).
TheAcademy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovinais the country's highest scientific and artistic institution. Initially founded in 1951 as the Scientific Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was upgraded to an academy in 1966.
TheNational Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovinaopened in 1888; it undertook Bosnia's first systematic excavations of archeological sites from 1899 to 1904.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich literary heritage.Matija Divković, Bosnian Franciscan and writer is considered to be the founder of the modern literature of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Notable poets includeAntun Branko Šimić,Aleksa Šantić,Jovan DučićandMak Dizdar.Prominent prose writers include the Nobel Literature Prize laureateIvo Andrić,Meša Selimović,Zaim Topčić,Zlatko Topčić,Branko ĆopićandSkender Kulenović.Contemporary writers includeSemezdin Mehmedinović,Aleksandar Hemon,Miljenko Jergović,Abdulah Sidran,Nedžad Ibrišimović, andMarko Tomaš.
TheNational Theaterwas founded in 1919 inSarajevoand its first director was famous playwrightBranislav Nušić. Magazines such asNovi Plamen,MostandSarajevske sveskeare some of the more prominent publications covering cultural and literary themes.
The visual arts in Bosnia and Herzegovina were always evolving and ranged from the original medieval tombstones (stećak) to paintings in Kotromanić court. However, it was theAustro-Hungarian occupationin 1878 that led to the renaissance of Bosnian painting. The first artists trained in European academies emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. These includedGabrijel Jurkić, Petar Tiješić, Karlo Mijić, Špiro Bocarić,Petar Šain, Đoko Mazalić, Roman Petrović and Lazar Drljača.Their generation was succeeded by artists such as Ismet Mujezinović, Vojo Dimitrijević, Ivo Šeremet andMica Todorović.
Prominent artists in the post-World War II period include Virgilije Nevjestić, Bekir Misirlić, Ljubo Lah, Meho Sefić, Franjo Likar,Mersad Berber, Ibrahim Ljubović, Dževad Hozo, Affan Ramić, Safet Zec, Ismar Mujezinović, and Mehmed Zaimović. TheArs Aevimuseum of contemporary art in Sarajevo includes works by artists renowned worldwide.
The most popular traditional Bosnian and Herzogoviniansongforms of relatively recent origin (early 20th century) are the Bosnian root music (played with"šargija"),ganga, thereraand theojkavica(oja-noja).Other popular surviving forms from the Ottoman era is thesevdalinka.
Pop musicandrock musicare traditionally popular too, represented by famousmusiciansincludingGoran Bregović,Davorin Popović,Kemal Monteno,Zdravko Čolić,Johnny Štulić,Edo Maajka,Dino MerlinandTomo Miličević. Talented composers includeĐorđe Novković, Esad Arnautalić,Kornelije Kovač, and the many pop and rock bands, e.g.Bijelo Dugme,Indexi,Zabranjeno Pušenje, include some of the leading groups from the era of the formerYugoslavia.
Bosnia is home to the composerDušan Šestić, creator of the currentnational anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovinaand father of singerMarija Šestić, and the pianistSasha Toperich.
Notable Bosnian directors, screenwriters and producers areZlatko Topčić, Mirza Idrizović,Aida Begić,Ivica Matić,Danis Tanović,Hajrudin Krvavac,Ademir Kenović,Benjamin Filipović,Ahmed Imamović,Pjer Žalica,Jasmila Žbanić, Dino Mustafić andSrđan Vuletić.
Sarajevo Film Festival, founded in 1995, has become the biggest and most influential in southeast Europe.
The most important international sporting event in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the hosting of the1984 Winter Olympics, held inSarajevofrom the 8th to 19 February 1984.
