Sarajevo

Sarajevo(/ˌsærəˈjeɪvoʊ/SARR-ə-YAY-voh)is thecapitalandlargest cityofBosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits.TheSarajevo metropolitan areaincludingSarajevo Canton,East Sarajevoand nearby municipalities is home to 555,210 inhabitants.Located within the greater Sarajevo valley ofBosnia, it is surrounded by theDinaric Alpsand situated along theMiljackaRiver in the heart of theBalkans, a region ofSoutheastern Europe.
Sarajevo is the political, financial, social, and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a prominent center of culture in the Balkans. It exerts region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts.Due to its long history of religious and cultural diversity, Sarajevo is sometimes called the "Jerusalemof Europe"or "Jerusalem of the Balkans".It is one of a few major European cities to have a mosque, Catholic church, Eastern Orthodox church, and synagogue within the same neighborhood.It is also home to the former Yugoslavia's first institution of tertiary education in the form of an Islamic polytechnic, today part of theUniversity of Sarajevo.
Although there is evidence of human settlement in the area since prehistoric times, the modern city arose in the 15th century as anOttomanstronghold when the Ottoman empire extended into Europe.Sarajevo has gained international renown several times throughout its history. In 1885, it was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, followingSan Francisco.
In 1914, Sarajevo was the site of theassassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinandby a localYoung BosniaactivistGavrilo Princip, a murder that sparkedWorld War I. This resulted in the end ofAustro-Hungarianrule in Bosnia and the creation of the multiculturalKingdom of Yugoslaviain the Balkan region. Later, afterWorld War II, the area was designated the capital of the communistSocialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovinawithin theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, leading to rapid expansion of its population and businesses with investment in infrastructure and economic development.
In 1984, Sarajevo hosted the1984 Winter Olympics, which marked a prosperous era for the city. However, after the start of theYugoslav Wars, the city suffered thelongest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, for a total of 1,425 days, from April 1992 to February 1996, during theBosnian War.
With continuedpost-war reconstructionin the aftermath, Sarajevo is thefastest growing cityin Bosnia and Herzegovina.The travel guide seriesLonely Planetranked Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world.In December 2009, it recommended Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.
In 2011, Sarajevo was nominated as the 2014European Capital of Culture. It was selected to host theEuropean Youth Olympic Festival.In addition, in October 2019, Sarajevo was designated as aUNESCO Creative Cityfor having placed culture at the center of its development strategies.It is also ranked as one of the world's eighteenCities of Film.
The nameSarajevoderives from the Turkish nounsaray, meaning "palace" or "mansion" (fromPersiansarāy,سرای, of the same meaning). Scholars disagree on the origin of theevoattached to the end. In Slavic languages, the addition of "evo" may indicate a possessive noun, thereby making the name of Sarajevo 'city of the palace'.
One theory is that the name may have been derived from theOttoman Turkishtermsaray ovası, first recorded in 1455,meaning "the plains around the palace" or simply "palace plains".
However, in hisDictionary of Turkish Loanwords,Abdulah Škaljićmaintains that theevoending is more likely to have come from the widespreadSlavicsuffixevoused to indicate place names, than from the Turkish endingova.The first mention of the name Sarajevo was in a 1507 letter written byFiruz Bey.The official name during the400 years of Ottoman rulewasSaraybosna("Palace of Bosnia"), which remains the city's name in Modern Turkish.
Sarajevo has had many nicknames. The earliest isŠeher, the termIsa-Beg Ishakovićused to describe the town he was going to construct—which is Turkish for "city" (şehir), in turn coming from the Persianshahr(شهر, meaning "city"). As Sarajevo developed, numerous nicknames came from comparisons to other cities in the Islamic world, i.e. "Damascusof the North" and "European Jerusalem"; the latter being the most popular.
Sarajevo is near the geometric center of the triangular-shapedBosnia and Herzegovinaand within the historical region ofBosnia proper. It is situated 518 m (1,699 ft)above sea leveland lies in the Sarajevo valley, in the middle of theDinaric Alps.
The valley was once an expansive, fertile, and green space, but considerable urban expansion and development took place following World War II. Forested hills and five major mountains surround the city. The highest of the surrounding peaks isTreskavicaat 2,088 m (6,850 ft), followed byBjelašnicamountain at 2,067 m (6,781 ft),Jahorinaat 1,913 m (6,276 ft),Trebevićat 1,627 m (5,338 ft), andIgmanthe shortest at 1,502 m (4,928 ft). The last four are also known as the Olympic Mountains of Sarajevo.
When the city hosted the1984 Winter Olympics, venues were constructed at these mountains for many winter sports events. The city is developed within hilly terrain; some steeply inclined streets and residences perch on the hillsides.
TheMiljackariver is one of the city's chief geographic features. It flows through the city from east through the center of Sarajevo to the west part of the city, where it eventually meets up with theBosnariver. Miljacka River is also known as "The Sarajevo River". Its source (Vrelo Miljacke) is 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the town ofPaleat the foothills of Mount Jahorina, several kilometers to the east of Sarajevo center. The Bosna's source,Vrelo BosnenearIlidža(west Sarajevo), is another notable natural landmark and a popular destination for Sarajevans and other tourists. Several smaller rivers and streams, such asKoševski Potok, also run through the city and its vicinity.
Sarajevo is close to the center of the triangular shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina in southeastern Europe. The Sarajevo city consists of four municipalities:Centar(Center),Novi Grad(New Town),Novo Sarajevo(New Sarajevo), andStari Grad(Old Town), while theSarajevo metropolitan area(Greater Sarajevo area) includes these and the neighboring municipalities ofIlidža,Hadžići,VogošćaandIlijaš.
