SARAJEVO BAŠČARŠIJA guide

For most visitors, the Baščaršija is Sarajevo. In fact, most videos you see on Instagram that promise to ‘show you the beauty of Sarajevo’ pretty much mean ‘show you the beauty of the Baščaršija’. It isn’t surprising, as this quaint little market quarter is the historical heart of town, where Sarajevo developed and its main driver of tourism today. The word itself tells you what to expect, loosely translating as ‘main market’, and its medieval streets are jam-packed with shops, restaurants, cafes and some of the city’s most important landmarks. It isn’t technically a neighbourhood, but what can I do. The Baščaršija is basically the old cultural-historical core of Sarajevo.

The Baščaršija story begins in 1452, but it really kicks into gear in the 16th century with the influence of Gazi Husrev-beg, an Ottoman governor who committed to developing Sarajevo into a city of prominence. In terms of aesthetics, the market didn’t really change from its founding to the end of Yugoslavia, so what you see is pretty close to what people saw in those centuries. Yugoslav officials kept trying to demolish it to make room for modernity, but it didn’t happen. Visitors to Sarajevo are the beneficiaries, and there are plenty of them. It can get pretty packed here in summer and, as a result, can be a little too much, but quieter days in the Baščaršija are among the best experiences you can find in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

Here it is, the epicentre of Islam in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That title could be bestowed upon several places, but the oldest historical mosque in the country (not to mention the largest) probably takes this particular biscuit. Completed in 1530, the Gaz Husrev-beg Mosque takes pride of place in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija and can hold up to 1,500 people at one time under its nine domes, with many tourists nipping in throughout the year. It was the first mosque on the planet to receive electricity, which is pretty impressive when you stop to think about it. Gazi Husrev-Beg’s museum (Sarači 33, +387 33 233 170, 3km), Bezistan (covered market), and library (Gazi Husrev-begova 46, +387 33 238 152, 3km) are also around here, so have yourself a Gazi Husrev-Beg day. Sarači 8, +387 33 532 144 (3km)

Sebilj

Surrounded by pigeons, the Sebilj is one of the great landmarks of Sarajevo. This wooden fountain is the symbol of the Baščaršija, a meeting point and lightning rod of history all at once, a place where stories begin and pigeons do whatever it is that pigeons do. Not much, I imagine, but I don’t want to badmouth the pigeons. The Sebilj (‘Sebil’ is the Turkish word for fountain) is a source of drinking water in the city, the last standing kiosk-fountain in a city that was once packed with them. The original dates to the 18th century, but this current beauty was unveiled in 1913. If you drink the water, you will return to Sarajevo. You don’t have a choice in the matter.

Vijećnica

Sarajevo’s City Hall is a stunner, arguably the city’s most beautiful building and a nominee for taking that status in the country as a whole. Completed in 1896, the Vijećnica was designed by Karel Pařík, but it went through three architects before the doors were opened. It takes its influence from Pseudo-Moorish architecture across the Mediterranean world, but in a resolutely Sarajevo sort of way, and its destruction during the recent war became one of the significant images of that wretched conflict. The renovation was a complete success, and Sarajevo’s City Hall was restored to its rightful glory. The stained glass ceiling is jaw-dropping. The Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art is also housed here. Obala Kulina bana 1, +387 33 292 800 (5-10km)

Latin Bridge

The bridge that started a World War. Okay, Sarajevo’s Latin Bridge didn’t exactly start World War I, but it was here that Gavrilo Princip finished his sandwich and pulled his trigger, assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand and setting in motion the events that led to war. The bridge itself is quaint and elegant, but this is definitely somewhere that demands attention because of history instead of aesthetics. Lost in the noise surrounding Gavrilo’s moment is its place as Sarajevo’s oldest bridge, originally a stone structure connecting the city across the Miljacka River. The bridge was called Princip’s Bridge (Principov Most) during the Yugoslav years before reverting to its original name during the most recent war. Obala Kulina bana bb