Bosnia and Herzegovina national sitting volleyball teamis the most decorated team representing Bosnia and Herzegovina. The team won 2ParalympicsGold medals (2004and2012) andmultipleWorld and Europeansitting volleyballtitles. Many of the players lost limbs in the 1992–1995Bosnian War.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced many prominent athletes, including members of the Yugoslav national team before Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence. The nation's most notable track and field athlete since independence is runnerAmel Tuka, who took the bronze medal in the800 metres at the 2015 World Athletics Championshipsand the silver medal in the800 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
Footballis the most popular sport in B&H. It dates from 1903 but its popularity grew significantly afterWorld War II. In the pre-independence eraSarajevo(1967 and 1984) andŽeljezničar(1972) both won the Yugoslavian Championship title. The formerYugoslav national football teamincluded a number of Bosnian players, such asJosip Katalinski,Dušan Bajević,Miroslav Blažević,Ivica Osim,Safet Sušić, andMirsad Fazlagić.
Since independence theBosnia and Herzegovina national football teamhas failed to qualify for any European or World Championship tournament, up until2014 FIFA World Cup, after winning eight games to secure their place after many years of failed attempts of making their FIFA debut. Bosnian national teams have struggled to field the best eligible team as many players born in Bosnia and Herzegovina choose to play for other countries for reasons of ethnic identification and because of the higher salaries offered by other teams (for example:Mario StanićandMile Mitićwere both born in Bosnia but play for Croatia and Serbia respectively; other internationally famous players from Bosnia and Herzegovina who have made similar choices includeZoran Savić,Vladimir Radmanović,Zoran Planinić,Aleksandar NikolićandSavo Milošević).
Bosnianbasketballclub,KK Bosnafrom Sarajevo were European Champions in 1989. TheYugoslav national basketball team, medal-winners in every world championship from 1963 through 1990, included Bosnian players such asDražen DalipagićandMirza Delibašić. Bosnia and Herzegovina regularly qualifies for theEurobasketchampionship. The JedinstvoWomen's basketballclub, based in Tuzla, won the 1979 European Championships in Florence.
The middle-weightboxerMarjan Benešhas won several B&H Championships, Yugoslavian Championships and the European Championship. In 1978, he won the World Title against Elish Obeda from Bahamas. Another middle-weight,Ante Josipović, won the Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles in 1984. He also won the Yugoslavian Championship in 1982, the Championship of the Balkans in 1983 and the Beograd Trophy in 1985.Felix Sturmaka Adnan Catic is a German former middleweight champion boxer with Bosnian origin.  He has a Bosnian flag in his weardrobe and often holdes tales inBosnianafter a boxing match.
The Bosnianchessteam has been Champion of Yugoslavia seven times, in addition to winning four European championships: 1994 in Lyon, 1999 in Bugojno, 2000 in Neum, and 2001 in Kalitea. TheBorki Predojevićchess club (from Teslić) has also won two European Club Championships, at Litohoreu (Greece) in 1999, and Kalitei (Greece) in 2001.
TheBorachandballclub, seven times Yugoslav National Championship winners, won the European Championship Cup in 1976 and the International Handball Federation Cup in 1991.
The Tuzla-Sinalcokarateclub from Tuzla was the most prolific Yugoslav championship-winning team, also winning four European Championships and one World Championship.
Bosnian cuisine reflects a balance ofWesternandEasterninfluences. Due to almost 500 years of Ottoman rule, Bosnian food is closely related toTurkish,Greek, and other formerOttomanandMediterraneancuisines.However, years ofAustrianrule can be detected in the many influences fromCentral Europe. Bosnian cuisine uses manyspices, but usually in very small quantities. Most dishes are light, as they are boiled; the sauces are completely natural, consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish. Typical ingredients includetomatoes,potatoes,onions,garlic,peppers,cucumbers,carrots,cabbage,mushrooms,spinach,courgettes, dried beans, fresh beans,plums,milk, and cream calledpavlaka. Typical meat dishes include primarilychicken,beefandmutton. Some local specialties arećevapi,burek,dolma,sarma,pilaf,goulash,ajvarand an extensive range of Eastern sweets. The best localwinecomes from the southern region of the country,Herzegovina, where the climate is particularly suitable for growinggrapes. Plum or applerakiais distilled in the northern region ofBosnia.