Adriatic Adventure: Mostar

Before I wrap up my Adriatic Adventure series with Rome, let's backtrack a little bit to our time spent in Dubrovnik.  Wanting a change of scenery during our last day in Croatia, we took an unplanned guided trip from Dubrovnik (there are a handful of companies to choose from) to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.  We're big into planning vacations, but sometimes we like to be spontaneous. Sometimes. ;)

Mostar is about a three hour drive from Dubrovnik when you take into account all of the border crossings.  I think we crossed borders three times each way due to the route.  Before we got Mostar, though, we stopped at Počitelj, a small city in the Čapljina Municipality.  During the middle ages it was the administrative center and center of governance of Dubrava župa (county) and its westernmost point gave it a strategic advantage.  The town fell to the Ottomans in 1471 and, once the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell in 1878, it lost its strategic importance and began to deteriorate.

However, it's this loss of its strategic importance that has helped preserve some of the original architecture.  Unfortunately, though, Počitelj suffered damage during the 1992-1996 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Shortly afterwards in 1996 it was named by World Monuments Watch as one of the world's 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites.

Nevertheless, we took in as much as we could despite only having 30 minutes to take it all in.  For a small fee we went inside the Mosque Šišman Ibrahim-Paša (pictured in the first photo above), which was built by Hadži Alija between 1562-63. This was the first mosque I'd ever had the pleasure to see.  Počitelj is slightly more traditional than Mostar in that they A) require women to wear a head scarf to enter the mosque and B) ban photos.  (I wasn't about to disrespect the mosque, so if you'd like photos of the inside, be my guest and Google it.)  Unfortunately, it was badly damaged during the 1992-1996 war--its dome and minaret were destroyed.  Thankfully, it's been rehabilitated.

Počitelj also has a fort (second photo), which was built between the 15th and 18th centuries.  It suffered no serious damage during the war.

After visiting Počitelj, we made it to Mostar.  One of the first things we were advised about were pickpockets and that we should keep our bags in front of us.  Our Mostar tour guide then launched into a short story about how just the day before he'd caught a pickpocket in the act and shamed her away.  The second thing we were advised about is that people prefer not to talk about the war and to be sensitive and to respect their wishes.  

One of the things I really liked about Mostar is the number of traditions they have.  Mostar is known for its Stari Most, or Old Bridge, where today it's a rite of passage to jump from it as a youth.  You'll often see locals taking money from tourists before they jump from the bridge, seen above.  UNESCO has a wonderful write up about Stari Most, which spans over the Neretva River,  and the cultural interaction during the time of its original construction.  Simply put, the Old Bridge was a symbol of tolerance between Muslims, Christians, and Jews for over 400 years.  Again, the war caused quite a bit of damage and destroyed the Old Bridge in 1993.  It was rebuilt in 2004.

Near the Old Bridge is the Kriva Cuprija (or the Crooked Bridge). It spans the Rabobolja creek and closesly resembles the Old Bridge albeit in smaller scale.

When we finally sat down for lunch I had to order a Bosnian coffee.  (It was so hot that day...my face is quite red!)  It's very similar to Turksih coffee.  What defines Bosnian coffee, though, is how it's prepared: unfiltered, with a thick layer of "mud," or grounds, at the bottom of the cup.  The coffee is ground to a particular coarseness, added to water, and vigorously stirred in a copper pot as it comes to a boil.  You're supposed to drink it slowly; and if you take sugar, put it in the cup first, then pour the coffee over it.  It wasn't as strong as I thought it would be, but I'm also not incredibly susceptible to caffeine, either.  Either way, I loved the experience!

After lunch we did some shopping on Coppersmiths' Street.  This street is absolutely lovely with colors galore as far as the eye can see!  I was astonished at how incredibly affordable everything is, especially for handmade items.  For example, I walked away with a handmade copper bangle, a patterened leather purse, and a copper plate for under $80.  This was honestly the place where we bought most of our souvenirs.

Not only were the prices great for us, but it also had the most interesting display of items from which to choose that would actually mean something to us.  We're not big shoppers when we travel, but when we do purchase something, we make sure it represents a part of our trip in which we had a wonderful time.  If I had more room in my pack and wasn't afraid of things breaking during the flight back home I probably would have walked away with a few more items!

We also made sure to visit the Koski Mehmet-Pasha Mosque, which was built in the early 17th century.  Unlike in Počitelj, I didn't have to wear a head scarf and we were allowed to take photos inside, where it was beautiful and peaceful.  Once inside, you see the mihrab (pictured), which is oriented toward Mecca.  To the right is a small stairway that symbolizes the growth of Islam and serves as a sort of "pulpit" where the cleric gives a speech.  The top stair is symbolically reserved for Muhammed.

To get to the top you have to climb a very narrow and winding staircase (of 89 stairs), only half of which is illuminated.  It wasn't so bad going up, but going down those steep steps in the dark made the descent pretty slow for me.

But the climb is well worth it.  Just look at that perfect view of the Old Bridge from the minaret of the mosque!

Last, but certainly not least, we paid some silent respects to some of the fallen during the war in the New Muslim Cemetery.  It was actually a park before the war, but the more exposed cemeteries became unusable during the war, so this tree-covered area was relatively safe from snipers.  All of the tombs are dated from the 1990's.

Before I took this trip I really didn't know much about the war that took place in this region, so it was definitely a learning experience.  I won't get into the history here, but there's plenty of information about it from my Rick Steves travel guide book to the internet.

That said, I really enjoyed visiting Mostar even though we were only there for a few hours.  (Can you tell?!  I about wrote a book here!)  It was another highlight of our trip.  The only thing we would have done differently is that we would have left the tour guide early on in the tour.  His information was interesting, but it wasn't anything we hadn't already gleaned from our guide book.  Respectfully leaving would have given us time to explore more of the city without feeling rushed after lunch.  Another tip is that these two cities (I can't vouch for the rest of the country) take their own Mark as well as the Croatian kuna and the euro.  Technically I don't think they're supposed to do that, but it sure did make it easier for us to pay in cash.

Anyway, long story short, Mostar is absolutely worth the day trip.  Not only is it a historical eye opener, but you get introduced to a mix of cultures here, slowly rebuilding.