Architectural Workshop

It's an interesting read, and some nice photographs...

"The opening session of the 10th Mostar Architectural Workshop was started with a workshop summary by Amir Pasic. He welcomed all the participants.  Professor Pasic noted that the summer of 2004 was a juncture of unprecedented importance and potential for Mostar as well as for those outside onlookers with a stake in the issues related to its successful development.

That year, with the ongoing help of international community, Mostar is concluding its first major phase of urban rehabilitation designed to preserve its character and simultaneously meet the complex needs of its residents.

He concluded his overview by emphasizing the completion of this phase was to be punctuated with formal inauguration and dedication of the new Old Bridge on July 23, 2004, and he added that this event will attract high-profile politicians, dignitaries, donors, and institutional leaders from around the world, many of whom have provided substantial funding for the realization of the bridge reconstruction process.



Early in the morning after breakfast, we took the bus and after 20 minutes trip we came to Blagaj. We start climbing up the hill to reach Blagaj Fortress. Though it was too hot and coming to noon time, with giving short breaks on the way, we managed to climb up. Actually, it was worth to see the whole city from the old ruins of the castle. It was so interesting to see how the river was flowing through the city and fish farms nearby also the perfect combination of greenery with river and housing complexes.

Later we walked down the hill, ate our lunch and took our way to the famous Dervish Tekija which is settled by the source of the river leaning on the high slope of the mountains. It was so peaceful to rest there for a while and have Turkish coffee together. Some of us tried to go into the cave by boat where the river source comes from, some of us visited the Tekija inside to see a traditional Ottoman building. Soon we turned back to Mostar.





Early in the morning we started our Authentic Bosnia tour with Stolac which is not far from Mostar. First, we visited the Car�ija Mosque which has a very colorful facade and destructed during the war and then rebuilt. This city that roots to pre-historic times has a Roman fortress from 3 rd century and a Necropolis of Radimlja from 13 th century. In the city you can see the Ottoman influence from 16 th century and Austria-Hungarian from 19 th century.





Later we visited the Begovina housing complex along the Bregava River which is from Ottoman period.

After visiting Stolac, we took bus and came to Pocitelj. For some of us, who saw this town several times, it was such a great experience to see how the town is changing and getting better year by year after the war. This town also dates to medieval periods because of the fortress on the hills of Pocitelj. In 1998 it was like an abandoned city. Now, it seems after the reconstruction of the Hadji Ali mosque, Guest House and Hamam, the town gained its' natural and cultural heritage back.

Some of us enjoyed under the shadow of the big tree in the courtyard of the Mosque and some of us wanted to climb up the steep slope to reach the ruins of the castle. Later we had a big lunch and turned back to Mostar in the evening.

After dinner we visited the exhibition called �Painters to Mostar� in Gallery of Queen Katarina. There are many paintings from various local painters.



We started very early in the morning to take the train and start a new tour to Sarajevo . After having a 4 hour travel which was very nice to see such greenery all the way, we came to Sarajevo . We started walking from the new developed part of the city to Bosnian Institute which has a very nice high-tech building combined with and old hamam which is used as museum and cultural centre. We continued our trip visiting the National Library which was burned during the war. Now it is under reconstruction and used as a museum recently.

The groups divided and some of us wanted to visit the famous and the only example of Ottoman Housing Complex.

Later, we had free time to hang around in the city till the departure time of the train and we came to Mostar late at night.





This time we started a two days trip. The tour started visiting the town called Jajce. Jajce's most important feature is the waterfalls, which provide a strong symbol for the city. With its beautiful watermills, the lakes area is suitable for recreational activities such as fishing and water sports. In Jajce, it is possible to trace the signs of various cultures, ranging from the pre-historian times. First, we visited the catacomb of a royal family and with the help of a tour guide we had very useful information about the town. After a quick tour around castle, we walked on the main street of the town to the park to see the waterfall which gives the identity to the town.





Later we took the bus and start moving to Vlasic which is a famous mountain district in winter season for winter sports and holidays and we spent one night in the mountains. Other morning after having a delicious breakfast we continued our way to Travnik keeping in our minds to come back to this beautiful place in winter time.





We stopped in front of the museum of Travnik and started our tour. With the help of Senka and the person who is in charge with the museum, we had much useful information about this town. Later, we visited Ivo Andric's house. Ivo Andric is a writer who won Nobel Prize for literature. He was born in this house and this house is used as museum and open to public recently. We saw his library and all his books all his pictures while taking the Nobel Prize. Later, we walked to Sulejmanije Mosque which was built in 1816. This mosque has a difference from the other mosques with having a colored facade and from the street having a colonnade arched spaces with shops.





