Sarajevo and its “Roses” – A Rose by any other name…

Sarajevo 

My stay in Sarajevo was not only a memorable one but also quite an exquisite one. Never before had I visited a city known as a war memorial. The beautiful city of Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia. It stands on the Miljacka river and is surrounded by the breath-taking Dinaric alps. It’s not the beauty that got my attention of the city, but the gory history it holds.

The Wars Sarajevo has witnessed

We’ve all read about the Balkan wars. The first war where the Balkan countries fought together against the Ottoman. And the second one where they fought among themselves over the spoils from the first… 

And then came the more recent Bosnian War in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. This was mainly between the forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and those of the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina. These were the Republika Srpska (led by Serbia) and Herzeg-Bosnia (led by Croatia). It was a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Slovenia and Croatia seceded from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991. Then, the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a referendum for independence in ’92.

The issue was that this was multi-ethnic with 44% Muslim Bosniaks, 32% Orthodox Serbs and 17% Catholic Croats. Bosnian Serbs rejected this, others followed suit. Other nations jumped in and escalated into a full-blown war. So, there was a war with the Serbians and then the Croat-Bosniak war. The entire conflict was characterized by bitter fighting and indiscriminate shelling of cities and towns. And ethnic cleansing and systematic mass rape by all sides. Events such as the Siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre later became iconic of the conflict.

The end of the War

By the end of all the mayhem, and estimated 100,000 people were killed. And over 2.2 million people displaced. This was the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II.

Of all the cities of the Balkan, Sarajevo got it the worst. Sarajevo was besieged by the Army of Republika Srpska for 1425 days… To compound the agony, there were heavy religious clashes among the Christians and Muslims in the city. One can only imagine the agony faced by all those who had to grow through and have a childhood surrounded by such conflicts.

The Sarajevo Tunnel of Hope

One of the highlights of my trip was the visit to the Sarajevo tunnel (also known as Tunel Spasa or the Tunnel of Hope). This tunnel was dug out by hand with shovels and spades during the siege of Sarajevo. it was to help supply the people of Sarajevo with basic amenities like food, fuel, newspapers as well as war amenities. It became a vital part of the war as a means by which to link two Bosnian held territories that had been cut off by the Army of Republika Srpska.

This tunnel was a poorly lit, crude way of survival for the citizens of Sarajevo. My tour guide who grew up through those tough times told me how difficult life was post the Bosnian war. He reminisced that when the war was finally over, he experienced so many new things that were considered ordinary by the outside world. For instance, he had never before seen a banana in his life, so when he was given one, he ate it along with the peel. 

The Sarajevo Roses

The one thing that I will forever remember about Sarajevo are the Sarajevo Roses. These are war remains that are not as beautiful as they sound. The armies bombarded the city with an average of 330 shell impacts every day. This left huge scars on the buildings and streets of the city other than wounding or killing one or more citizens each…

They did not mend these craters left on the streets even after the end of the Bosnian war. They just filled them with red resin so as to mark the casualties suffered at the spot. These became a sort of war memorial. A constant reminder to the people of Sarajevo about what they and their ancestors have overcome. These craters filled with resin resemble flowers and hence are popularly called the Sarajevo Roses. The Sarajevo Roses have slowly been disappearing from the city as the streets are being rebuilt and the asphalt is being replaced. However, some of the Sarajevo Roses remain strong and will forever be left unchanged. They will continue to remind the people of Sarajevo of the struggles they’ve faced and how they have overcome them stronger than ever.

The wretchedness of War

The history of this city is a gory reminder of the after-effects and wretchedness of war. The amount of trauma and suffering endured by the people of Sarajevo during the years of the siege is immeasurable. Being here made me realize how lucky I was to have a normal childhood. The siege also greatly affected the economic state of Sarajevo though the city has made tremendous progress in its post-war phase. The people of Sarajevo are still striving to improve their city’s economy as well as their mental well being. The main source of the increase in their economy is a tourism and industrial development.

Sarajevo is a beautiful city with a chilling history. It is a must-visit for everyone who loves to explore and who is inquisitive about the history of places. Here you will find the memories of modern war rubbing shoulders with ancient caravanserais and water fountains in the backdrop of jaw-dropping natural beauty… With the lovely Sarajevsko beer from the Sarajevska Pivara brewery in the city… Oh, and the brewery has a lovely back-story to it – more on that in another blog…

To read about the impact of another war in another part of the world, read about the napalm girl in Vietnam or the story of resilience to war in Laos.

For ideas on experiential travel or travel to Bosnia, visit Beyonder Travel.

(Stories by Anand Parameswaran compiled by Nikitha CV)