The European Jerusalem

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"And at whatever time of day, and from whatever corner you set your
sights on Sarajevo - you always, and without specific intention, think the
same thing: that is a city. A city that both nears its end and is
dying, yet simultaneously is being born and growing." - Ivo Andric

The city of Sarajevo came into existence
on the exact place whose center is the crossroads of East and West, of
Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, of Christianity and Islam, of
Austrian boulevards and Ottoman shops, of modern skyscrapers and
European squares.

The transition from East to West is much more than a metaphor; in
Sarajevo, it is literal, geographical process. From the Ottoman East
with it's magnificent mosques and Oriental architecture, through the
Austrian Center with it's proud churches and European architecture, to
the modern West with it's towering buildings and wide highways.

"In this valley, an amazing alchemy of
cultures and religions merges into a single one - yet, each keeps
something of its character and is recognizable for what it is. Light
from the same source passes through the stained glass windows of the
Katedrala, illuminates the gem that is Begova Mosque, lights of the
central chandeleir of the Church of the Lord's Holy Transfiguration,
and caresses the ancient Soloman's Seal, the Star of David.
Nevertheless, it is all one whole, which could hardly be modified in
any way. Trying to understand Sarajevo is one of the nicer things one can do in this world." - Ilidza

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Edited by Mila