The Metropolitan area was reduced in the 1990s after the war and theDayton-imposed administrative divisionof the country, with several municipalities partitioned along the border of the newly recognizedFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina(FBiH) andRepublika Srpska(RS), creating several new municipalities which together form the city ofIstočno Sarajevoin the Republika Srpska:Istočna Ilidža,Istočno Novo Sarajevo,Istočni Stari Grad,Lukavica,Pale (RS-section), andTrnovo (RS-section), along with the municipality ofSokolac(which was not traditionally part of the Sarajevo area and was not partitioned).
The city has an urban area of 1,041.5 km(402.1 sq mi). Veliki Park (Great Park) is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It is nestled betweenTitova,Koševo,Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part there is a monument dedicated to the Children of Sarajevo.
Sarajevo has anoceanic climate(Köppen climate classification:Cfb) bordering on ahumid continental climate(Köppen climate classification:Dfb). Sarajevo's climate exhibits four seasons and uniformly spread precipitation. The proximity of theAdriatic Seamoderates Sarajevo's climate somewhat, although the mountains to the south of the city greatly reduce this maritime influence.The average yearly temperature is 10 °C (50 °F), with January (−0.5 °C (31.1 °F) on average) being the coldest month of the year and July (19.7 °C (67.5 °F) on average) the warmest.
The highest recorded temperature was 40.7 °C (105 °F) on 19 August 1946 and on 23 August 2008 (41.0), while the lowest recorded temperature was −26.2 °C (−15.2 °F) on 25 January 1942. On average, Sarajevo has seven days where the temperature exceeds 32 °C (89.6 °F) and four days where the temperature drops below −15 °C (5 °F) per year.The city typically experiences mildly cloudy skies, with an average yearlycloud coverof 45%.
The cloudiest month is December (75% average cloud cover), while the clearest is August (37%). Moderate precipitation occurs fairly consistently throughout the year, with an average 75 days of rainfall. Suitable climatic conditions have allowedwinter sportsto flourish in the region, as exemplified by the1984 Winter Olympicsthat were held in Sarajevo. Average winds are 28–48 km/h (17–30 mph) and the city has 1,769 hours of sunshine.
Air pollutionis a major issue in Sarajevo.According to the 2016World Health Organization's Ambient Air Pollution Database,the annual averagePM2.5concentration in 2010 was estimated to be 30 μg/mbased on PM10 measurement, which is 3 times higher than recommended byWHO Air Quality Guidelinesfor the annual average PM2.5. There are no recent direct long-term PM2.5 measurements available in Sarajevo and only estimates can be made from PM10, which is less health-relevant than PM2.5.Real-time air quality data in the form of PM10, ozone,NO2,COandSO2by theFederal Hydrometeorological InstituteArchived13 September 2018 at theWayback Machine.
One of the earliest findings of settlement in the Sarajevo area is that of the NeolithicButmir culture. The discoveries atButmirwere made on the grounds of the modern-day Sarajevo suburbIlidžain 1893 byAustro-Hungarianauthorities during the construction of an agricultural school. The area's richness inflintwas attractive to Neolithic humans, and the settlement flourished. The settlement developed unique ceramics and pottery designs, which characterize the Butmir people as a unique culture, as described at the International Congress of Archaeologists andAnthropologistsmeeting in Sarajevo in 1894.
The next prominent culture in Sarajevo was theIllyrians. The ancient people, who considered most of theWestern Balkansas their homeland, had several key settlements in the region, mostly around the riverMiljackaand the Sarajevo valley. The Illyrians in the Sarajevo region belonged to theDaesitiates, the last Illyrian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to resistRomanoccupation. Their defeat by theRomanemperorTiberiusin 9 AD marks the start of Roman rule in the region. The Romans never built up the region of modern-day Bosnia, but theRoman colonyof Aquae Sulphurae was near the top of present-day Ilidža, and was the most important settlement of the time.After the Romans, theGothssettled the area, followed by theSlavsin the 7th century.
During theMiddle Ages, Sarajevo was part of the Bosnian province of Vrhbosna near the traditional center of theKingdom of Bosnia. Though a city namedVrhbosnaexisted, the exact settlement in Sarajevo at this time isdebated. Various documents note a place calledTornikin the region, most likely in the area of theMarijin Dvorneighborhood. By all indications, Tornik was a very small marketplace surrounded by a proportionally small village and was not considered very important byRagusanmerchants.
Other scholars say thatVrhbosnawas a major town in the wider area of modern-day Sarajevo.Papaldocuments say that in 1238, a cathedral dedicated toSaint Paulwas built in the area. Disciples of the notable saintsCyrilandMethodiusstopped in the region, founding a church nearVrelo Bosne. Whether or not the town was somewhere in the area of modern-day Sarajevo, the documents attest to its and the region's importance. There was also a citadelHodidjednorth-east to theOld City, dating from around 1263 until it was occupied by theOttoman Empirein 1429.
Sarajevo was founded by theOttoman Empirein the 1450s upon its conquest of the region, with 1461 used as the city's founding date. The first Ottoman governor ofBosnia,Isa-Beg Ishaković, transformed the cluster of villages into a city and state capital by building several key structures, including a mosque, a closed marketplace, ahamam, acaravansarai, a bridge, and of course the governor's palace ("Saray"), which gave the city its present name in conjunction with “evo”, a derivative of “ova” meaning lowland. The mosque was named "Careva Džamija" (theEmperor's Mosque) in honor of SultanMehmed II. With the improvements, Sarajevo quickly grew into the largest city in the region. By the15th centurythe settlement was established as a city, namedBosna-Saraj, around the citadel in 1461.
Following theexpulsion of Jews from Spainat the end of the 15th century, and the invitation from the Ottoman Empire to resettle their population,Sephardic Jewsarrived in Sarajevo, which over time would become a leading center of Sephardic culture and theLadino language. Though relatively small in size, a Jewish quarter would develop over several blocks inBaščaršija.