After visiting the mosque we started climbing up to the hills where the city was first settled with its castle. As we learned, while we were walking up to the castle of the town, Travnik has been settled for 5000 years. Three thousand years ago the region was inhabited by the Illyrian's, who mixed with Celts in about 400 B.C. Later came the Roman Period. When Romans conquered the Valley of Lasva , they built many new settlements. The South Slavs settled the Balkan peninsula in the 7th century and assimilated the native population. In the 12th century the Travnik region became part of the medieval Bosnian state. The Hungarian King Bela IV issued a charter in 1244, announcing he gave to Ban Matija Ninoslav an estate in the district of La�va. The name of the town probably stems from the word trava (grass) because there was an official in the district who collected grass-taxes from the many livestock owners who brought their herds to graze in this area. In 1878, Austro-Hungarian rule came to Travnik. It brought with it, development and industry, including the Travnik Tobacco Factory, a Match Factory, and the introduction of a national railroad system. There was a marvelous view from the top of the castle through the city. We gave a short break there to see all panorama of the city. Soon we went down the hill and have our lunch in the Plava voda restaurant.





Around 5 p.m. we took the bus and went to Trebinje which is in the Serbian territory. As the weather turned and the rain started we just had a quick walk around the town, took the bus and came to Mostar. As conclusion we finished our Bosnia trip and for everybody it was such an experience to see the differences between these cities and we had chance to compare Mostar with the other towns also the most important among these, we figured out what Bosnia has in order to be Authentic.





After breakfast, Judith Bing and Brooke Harrington took the students for a trip to Mostar. Later around 5 p.m. Yildiz Technical University presented their work which they were working for one semester. After the discussion on their work, participants liked to make an overview about what they learned or experienced by traveling all around Bosnia .

Around 6.30 p.m., members of the Commission for Preservation of National monuments of BH came and they introduced themselves and gave a presentation about their working process and with the participation of the experts and students, they discussed about the destroyed cultural heritage of Bosnia and how it should be restored. Following the round table we visited the photo exhibition called �Cultural Memory- A vanishing treasure� organized by the commission to preserve national monuments.



JAJCE

Team members: Mladen Burazor, Cagri Ekmekci, Elif Kendir, Hande Koksal, Lorenada Lorusso, Bengi Lostar, Geritt Platel, Vincenzo Tandoi, Mine Topcubasi, Kubra Yilmaz.

The region is connected with the rest of BiH by M-5 and M-16 highways. The town of Jajce is located on the confluence of the Pliva into Vrbas.

Two rivers flow through this region: the Vrbas and the Pliva, both of them rich in high quality fish. 5km away from the town there are two lakes- Great and Small Pliva lakes. Jajce's most important feature is the waterfalls, which provide a strong symbol for the city.

The area is dominated by attractive forests and dense greenery situated on steep mountain slopes.

With its beautiful watermills, the lakes area is suitable for recreational activities such as fishing and water sports.





Urban Shape, Symbol of the Town

Problem: There are abandoned and destructed many buildings. This causes the loss of original, compact, urban shape that characterized the town until beginning of the XX century.

Proposal: Study of the existing buildings (in special way dwelling houses) and individuation of their functional, structural (materials and technologies) and esthetic characteristics. The purpose of this study is to give a base for the restructuring and the reconstruction in the STARI GRAD to restore the city's old image, symbol of Jajce.



TRAVNIK

Team members: Aurelia Pacelli, Gianfranco Plantamura, Constantino Surgo, Sead Hadzibeganovic, Zehra Telseren, Burak Ata, Kathryn Hannah, Isil Polat, Monica Mercado, Rachael Koffman, Betul Yanilmaz

Travnik is a city in the centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina , and is worth consideration in planning the future of the country. It is advantageously located on the main route going between Banja Luka & Zagreb and Zenica & Sarajevo. The town has been settled on the Valley of La�va River. Its long history has given the town a rich heritage.

Short History of Travnik

The Travnik region has been settled for five thousand years. In the 12th century the Travnik region became part of the medieval Bosnian state. During Ottoman occupation, Travnik was used as the stronghold for further south-west invasions. Travnik was the headquarters of the Bosnian vezir and center of Ottoman power from 1699 to 1851. Becoming regional capital city it developed with the features of Ottoman public facilities as mosques, madrasa and commercial areas as Bedestan. New Mosque built in 1549 with a squared plan covered dome. It may become an example for the ones which had built in same style as Karagozbeg Mosque in Mostar in 1557. One of the last examples of Ottoman period mosque is the Sulejmanije Mosque rebuilt in 1757. The mosque has decoration on the facade as it is not a custom for Ottoman Mosque, the ornamentation and decoration is made by the local craftsmen in a local style. Mosque built above a bedesten with 29 shops for provide money for the mosque.

In 1878, Austro-Hungarian rule came to Travnik and brought with it development and industry, including the Travnik Tobacco Factory, a Match Factory, and the introduction of a national railroad system. Travnik had a new architectural style resembling to the East European cities. Large scale public buildings introduced. In the rich context of 19th century, Travnik had many architectural examples realized in the Orientalist style, much more than other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina .