Mostar is the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region, its cultural

capital and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated
on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the
bridge keepers (natively: mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old
Bridge) over the Neretva. The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of
Bosnia and Herzegovina's most recognizable landmarks, and is considered one of the most
exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans.

Human settlements on the river Neretva, between the Hum Hill and the Velez Mountain, have
existed since prehistory, as witnessed by discoveries of fortified enceintes and cemeteries.
Evidence of Roman occupation was discovered beneath the present town.

As far as medieval Mostar goes, although the Christian basilicas of late antiquity remained in
use, few historical sources were preserved and not much is known about this period. The name of
Mostar was first mentioned in a document dating from 1474, taking its name from the bridge-
keepers (mostari); this refers to the existence of a wooden bridge from the market on the left
bank of the river which was used by traders, soldiers, and other travelers. During this time it was
also the seat of a kadiluk (district with a regional judge). Since Mostar was on the trade route
between the Adriatic and the mineral-rich regions of central Bosnia, the settlement began to
spread to the right bank of the river.

However, prior to the 1474 the names of two towns appear in medieval historical sources, along
with their later medieval territories and properties – the towns of Nebojsha and Cimski grad. In
the early 15th century the late medieval county of Vechenike covered the site of the present day
Mostar along the right bank of the Neretva: Zahum, Cim, Ilici, Hrashtani and Vojno. It was at the
center of this area, which in 1408 belonged to the Radivojevic's, that Cim fort was built (prior to
1443). Mostar is indirectly referred to in a charter of King Alfonso V of Aragon dating from
1454 as Pons (Bridge), for a bridge had already been built there. Prior to 1444, the Nebojsha fort
was built on the left bank of the Neretva, which belonged to the late medieval county still known
as Vechenike or Vecheric. The earliest documentary reference to Mostar as a settlement dates
from April 3, 1452, when natives of Dubrovnik wrote to their fellow countrymen in the service
of Djordje Brankovic to say that Vladislav Hercegovic had turned against his father and occupied
the town called Blagaj and other places, including “Duo Castelli al ponte de Neretua.”.

In 1468 Mostar came under Ottoman rule and the urbanization of the settlement began.
Following the unwritten oriental rule, the town was organized into two distinct areas: charshija,
the crafts and commercial centre of the settlement, and mahala or a residential area. In 1468
Mostar acquired the name Köprühisar, meaning fortress at the bridge, at the centre of which was
a cluster of 15 houses.
The oldest single arch stone bridge in Mostar, the Kriva Cuprija ("Sloping Bridge"), was built in
1558 by the Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. It is said that this was to be a test before the
major construction of the Stari Most began. The Old Bridge was completed in 1566 and was
hailed as one of the greatest architectural achievement in the Ottoman controlled Balkans. This
single-arch stone bridge is an exact replica of the original bridge that stood for over 400 years
and that was designed by Hajrudin, a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan,was erected in
1566 on the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman rule.
It spans 28.7 meters of the Neretva river, 21 meters above the summer water level. The Halebija
and Tara towers have always housed the guardians of the bridge and during Ottoman times were
also used as storehouses for ammunition. The arch is a perfect semicircle 8.56 m in width and
4.15 m in height. The frontage and vault are made of regular stone cubes incorporated into the
horizontal layers all along the vault. The space between vault, frontal walls and footpath is filled
with cracked stone. The bridge footpath and the approaching roads are paved with cobblestones,
as is the case with the main roads in the town. Stone steps enable people to ascend to the bridge
either side. During the armed conflict between Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats in the Bosnian
War in the 1990s, the bridge was destroyed by the Croatian Defence Council. The Old
Bridge (Stari Most), . Later becoming the city's symbol, it is one of the most important structures
of the Ottoman era and perhaps Bosnia's most recognizable architectural piece.
The famous traveler Evliya Çelebija wrote in the 17th century that: the bridge is like a rainbow
arch soaring up to the skies, extending from one cliff to the other. ...I, a poor and miserable
slave of Allah, have passed through 16 countries, but I have never seen such a high bridge. It is
thrown from rock to rock as high as the sky.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in 1878 and it ruled there until the aftermath of
World War I in 1918.
After the World War II, Mostar developed a production of plastics (fundamentally used in toilet
seats) tobacco, bauxite, wine, aircraft and aluminium products.
Several dams (Grabovica, Salakovac, Mostar) were built in the region to harness the
hydroelectric power of the Neretva. The city was a major industrial and tourist center and
prospered economically during the time of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Between 1992 and 1993, after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia,
the town was subject to an 18 month siege. The Yugoslavian People's Army (JNA) first bombed
Mostar on April 3, 1992 and over the following week gradually established control over a large
part of the town. By June 12, 1992 the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the 4th Corps of
the ARBiH (which was one of five later seven corps formed in 1992) in a joined action amassed
enough strength to force the JNA out of Mostar. The JNA responded with shelling. Amongst the
monuments destroyed were a Franciscan monastery, the Catholic cathedral and
the bishop's palace (with a library of 50,000 books), a number of secular institutions as well as
the Karadjoz-bey mosque, and thirteen other mosques.
Mostar has architecturally noteworthy buildings in a wide range of
styles. Historicist architectural styles reflected cosmopolitan interest and exposure to foreign
aesthetic trends and were artfully merged with indigenous styles. Examples include the Italianate
Franciscan church, the Ottoman Muslibegovicha house, the Dalmatian Corovic House and an
Orthodox church which was built as gift from the Sultan.

Out of the thirteen original mosques dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, seven have been
lost during the 20th century for ideological reasons or by bombardment. One of the two 19th-
century Orthodox churches has also disappeared, while the early 20th-century synagogue, after
suffering severe damage in the World War II, has been converted into a theatre. Several Ottoman
inns also survived, along with other buildings from this period of Mostar's history, such as
fountains and schools.