Many local Christians converted to Islam at this time. To accommodate the new pilgrims on the road toMecca, in 1541,Gazi Husrev-beg's quartermaster Vekil-Harrach built a pilgrim's mosque which it is still known to this day as theHadžijska Mosque.
Under leaders such as the second governor Gazi Husrev-beg, Sarajevo grew at a rapid rate. Husrev-beg greatly shaped the physical city, as most of what is now the Old Town was built during his reign. Sarajevo became known for its large marketplace and numerous mosques, which by the middle of the 16th century numbered more than 100. At the peak of the empire, Sarajevo was the biggest and most important Ottoman city in the Balkans afterIstanbul.By 1660, the population of Sarajevo was estimated to be over 80,000.By contrast,Belgradein 1683 had 100,000,andZagrebas late as 1851 had 14,000 people. As political conditions changed, Sarajevo became the site of warfare.
In 1697, during theGreat Turkish War, a raid was led byPrince Eugene of Savoyof theHabsburg monarchyagainst the Ottoman Empire,which conquered Sarajevo and left it plague-infected and burned to the ground. After his men had looted thoroughly, they set the city on fire and destroyed nearly all of it in one day. Only a handful of neighborhoods, some mosques, and anOrthodox churchwere left standing. Numerous other fires weakened the city, which was later rebuilt but never fully recovered from the destruction. By 1807, it had only some 60,000 residents.
In the 1830s, several battles of theBosnian uprisinghad taken place around the city. These had been led byHusein Gradaščević. Today, a major city street is namedZmaj od Bosne(Dragon of Bosnia) in his honor. The rebellion failed and for several more decades, the Ottoman state remained in control of Bosnia.
The Ottoman Empire made Sarajevo an important administrative center by 1850.Baščaršijabecame the central commercial district and cultural center of the city in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the town.The toponym Baščaršija derives from theTurkish language.
Austria-Hungary's occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovinacame in 1878 as part of theTreaty of Berlin, andcomplete annexationfollowed in 1908, angering theSerbs. Sarajevo was industrialized by Austria-Hungary, who used the city as a testing area for new inventions such astramways, which were established in 1885 before they were later installed inVienna. Architects and engineers wanting to help rebuild Sarajevo as a modern European capital rushed to the city. A fire that burned down a large part of the central city area (čaršija) left more room for redevelopment. As a result, the city has a unique blend of the remaining Ottoman city market and contemporary Western architecture. Sarajevo also has some examples of Secession- and Pseudo-Moorishstyles that date from this period.
TheAustro-Hungarianperiod was one of great development for the city, as the Western power brought its new acquisition up to the standards of theVictorian age. Various factories and other buildings were built at this time,and a large number of institutions were both Westernized and modernized. For the first time in history, Sarajevo's population began writing inLatin script.For the first time in centuries, the city significantly expanded outside its traditional borders. Much of the city's contemporary central municipality (Centar) was constructed during this period.
Architecture in Sarajevo quickly developed into a wide range of styles and buildings. TheSacred Heart Cathedral, for example, was constructed using elements ofneo-gothicandRomanesque architecture. TheNational Museum,Sarajevo brewery, andCity Hallwere also constructed during this period. Additionally, Austrian officials made Sarajevo the first city in this part of Europe to have atramway.
Although the Bosnia Vilayetde jureremained part of the Ottoman Empire, it wasde factogoverned as an integral part of Austria-Hungary with the Ottomans having no say in its day-to-day governance. This lasted until 1908 when the territory was formally annexed and turned into acondominium, jointly controlled by both AustrianCisleithaniaand HungarianTransleithania.
The event that triggeredWorld War Iwas theassassinationofArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, along with his wifeSophie, Duchess of Hohenbergin Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 byGavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb and self-declared Yugoslav, and member ofYoung Bosnia.This was followed by theAnti-Serb riots in Sarajevo, which resulted in two deaths and destruction of property.
In the ensuing war, however, most of the Balkan offensives occurred near Belgrade, and Sarajevo largely escaped damage and destruction. Following the war, Bosnia was annexed into theKingdom of Yugoslavia, and Sarajevo became the capital of theDrina Province.
After World War I and pressure from theRoyal Serbian Army, alongside rebellingSlavicnations inAustria-Hungary, Sarajevo became part of theKingdom of Yugoslavia. Though it held some political significance as the center of first the Bosnian region and then the Drinska Banovina, the city was no longer a national capital and saw a decline in global influence.
DuringWorld War II, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's army was overrun by German and Italian forces. Following a German bombing campaign, Sarajevo was captured on 15 April 1941 by the16th Motorized Infantry Division. TheAxis powerscreated theIndependent State of Croatiaand included Sarajevo in its territory.
Immediately following the occupation, the main Sephardi Jewish synagogue,Il Kal Grande, was looted, burned, and destroyed by theNazis. Within a matter of months, the centuries-old Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Sarajevo, comprising the vast majority ofBosnian Jewry, would be rounded up in the Old Synagogue (Stari hram) and deported to their deaths inCroatian concentration camps. Roughly 85% of Bosnia's Jewish population would perish at the hands of the Nazis and theUstašeduring the Holocaust in the region. TheSarajevo Haggadahwas the most important artifact which survived this period, smuggled out of Sarajevo and saved from the Nazis and Ustaše by the chief librarian of the National Museum,Derviš Korkut.
