A Drive Through Former Yugoslavia - Sarajevo

Sarajevo was an incredibly eye opening experience. A true cultural melting pot, the Croatians, Serbians and Bosniak all having exerted their own influences over the years. It was also home to the Siege of Sarajevo which at over 4 years is the longest siege in modern history. It is estimated that 12,000 civilians were killed, including 1500 children.

We stayed with a young man called  Dzemal (pronounced like Jamal) in a house-sit, and we got talking about Sarajevo. He actually sighed and responded with "Unfortunately" when I asked him if he had lived in Sarajevo his whole life. He lived with his elderly mother in a humble but comforting 3 bedroom house, the loungeroom converted to one bedroom and covered off with a sheet allowing giving him the capacity to rent out what would have formerly been his room. 

The city was constantly under attack during the siege, with Serbian snipers taking up positions in the

hills surrounding the city. It is reported that an average of approximately 329 shell impacts per day

during the siege, resulting in 35,000 buildings being destroyed. For many of the buildings that survived, damage still remains to this day. Dzemal got talking about the siege and life during the conflict, recounting a story of how a bullet whizzed past his head so close that he actually felt it. And then, how, fearing for his life, he was forced to hide under a car. And all this discussed over breakfast 

We walked down the street from Dzemel's house and came across this. A massive memorial and cemetary for many of those killed in the siege. As a 20-something year old male, it hit home all the more seeing so many people my own age had been killed.

Timid and occassionally cute stray dogs roam everywhere in Sarajevo, and most of Eastern Europe to be honest. As a dog owner, being warned about the possibility of them having Rabies somewhat removes that urge to befriend them.

Walking through the streets, it was almost impossible to find a building in Sarajevo that was not riddled with

bullet holes, giving but the smallest insight into the relentless barrage of ammunition that rained down

across the city.

Mortar damage to sidewalks would often leave damage that resembled a rose. Where these exploded

shells resulted in the deaths of one or more people, they were filled with red resin to create a tribute

that has become known as the 'Sarajevo Rose'. These are throughout the city.

But still, people carry on with their lives. Much of the damage has not been fixed (it would require money they simply don't have). As I would begin to learn further through my travels into Eastern Europe, the struggles that many have endured were often used to spur people on, to remind them of what has happened, if only to help prevent further atrocities taking place again. 

Despite the extensive damage, there's many glimpses of beauty in Sarajevo. From the western european architectural influences (albeit many damaged) to some newer, modern architecture, Sarajevo is a city on the rebuild.