Sarajevo, Jerusalem of the Balkans
Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 03:19 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union General , Union for the Mediterranean
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Old Town with Sebilj Fountain © Muu-karhu
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Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 291,000 people in the four municipalities that make up the city proper, and a metro-area population of 515,000 people in the Sarajevo Canton. It is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, as well as the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Sarajevo is located in the Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River. The city is famous for its traditional religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism coexisting there for centuries. Due to this long and rich history of religious diversity, Sarajevo has often been called the “Jerusalem of Europe” or “Jerusalem of the Balkans”.
Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century. Sarajevo has attracted international attention several times throughout its history. In 1885 Sarajevo 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, the first being San Francisco, California. In 1914 it was the site of the assassination that sparked World War I. Seventy years later, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. For nearly four years, from 1992–1996, the city suffered under the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War for independence.
Avaz Twist Tower, headquarters of the newspaper Dnevni avaz © Bosniak
Today the city is recovering and adjusting to a post-war reality, as a major center of culture and economic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The travel guide series, Lonely Planet, has named 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.
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