On 12 October 1941, a group of 108 notableBosniakcitizens of Sarajevo signed theResolution of Sarajevo Muslimsby which they condemned theGenocide of Serbsorganized by the Ustaše, made a distinction between the Bosniaks who participated in such persecutions and the rest of the Bosniak population, presented information about the persecutions of Bosniaks by Serbs, and requested security for all citizens of the country, regardless of their identity.During the summer of 1941, Ustaše militia periodically interned and executed groups ofSarajevo Serbs.In August 1941, they arrested about one hundred Serbs suspected of ties to the resistance armies, mostly church officials and members of the intelligentsia, and executed them or deported them to concentration camps.By mid-summer 1942, around 20,000 Serbs found refuge in Sarajevo from Ustaše terror.
The city was bombed by theAlliesfrom 1943 to 1944.TheYugoslav Partisanmovement was represented in the city. In the period February–May 1945,Maks Luburićset up a Ustaše headquarters in a building known asVilla Luburićand used it as a torture and execution place whose 323 victims were identified after the war. The resistance was led byVladimir Perić Valter, who died while leading the liberation of the city on 6 April 1945.
After the war, Sarajevo was the capital of theSocialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovinawithin theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic Government invested heavily in Sarajevo, building many new residential blocks in the municipalities ofNovi GradandNovo Sarajevo, while simultaneously developing the city's industry and transforming Sarajevo into a modern city. Sarajevo grew rapidly as it became an important regional industrial center in Yugoslavia. Between the end of the war and the end of Yugoslavia, the city grew from a population of 115,000 to more than 600,000 people. TheVraca Memorial Park, a monument for victims of World War II, was dedicated on 25 November, the "Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina" when theZAVNOBIHheld their first meeting in 1943.
A crowning moment of Sarajevo's time in Socialist Yugoslavia was the1984 Winter Olympics. Sarajevo beat outSapporo, Japan, andFalun/Gothenburg, Sweden, to host theOlympic Games. The games were followed by a tourism boom, making the 1980s one of the city's most prosperous decades.
TheBosnian Warfor independence resulted in large-scale destruction and dramatic population shifts during theSiege of Sarajevobetween 1992 and 1996. Thousands of Sarajevans lost their lives under the constant bombardment and sniper shooting at civilians by theSerb forcesduring the siege,the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare.Bosnian Serb forces of theRepublika Srpskaand theYugoslav People's Armybesieged Sarajevo from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996.
WhenBosnia and Herzegovina declared independencefromYugoslaviaand achievedUnited Nationsrecognition, Serbian leaders declared a new Serbian national state Republika Srpska (RS) which was carved out from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The Army of Republika Srpska encircled Sarajevo with a siege force of 18,000stationed in the surrounding hills, from which they assaulted the city with artillery, mortars, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine guns, multiple rocket launchers, rocket-launched aircraft bombs, and sniper rifles.From 2 May 1992, the Serbsblockadedthe city. TheBosnian government defense forcesinside the besieged city were poorly equipped and unable to break the siege.
During the siege, 11,541 people were killed, including over 1,500 children. An additional 56,000 people were wounded, including nearly 15,000 children.The1991 censusindicates that before the siege, the city and its surrounding areas had a population of 525,980.
When the siege ended, the concrete scars caused by mortar shell explosions left marks that were filled with red resin. After the red resin was placed, it left floral patterns, which led to them being dubbedSarajevo Roses. Division of the territory according to theDayton Agreementresulted in amass exodusin early 1996 of some 62,000 Sarajevo Serbs from the city and its suburbs, creating today's more monoethnic post-war city.
Various modern buildings now occupy Sarajevo's skyline, most significantly theBosmal City Center,ARIA Centar,Sarajevo City Center(all three by architectSead Gološ) and theAvaz Twist Tower, which at the time of its building was the tallest skyscraper in former Yugoslavia.
In 2014, the city sawanti-government protests and riotsand record rainfallthat caused historic flooding. Recent years have seen population growth as well as increases in tourism.
TheSarajevo cable car, also known as the Trebević cable car, Sarajevo's key landmark during the 1984 Winter Olympics, was rebuilt in 2017 and reopened on 6 April 2018.The cable car runs from Sarajevo at Bistrik station to the slopes ofTrebevićat Vidikovac station.
Sarajevo is the capitalof the country ofBosnia and Herzegovinaand its sub-entity, theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as of theSarajevo Canton. It is also thede jurecapital of another entity,Republika Srpska.Each of these levels of government has its parliament or council, as well as judicial courts, in the city. All national institutions and foreignembassiesare in Sarajevo.
Sarajevo is home to theCouncil of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina,Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, theConstitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovinaand the operational command of theArmed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina'sParliament officein Sarajevo was damaged heavily in theBosnian War. Due to damage, the staff and documents were moved to a nearby ground-level office to resume work. In late 2006, reconstruction work started on Parliament and was finished in 2007. The cost of reconstruction was 80% funded by theGreek Governmentthrough the Hellenic Program of Balkans Reconstruction (ESOAV), and 20% by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The City of Sarajevo comprises four municipalities:Centar,Novi Grad,Novo Sarajevo, andStari Grad. Each operates their ownmunicipal government, while united they form one city government with its constitution. Theexecutive branch(Bosnian:Gradska uprava) consists of amayor, with two deputies and a cabinet.
Thelegislative branchconsists of theCity Council, orGradsko vijeće. The council has 28 members, including a council speaker, two deputies, and a secretary. Councilors are elected by the municipality in numbers roughly proportional to their population.The City Statute requires the city council to include at least six councilors from eachconstituent peopleand at least two from the ranks of Others.
Sarajevo's Municipalities are further split into "local communities" (Bosnian,Mjesne zajednice). Local communities have a small role in city government and are intended as a way for ordinary citizens to get involved in city government. They are based on key neighborhoods in the city.
Sarajevo's large manufacturing, administrative, and tourism sectors make it the strongest economic region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo Canton generates almost 25% of the country's GDP.After years of war, Sarajevo's economy saw reconstruction and rehabilitation programs.TheCentral Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovinaopened in Sarajevo in 1997 and theSarajevo Stock Exchangebegan trading in 2002.
