Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a ton of character

Mostar does not hide its character.  It is an Ottoman jewel with its history written in bullet holes, old cobbled streets, and the creases on the faces of old Mostarians.  It is the rare place that is easier to picture 400 years ago than 20 years ago, when the Croat-Bosniak war tore the town to shreds, taking with it every bridge and several buildings as well as lives, but all the while, making the character of Mostar that much stronger.  

Even the perfect Stari Most bridge that connects the city above the emerald Neretva river was destroyed, but it took an estimated 60 shells of tank fire to take down the 400 year old masterpiece. 

In the early nineties, CNN called Mostar a permanent shooting gallery with 50 casualties per day.  Every graveyard was full, so bodies were buried in parks.  It was a war so complicated that after researching it for a couple days, I am even more confused than when I began.  There is an old video at the end of this post if you want to see what Mostar was like 20 years ago.

So why come to Mostar?  Beauty and hope.  

The town is absolutely beautiful, just like its people, who still manage to crack a smile despite 40% unemployment.  It may have been bombed, beaten, and sieged, but Mostar never lost its identity as a beautiful place to take in a history that ripens with each passing day.  The cafes blare Balkan music, the summer sunsets are long drawn out affairs, and cats play in dimly lit back alleys, more curious than threatening.  

As for hope, this is not a place where one thought he could visit twenty years ago.  And yet, the tour buses embark for Mostar daily.   It gives me hope that in 20 years who knows what other destinations will be unlocked and open to travelers.

 The old town of Mostar 

 A moon hangs in the Balkan sky

 A plate of local food

 One of Mostar's many mosques 

 The famous Stari Most bridge, rebuilt in 2004 after being destroyed after 4 centuries of existence in the war of teh early nineties 

 A bunch of cafes and restaurants line the Neretva River on both banks 

 Most buildings are very old and have survived many wars 

 Some Muslim women sit at the waterfront 

 Some locals at a bar

 PS3 and PS2 arcade 

 A more modern house 

 Kristin really enjoyed the shopping scene in Mostar 

 An old building inside a mosque courtyard 

 Ottoman influences are everywhere 

 Fabrics 

 Mosque courtyard

 There are graves everywhere, as they ran out of space at the graveyards during the war

 Kristin and the bridge 

 The bridge with surrounding old town 

 Some guys celebrating 

 Some awesome mannys

 The two towers on each side of the river are called Mostaris or bridge keepers

 A little Medieval

 Kristin buying copper goods

 Details details 

 How many times can I take a picture of the same thing?  Ask Kristin 

 Lots of little kids with moms

 Some local dress - I dont even remember taking this picture 

 A diver about to jump from the 70+ foot tall bridge 

 The area is beautiful and the river is the strangest shade of green 

 Some old cafes

 Windows 

 Spinach stuffed with rice and meat 

 Tiers

 Peddlers

 I love the door shutters

 An old cobbled street 

 Bullet holes can be seen in many buildings and some are still bombed out 

 The call to prayer echos throughout the Muslim and Christian city

 A newer part of town

 Some markets 

 View from the Stari Most 

 Our place the Muslibegovic House, which doubles as a hotel 

Old Hajj passport

 Inside our hotel 

 Great place to buy fabrics 

 Some guys jamming on the waterfront.  How Serbian does the guy in grey tank look?

 Minaret looms over the river 

 This bridge is incredible in person, looks like something out of an alternate universe, or maybe game of thrones 

 A shop keeper jamming 

 This guy was the jam - Mostar has very exotic looking women

The surrounding mountains flank Mostar 

 Age 

 Some Bosniak women amble down a main road 

 The waterfront 

 HDR of a Mostar bridge jumper

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