The majority of administrative buildings are from the Austro-Hungarian period and have
neoclassical and Secessionist characteristics. A number of surviving late Ottoman houses
demonstrate the component features of this form of domestic architecture - upper storey for
residential use, hall, paved courtyard, and verandah on one or two storeys. The later 19th-century
residential houses are predominantly in neoclassical style.

A number of early trading and craft buildings still exist, notably some low shops in wood or
stone, stone storehouses, and a group of former tanneries round an open courtyard. Once again,
the 19th-century commercial buildings are predominantly neoclassical. A number of elements of
the early fortifications are visible. Namely the Hercegusa Tower dating from the medieval
period, whereas the Ottoman defence edifices are represented by the Halebinovka and Tara
Towers - the watchtowers on the ends of the Old Bridge, and a stretch of the ramparts.

During the period of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878–1918), Mostar’s city council cooperated with
the Austro-Hungarians to implement sweeping reforms in city planning: broad avenues and an
urban grid were imposed on the western bank of the Neretva, and significant investments were
made in infrastructure, communications and housing. City administrators like Mustafa Mujaga
Komadina were central players in these transformations, which facilitated growth and linked the
eastern and western banks of the city. Noteworthy examples of Austro-Hungarian architecture
include the Municipality building, which was designed by the architect Josip Vancas from
Sarajevo, Residential districts around the Rondo, and the Gymnasium from 1902 designed
by Franz Blazek.

Between 1948 and 1974 the industrial base was expanded with construction of a metal-working
factory, cotton textile mills, and an aluminum plant. Skilled workers, both men and women,
entered the work force and the social and demographic profile of the city was broadened
dramatically; between 1945 and 1980, Mostar’s population grew from 18,000 to 100,000.

Because Mostar’s eastern bank was burdened by inadequate infrastructure, the city expanded on
the western bank with the construction of large residential blocks. Local architects favored an
austrian modernist aesthetic, prefabrication and repetitive modules. Commercial buildings in the
functionalist style appeared on the historic eastern side of the city as well, replacing more
intimate timber constructions that had survived since Ottoman times. In the 1970s and 1980s, a
healthy local economy fueled by foreign investment spurred recognition and conservation of the
city’s cultural heritage. An economically sustainable plan to preserve the old town of Mostar was
implemented by the municipality, which drew thousands of tourists from the Adriatic coast and
invigorated the economy of the city. The results of this ten-year project earned Mostar an Aga
Khan Award for Architecture in 1986.
The Cejvan Cehaj Mosque, built in 1552, is the oldest mosque in Mostar. Later
a madrasah (Islamic school) was built on the same compound. The Old Bazaar, Kujundziluk is
named after the goldsmiths who traditionally created and sold their wares on this street, and still
sells authentic paintings and copper or bronze carvings of the Stari Most, pomegranates (the
natural symbol of Herzegovina) or the famed stećaks (medieval tombstones).

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, built in 1617 is open to visitors. Visitors may enter the
mosque and take photos. The minaret is also open to the public and is accessible from inside the
mosque. Just around the corner from the mosque is the Tepa Market. This has been a busy
marketplace since Ottoman times. It now sells mostly fresh produce grown in Herzegovina and,
when in season, the figs and pomegranates are extremely popular. Local honey is also a
prominent specialty, being produced all around Herzegovina.

Since the end of the wider war in 1995, great progress has been made in the reconstruction of the
city of Mostar. The city was under direct monitoring from a European Union envoy, several
elections were held and each nation was accommodated with regard to political control over the
city. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.

A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding
structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by Spring
2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by Spain (who had a sizable contingent of
peacekeeping troops stationed in the surrounding area during the conflict), the United
States, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and Croatia. A grand opening was held on July 23, 2004
under heavy security.

In parallel with the restoration of the Old Bridge, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the World
Monuments Fund, with funding provided by the World Bank, undertook a five-year long
restoration and rehabilitation effort in historic Mostar.Realizing early on that the reconstruction
of the bridge without an in-depth rehabilitation of the surrounding historic neighbourhoods
would be devoid of context and meaning, they shaped the programme in such a way as to
establish a framework of urban conservation schemes and individual restoration projects that
would help regenerate the most significant areas of historic Mostar, and particularly the urban
tissue around the Old Bridge. The project also resulted in the establishment of the Stari Grad
Agency which has an important role in overseeing the ongoing implementation of the
conservation plan, as well as operating and maintaining a series of restored historic buildings
(including the Old Bridge complex) and promoting Mostar as a cultural and tourist destination.
The official inauguration of the Stari grad Agency coincided with the opening ceremony of the
Bridge.

In July 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto the World Heritage
Listed
Culture
The city excels in the spheres of art, cuisine, music, theater, museums, and literature. The city is
the birthplace of many famous artists, including Aleksa Santic, Svetozar Chorovich, Elisabeth
Radó, Ivan Zovko, Predrag Matvejević, Himzo Polovina, Zlatko Ugljen, and Grha Martich.
Mostar is also widely celebrated in popular lore, featured frequently as the setting for books,
movies, and television programs. Dani Matice Hrvatske is one of city's significant cultural events
and it is commonly sponsored by the Croatian Government and the Government of
the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar Summer is another umbrella event which
includes Santich Poetry Evenings, Mostar Summer Festival and Festival of Bosnia and
Herzegovina choirs/ensembles. The city is a home of music festival called Melodije
Mostara (Mostar Melodies) which has been held annually since 1995. Theatre festivals
include Mostarska Liska (organized by the Croatian National Theatre) and The International
Festival of Author Poetics (organized by the Mostar Youth Theatre).