While Sarajevo had a large industrial base during its communist period, only a few pre-existing businesses have successfully adapted to themarket economy. Sarajevo industries now include tobacco products, furniture, hosiery, automobiles, and communication equipment.Companies based in Sarajevo includeBH Telecom,Bosnalijek,Energopetrol,Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, andSarajevska pivara(Sarajevo Brewery).
In 2019, the total export for the Sarajevo Canton was worth about 1,427,496,000KM. Most of Sarajevo's exports (20.55%) head toGermany, withSerbiaandCroatiafollowing behind at 12% respectively. The largest amount of imported goods comes from Croatia, at 20.95%. With a worth of total import of about 4,872,213,000KM, the total import is almost 3.4 times the total export.
In 1981, Sarajevo's GDP per capita was 133% of the Yugoslav average.Gross pay in Sarajevo in March 2023 wasKM2,497 or€1,269, while net salary was KM 1,585 or €805, indicating stable growth.
Sarajevo has a wide tourist industry and a fast-expanding service sector thanks to the strong annual growth in tourist arrivals. Sarajevo also benefits from being both a summer and winter destination with continuity in its tourism throughout the year. The travel guide series,Lonely Planetnamed Sarajevo as the 43rd best city in the world,and in December 2009, listed Sarajevo as one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.
In 2019, 733,259 tourists visited Sarajevo, giving 1,667,545 overnight stays, which was 20% more than in 2018.Sports-related tourism uses the legacy facilities of the1984 Winter Olympics, especially the skiing facilities on the nearby mountains ofBjelašnica,Igman,Jahorina,TrebevićandTreskavica.
Sarajevo's 600 years of history, influenced by both Western and Eastern empires, makes it atourist attractionwith splendid variations. The city has hosted travelers for centuries, because it was an important trading center during theOttomanandAustro-Hungarianempires and because it was a natural stop for many routes between East and West. Examples of popular destinations in Sarajevo include theVrelo Bosnepark, theSarajevo cathedral, and theGazi Husrev-beg Mosque. Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, and cultural sites and winter sports.
There are many parks throughout the city and on the outskirts. A popular activity among locals is street chess, usually played atTrg Oslobođenja - Alija Izetbegović. Veliki Park is the largest green area in the center of Sarajevo. It is nestled betweenTitova,Koševo,Džidžikovac, Tina Ujevića and Trampina Streets and in the lower part, there is a monument dedicated to theChildren of Sarajevo.Hastahanais a popular place to relax in the Austro-Hungarian neighborhood ofMarijin Dvor.Goat's Bridge, locally known asKozija Ćuprija, in the Miljacka Canyon is also a popular park destination along theDarivawalkway and river Miljacka.On 24 December 2012, a park hosting two brass sculptures resembling two mourning mothers was dedicated as the Friendship Park, commemorating over 45 years of friendship between Sarajevo andBaku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Sarajevo is also famous for its city lookouts; including an observation deck on theAvaz Twist Tower, Park Prinčeva restaurant, Vidikovac lookout (Mt. Trebević), Zmajevac lookout and Yellow/White fortresses lookouts (inVratnik) as well as numerous other rooftops throughout the city (i.e. Alta Shopping Center,ARIA Centar, Hotel Hecco Deluxe). A symbol of Sarajevo is theTrebević cable carwhich was reconstructed in 2018, also it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city taking visitors from the city center to Mount Trebević.
There is also aUNESCOtentative monument, theOld Jewish Cemetery, an almost 500 years old site that is the second-largest Jewish sepulchral complex in Europe, the one inPraguebeing the largest. It is also one of the most significant memorial complexes in the world. It represents the eternal proof of the coexistence of two or more different confessions under different administrations and rules, and the proof of mutual respect and tolerance.
Thanks to steady but constant and stable growth after the war, today's built-up area includes not only previously mentioned urban municipalities but the urban part ofHadžićithat is uninterruptedly connected toIlidža, the westernmost part of the Sarajevo urban settlement, is inhabited by more than 419,000 people, whilethe metro areaincluding 8 additional municipalities, 14 in total goes up to 555,210 inhabitants.It is noticeable that the fastest-growing municipalities areNovi Grad, one of the main ones and the most inhabited one where the population has increased by almost 4,000 people or 2.95% since the2013 census, and Ilidža that has recorded an increase of almost 7% since 2013.
In June 2016, the final results of the 2013 census were published. According to the census, the population of theSarajevo Cantonwas 413,593, with 55,181 residents inCentar, 118,553 in Novi Grad, 64,814 inNovo Sarajevoand 36,976 inStari Grad.
The last official Yugoslav census took place in1991and recorded 527,049 people living in the city of Sarajevo (tenmunicipalities). In the settlement of Sarajevo proper, there were 454,319 inhabitants.The war displaced hundreds of thousands of people, a large majority of whom have not returned.
The war changed the ethnic and religious profile of the city. It had long been a multicultural city,and often went by the nickname of "Europe's Jerusalem".At the time of the 1991 census, 49.2 percent of the city's population of 527,049 wereBosniaks, 29.8 percentSerbs, 10.7 percentYugoslavs, 6.6 percentCroatsand 3.6 percent other ethnicities (Jews, Romas, etc.).
According to academic Fran Markowitz, there are several "administrative apparatuses and public pressures that push people who might prefer to identify as flexible, multiply constituted hybrids or with one of the now unnamed minority groups into one of the three Bosniac-Croat-Serb constituent nations".These include respondents being encouraged by census interviewers to identify as belonging to one of the threeconstituent peoples.Her analysis of marriage registration data shows, for instance, that 67 percent of people marrying in 2003 identified as Bosniak or Muslim, which is significantly lower than the 79.6 percent census figure from 2002 (unlike the census, where people respond to an interviewer, applicants to the marriage registry fill in the form themselves).
