The Mostar Bridge, which was buried in the waters of the Neretva River as a result of the attack of Croatian artillery units aiming to destroy the Turkish and Muslim cultural heritage in Mostar during the bloody war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, continues to unite the two sides of the city as a symbol of peace and tolerance on the 33rd anniversary of its collapse.
Mostar Bridge, one of the important structures of Turkish architectural history, which is shown among the important cultural monuments of the world with its location and architectural structure, could not withstand the intense fire launched by Croatian artillery on November 8, 1993, and was buried in the waters of the Neretva River on November 9, 33 years ago.
The historical building that gave its name to the city of Mostar continues to bring together cultures and civilizations today.
The bridge, which Evliya Çelebi praised as "unique" in his travelogue, is known as the "Ottoman Necklace" of the Neretva River.
The bridge, which connects the two sides of the city, has brought Bosnians and Croats together for 5 centuries, contributing to the multi-ethnic structure of the city.
The people of the region, who see this symbolic structure in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia, known for its greenery and nature, as "a piece of themselves", and those who witnessed the collapse of the bridge due to the attacks of the Croats, keep those moments in their memories as a "dark day".
Jumping platform for brave young people
The bridge, built in 1566 by Mimar Hayreddin, a student of Mimar Sinan, who is considered the most important name in the history of Ottoman architecture, is considered one of the most beautiful examples of Turkish-Islamic architecture.
The bridge, built of cut stone, single-eyed and pointed arch, at the deepest and narrowest point of the Neretva River, has a distance of 24 meters between its highest point and the water.
What makes the bridge unique is not only its architectural beauty, but also the traditions kept alive on it. "Intrepid" young people from Mostar, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, use the bridge as a jumping platform where they demonstrate their courage.
It is reported in historical sources that the muezzins of the historical mosque next to the bridge recited the adhan at the height in the middle of the bridge. Sources also state that during the Yugoslav period, a pilot flew under the bridge arch with his small plane, and this was not allowed to happen again.
The bridge, which attracts great interest from tourists, is among the most visited places in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans.
The moment of collapse was caught on camera
During the war, artillery units of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) came under intense fire on the bridge on November 8, 1993. Unable to withstand the shots, the bridge collapsed at 10.16 the next day. These images of the bridge, whose collapse moment was recorded on video, came to light years after the war.
The collapse of the bridge that connected different cultures and civilizations for centuries was one of the events that attracted the most reaction from the world public opinion during the war in Bosnia.
He stood up again with the support of Türkiye
The bridge, which was rebuilt in accordance with its original form with the support of some countries and international organizations, including Türkiye, was reopened with a magnificent ceremony in 2004. A year later, the Mostar Bridge, along with the old city of Mostar extending on both sides, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The collapse of the bridge, which is seen as a symbol of peace and tolerance today and plays an important role in re-establishing close relations between people of different religions and ethnic backgrounds in the city, is commemorated with ceremonies held on November 9 every year.