Sarajevo's location in a valley between mountains makes it a compact city. Narrow city streets and a lack of parking areas restrict automobile traffic but allow better pedestrian and cyclist mobility. The two main roads areTitova Ulica(Street ofMarshal Tito) and the east–westZmaj od Bosne(Dragon of Bosnia) highway (E761). Located roughly at the center of the country, Sarajevo is Bosnia's main intersection. The city is connected to all the other major cities by highway or national road likeZenica,Banja Luka,Tuzla,Mostar,GoraždeandFoča.
Tourists fromCentral Europeand elsewhere visitingDalmatiadriving viaBudapestthrough Sarajevo also contribute to the traffic congestion in and around Sarajevo. The trans-European highway,Corridor Vc, runs through Sarajevo connecting it to Budapest in the north, andPločeat the Adriatic Sea in the south.The highway is being built by thegovernmentand should cost 3.5 billionEuro. Up until March 2012, theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovinainvested around 600 million euros in the A1. In 2014, the sections Sarajevo-Zenica and Sarajevo-Tarčinwere completed including theSarajevo Beltwayring road.
Sarajevo's electric tramways, in operation since 1884 and electrified since 1895, are the oldest form of public transportation in the city.Sarajevo had the first full-time (dawn to dusk) tram line in Europe, and the second in the world.Opened onNew Year's Dayin 1885, it was the testing line for the tram inViennaand theAustro-Hungarian Empire, and operated by horses. Originally built to760 mm(2 ft5+15⁄16in)Bosnian gauge, the present system in 1960 was upgraded to1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)standard gauge. The trams played a pivotal role in the growth of the city in the 20th century.
There are seven tramway lines supplemented by fivetrolleybuslines and numerous bus routes. Themain railway stationin Sarajevo is in the north-central area of the city. From there, the tracks head west before branching off in different directions, including to industrial zones in the city. Sarajevo is undergoing a major infrastructure renewal; many highways and streets are being repaved, the tram system is undergoing modernization, and new bridges and roads are under construction. In January 2021, the city bought 25 new BKM 433 trolleybuses.Tram trackrenovation lasted from August 2021 to September 2023.The city also bought 15 newStadler Tangotrams in September 2021.The first tram arrived in December 2023, while the rest are expected to arrive by the summer of 2024.An additional 10 new trams were bought, as well as 30 new buses.
TheSarajevo main railway stationwas built in 1882 for thenarrow-gauge railway. AfterWorld War II, it was decided to replace the old station by a newfunctionalistbuilding. The ceremonial completion of the station building took place in 1949. The station was electrified in 1967, as part of the early electrification program introduced in Bosnia up to 1969.
TheSarajevo–Ploče railwayprovides a connection to theAdriaticcoast. It holds the distinction of being the first 25 kV AC-electrified country in the former Yugoslavia, followed by Croatia and Serbia. Once, theEast Bosnian railwayconnected Sarajevo toBelgrade.
To solve traffic congestion in the city, Sarajevo-based architect Muzafer Osmanagić proposed a study called "Eco Energy 2010–2015", proposing a subway system underneath the bed of the riverMiljacka. The first line of Metro Sarajevo would connectBaščaršijawithOtoka. This line would cost some 150 millionKMand be financed by theEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Sarajevo International Airport(IATA:SJJ) is just a few kilometers southwest of the city and was voted Best European Airport With Under 1,000,000 Passengers at the 15th Annual ACI-Europe inMunichin 2005.
The first regular flights to Sarajevo using an airfield in the suburb ofButmirbegan in 1930 when the domestic airlinerAeroputopened a regular route linkingBelgradetoPodgoricathrough Sarajevo.Later, Aeroput opened a route that linked Sarajevo withSplit,Rijeka, andDubrovnik, and in 1938, the first international flights were introduced when Aeroput extended the route Dubrovnik – Sarajevo – Zagreb toVienna,BrnoandPrague.The airfield in Butmir remained in use until 1969.
The need for a new airport in Sarajevo, with an asphalt-concrete runway, was acknowledged in the mid-1960s whenJAT, the Yugoslav national carrier at that time, began acquiring jet planes. The construction of the airport began in 1966 at its present location, not far from the old one.
Sarajevo Airport opened on 2 June 1969 for domestic traffic. In 1970,Frankfurtbecame the first international destination served. Most of the time the airport was a 'feeder' airport where passengers embarked for flights to Zagreb and Belgrade on their way to international destinations. Over time, the traffic volume steadily grew from 70,000 to 600,000 passengers a year.Later, during theBosnian War, the airport was used forUNflights and humanitarian relief. Since theDayton Agreementin 1995, the airport retook its role as the main air portal to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2017, 957,971 passengers travelled through the airport, which was 61,4% of the total airport traffic in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Plans for the extension of the passenger terminal, together with upgrading and expanding the taxiway and apron, started in the fall of 2012. The existing terminal was expanded by approximately 7,000 m(75,347 sq ft).The upgraded airport was directly linked to the commercial retail center Sarajevo Airport Center, making it easier for tourists and travelers to spend their time before flight boarding shopping and enjoying the many amenities that are offered.Between 2015 and 2018, the airport was upgraded for more than 25 million euros.
Sarajevo istwinnedwith:
Sarajevo is befriended with:
As the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo is the main center of the country's media. Most of the communications and media infrastructure was destroyed during the war but reconstruction monitored by theOffice of the High Representativehas helped to modernize the industry as a whole.For example, the Internet was first made available to the city in 1995.
Oslobođenje(Liberation), founded in 1943, is Sarajevo's longest-running continuously circulating newspaper and the only one to survive the war. However, this long-running and trusted newspaper has fallen behindDnevni avaz(Daily Voice), founded in 1995, andJutarnje Novine(Morning News) in circulation in Sarajevo.Other local periodicals include the Croatian newspaperHrvatska riječand the Bosnian magazineStart, as well as weekly newspapersSlobodna Bosna(Free Bosnia) andBH Dani(BH Days).Novi Plamen, a monthly magazine, is the most left-wing publication.
TheRadio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina(BHRT) is Sarajevo'spublic televisionstation and was created in 1945 under the umbrella of theYugoslav Radio Television(JRT). It had its first television program aired in 1961, while continuous programming started in 1969. It is one of three main TV stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other stations based in the city includeHayat TV,O Kanal,OBN,TV Kantona SarajevoandTV Alfa.
The headquarters ofAl Jazeera Balkansis also in Sarajevo, with a broadcasting studio at the top of theARIA Centar. The news channel coversBosnia and Herzegovina,Serbia,CroatiaandMontenegroand the surroundingBalkanstates.
Many small independent radio stations exist, including established stations such asRadio M,RSG Radio(Radio Old Town), Studentski eFM Radio,Radio 202 andRadio BIR.Radio Free Europe, as well as several American and Western European stations are available.
Higher education has a long and rich tradition in Sarajevo. The first institution that can be classified as a tertiary educational institution was a school ofSufiphilosophy established byGazi Husrev-begin 1537; numerous other religious schools have been established over time. In 1887, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, aShariaLaw School began a five-year program.In the 1940s, theUniversity of Sarajevobecame the city's first secular higher education institute, effectively building upon the foundations established by the Saraybosna Hanıka in 1537. In the 1950s, post-bachelor graduate degrees became available.Severely damaged during the war, it was recently rebuilt in partnership with more than 40 other universities.
There are also several universities in Sarajevo, including:
As of 2005, there are 46 elementary schools (Grades 1–9) and 33 high schools (Grades 10–13) in Sarajevo, including three schools for children with special needs.
There are also severalinternational schoolsin Sarajevo, catering to the expatriate community; some of which areSarajevo International Schooland the French International Schoolof Sarajevo, established in 1998.
Sarajevo has been home to many different religions for centuries, giving the city a range of diverse cultures. In the time of Ottoman occupation of Bosnia,Muslims,Orthodox Christians,Roman Catholics, andSephardi Jewsall shared the city while maintaining distinctive identities. They were joined during the brief occupation byAustria-Hungaryby a smaller number ofGermans,Hungarians,Slovaks,CzechsandAshkenazi Jews. By 1909, about 50% of the city's inhabitants were Muslim, 25% were Catholic, 15% were Orthodox, and 10% were Jewish.
Historically, Sarajevo has been home to several prominent Bosnian poets, scholars, philosophers, and writers. To list only a very few;Nobel Prize-winnerVladimir Prelogis from the city, as are the writerZlatko Topčićand the poetAbdulah Sidran. Nobel Prize-winnerIvo Andrićattended high school in Sarajevo for two years.Academy Award-winning directorDanis Tanovićlives in the city.
TheSarajevo National Theatreis the oldest professional theater in Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been established in 1921.
Sarajevo is rich in museums, including theMuseum of Sarajevo, theArs AeviMuseum of Contemporary Art,Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Museum of Literature and Theatre Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and theNational Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina(established in 1888) home to theSarajevo Haggadah,anilluminated manuscriptand the oldestSephardic Jewishdocument in the worldissued inBarcelonaaround 1350, containing the traditional JewishHaggadah, is on permanent display at the museum. It is the only remaining illustratedSephardicHaggadahin the world.The National Museum also hosts year-round exhibitions about local, regional and international culture and history, and exhibits over 5,000 artifacts from Bosnia's history.
TheAlija IzetbegovićMuseum was opened on 19 October 2007 and is in the old town fort, more specifically in theVratnikKapija towers Ploča and Širokac. The museum is a commemoration of the influence and body of work of Alija Izetbegović, the firstpresident of the Presidencyof theRepublic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo is also home to theWar Childhood Museum, an independent not-for-profit museum containing personal belongings from the war and showing stories behind them. In addition, in 2018, the museum won theCouncil of Europe Museum Prize awardfor best museum.
The city also hosts theSarajevo National Theatre, established in 1921, and theSarajevo Youth Theatre. Some othercultural institutionsinclude the Center for Sarajevo Culture,Sarajevo City Library,National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and theBosniak Institute, a privately owned library and art collection focusing on Bosniak history.
Demolitions associated with the war, as well as reconstruction, destroyed several institutions and cultural orreligious symbolsincluding theGazi Husrev-beg Library, the national library, theSarajevo Oriental Institute, and a museum dedicated to the1984 Winter Olympics. Consequently, the different levels of government established strong cultural protection laws and institutions.Bodies charged with cultural preservation in Sarajevo include the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical andNatural Heritageof Bosnia and Herzegovina (and their Sarajevo Canton counterpart), and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
Sarajevo is and has historically been one of the most important musical enclaves in the region. The Sarajevo school ofpop rockdeveloped in the city between 1961 and 1991. This type of music began with bands likeIndexi,Kodeksi, and singer-songwriterKemal Monteno. It continued into the 1980s, with bands such asPlavi orkestar,Crvena jabuka, andDivlje jagode, by most accounts, pioneering theregionalrock and roll movement. Sarajevo was also the home and birthplace of arguably the most popular and influential Yugoslavrock bandof all time,Bijelo Dugme, somewhat of a Bosnian parallel to theRolling Stones, in both popularity and influence.
Sarajevo was also the home of a very notablepost-punkurban subculture known as theNew Primitives, which began during the early 1980s with the Baglama Band which was banned shortly after its first LP and was brought into the mainstream through bands such asZabranjeno PušenjeandElvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors, as well as theTop lista nadrealistaradio, and later television show. Other notable bands considered to be part of this subculture areBombaj Štampa. Besides and separately from the New Primitives, Sarajevo is the hometown to one of the most significantex-Yugoslavianalternativeindustrial-noisebands,SCH.
Perhaps more importantly, Sarajevo in the late 19th and throughout the 20th century was home to a burgeoning and large center ofSevdalinkarecord-making and contributed greatly to bringing this historical genre of music to the mainstream, which had for many centuries been a staple of Bosnian culture. Songwriters and musicians such asHimzo Polovina,Safet Isović,Zaim Imamović,Zehra Deović,Halid Bešlić,Hanka Paldum,Nada Mamula,Meho Puzićand many more composed and wrote some of their most important pieces in the city.
Sarajevo also greatly influenced the pop scene of Yugoslavia with musicians likeZdravko Čolić, Kemal Monteno,Dino Merlin,Seid Memić Vajta,Hari Mata Hari,Mladen Vojičić Tifa,Željko Bebekand many more.
Many newer Sarajevo-based bands have also found a name and established themselves in Sarajevo, such asReginawho also had two albums out in Yugoslavia, and Letu Štuke, who actually formed their band in Yugoslavia with the famous Bosnian-American writerAleksandar Hemonand got their real breakthrough later in the 2000s. Sarajevo is now home to an important and eclectic mix of new bands and independent musicians, which continue to thrive with the ever-increasing number of festivals, creative showcases, and concerts around the country. The city is also home to the region's largest jazz festival, theJazz Fest Sarajevo.
American heavy metal bandSavatage, released a song entitled "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" on their 1995 albumDead Winter Dead, which was about acelloplayer playing a forgottenChristmas carolin war-torn Sarajevo. The song was later re-released by the same band under the nameTrans-Siberian Orchestraon their 1996 debut albumChristmas Eve and Other Stories, which the song gave them instant success.
Sarajevo is internationally renowned for its eclectic and diverse selection of over 50 annual festivals. TheSarajevo Film Festivalwas established in 1995 during theBosnian Warand has become the premier and largest film festival inSoutheast Europe.It has been hosted at theNational Theater, with screenings at the Open-air theater Metalac and theBosnian Cultural Center, all in downtown Sarajevo. TheMESS International Festivalis an experimental theatre festival and the oldest living theatre festival in the Balkans.The annualSarajevo Youth Film Festivalshowcases feature, animated and short films from around the world and is the premier student film festival in the Balkans.TheSarajevo Winter Festival,Jazz Fest Sarajevoand Sarajevo International Music Festival are well-known, as is theBaščaršija Nightsfestival, a month-long showcase of local culture, music, and dance.
The first incarnation of the Sarajevo Film Festival was hosted in still-warring Sarajevo in 1995, and has now progressed into being the biggest and most significant festival in Southeast Europe.A talent campus is also held during the duration of the festival, with lecturers speaking on behalf of world cinematography and holding workshops for film students from across Southeast Europe.
TheJazz Fest Sarajevois the region's largest and most diverse of its kind. The festival takes place at theBosnian Cultural Center(aka "Main Stage"), just down the street from the SFF, at the Sarajevo Youth Stage Theater (aka "Strange Fruits Stage"), at theDom Vojske Federacije(aka "Solo Stage"), and at the CDA (aka "Groove Stage").
Sarajevo hosted the1984 Winter Olympics. Yugoslavia won one medal, a silver in men's giant slalom awarded toJure Franko.Many of the Olympic facilities survived the war or were reconstructed, including theZetra Olympic HallandAsim Ferhatović Stadium. In an attempt to bring back some of Sarajevo's Olympic glory,the original Olympic luge and bobsled tracks are being repaired, due to the efforts of both theOlympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovinaand local sports enthusiasts.
After co-hosting the Southeast Europe Friendship games, Sarajevo was awarded the 2009Special Olympicwinter games,but canceled these plans.The ice arena for the 1984 Olympics, Zetra Stadium, was used during the war as a temporary hospital and, later, for housingNATOtroops of theIFOR.
In 2011, Sarajevo was the host city of the 51st World Military Skiing Championship with over 350 participants from 23 different nations. This was the first international event of such standing since the 1984 Olympics.Footballis popular in Sarajevo; the city hostsFK SarajevoandFK Željezničar, which both compete in European and international cups and tournaments and have a very large trophy cabinet in the former Yugoslavia as well as independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other notable football clubs includeOlimpik,SAŠKandSlavija. One of only three stadiums in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has theUEFAcategory 3 is theGrbavica Stadium, the home stadium of Željezničar.
Another popular sport is basketball; the basketball clubKK Bosnawon theEuropean Championshipin 1979 as well as many Yugoslav and Bosnian national championships, making it one of the greatest basketball clubs in the former Yugoslavia. The chess club,Bosna Sarajevo, has been a championship team since the 1980s and is the third-ranked chess club in Europe, having won four consecutive European championships in the nineties. Handball clubRK Bosnaalso competes in the European Champions League and is considered one of the most well-organized handball clubs in Southeast Europe with a very largefan baseand excellent national, as well as international results.
Sarajevo often holds international events and competitions in sports such astennisandkickboxing.
The popularity of tennis has been picking up in recent years. Since 2003,BH Telecom Indoorshas been an annual tennis tournament in Sarajevo.
Since 2007, theSarajevo Half Marathonhas been organized every year in late September.Giro di Sarajevois also a run in the city with over 2,200 cyclists taking part in 2015.
In February 2019, Sarajevo andEast Sarajevohosted theEuropean Youth Olympic Winter Festival(EYOWF).