Museum of Sarajevo 1878-1918

Directly next to the Latin Bridge is the 1878-1918 Museum, which tells the story of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the lead-up to World War I. There isn’t much to write home about (the museum is one room), but there are a handful of fascinating artefacts. If you’ve ever been curious about Gavrilo Princip’s trousers, you’ll find them here. Zelenih beretki 1, +387 33 475 741 (4km)

Baščaršija Streets

Okay, I’m lumping them all together. One of the best things to do in the Baščaršija is to wander aimlessly through its narrow streets and try to imagine it centuries ago. Every street is named after a trade of some sort, and handy information boards set the scene and give a little insight into who did what and where they did it. Sure, the whole thing is a little Disneyfied today, and the abundance of mobile phone and souvenir shops is getting a little too close to tacky, but you could argue that that is merely the 21st-century version of cobblers, tailors and tanners. Stripped down, the Baščaršija is a market quarter where trade is king, which is as accurate today as it was in the 15th century.

Sahat Kula

Sarajevo’s Sahat Kula tends to get lumped in with all the other Ottoman-era constructions in the Baščaršija, meaning it doesn’t shine quite as much as other clock towers around the country. Please don’t dismiss it, though, because it is plenty important. It is the tallest clock tower in Bosnia and Herzegovina (30m high, for the record), and it dates back to the halcyon days of Gazi Husrev-Beg and his structural development of Sarajevo. Mudželiti veliki bb

Baščaršija Mosque

Baščaršija’s eponymous mosque (also known as the Havedža-Durak Mosque, to be fair) is a 16th-century (probably) beauty with one central dome surrounded by smaller buddy domes, and it has come to be loved as a garden of serenity in the chaos of the market quarter. The stone minaret is predictably graceful. The real pull is the gorgeous details inside, hand-drawn illustrations of flowers and messages that positively ooze charm. You’ll find this mosque in the main square of the Baščaršija. Baščaršija bb

Old Synagogue and Jewish Museum

Sarajevo’s Old Synagogue now houses the Jewish Museum, telling the story of Jewish migration to the city and the various developments in the centuries since. It touches on many of the same points as other similar museums around the continent, so yeah, it gets pretty dark at some points. The synagogue itself is delightfully simple, with sparse ornamentation and grace, but it is the artefacts that really grab the attention. Yes, those scissors are for circumcisions. Velika Avlija bb, +387 33 535 688 (closed weekends, 3km)

Morića Han

Those Ottomans sure knew how to build a comfortable spot for conversation. A Han is a roadside inn, and Morića Han (found in the heart of the Baščaršija) is the only one remaining in Sarajevo. Another Gazi Husrev-Beg era creation, the original was obliterated in a 17th-century fire and reconstructed as we find it today, a collection of rooms surrounding a beautiful courtyard with a cafe, restaurant, shops and more. The perfect place for a morning Baščaršija coffee, Morića Han is a time machine to Ottoman Sarajevo. Sarači 77, +387 33 236 119

Old Orthodox Church

It sounds strange to describe this beautiful little church as inconspicuous. Still, it gets overlooked by a lot of visitors. A location next to the road will do that. The Old Orthodox Church (the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, actually) is a 16th-century church built on a 12th-century church built on a 6th-century church, although the thread gets a little thinner each time. That doesn’t matter because this pretty little thing has a darling interior with many important icons and historical manuscripts. The layout is quite unusual, come to think of it, and the starry night ceiling is equally striking and serene. Don’t take photos inside, please. Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 59, +387 33 571 760

BREWS, BOOZE AND BITES

Judging the food and drink options in the Baščaršija isn’t as easy as you might assume. For one, it really isn’t the pinnacle regarding traditional Bosnian food. I know it makes me sound like a prick, but if someone says that the best Bosnian food is found in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija, they clearly haven’t been anywhere else in the country. That being said, Dveri (Prote Bakovića 12, +387 33 537 020) is my favourite restaurant in the city, and Boardroom (Đulagina čikma 2, +387 33 238 610) is my favourite bar, and they are both found here. If you are hoping for a table at Dveri over the weekend, make a reservation in advance. Besame Mucho (Ćurčiluk mali 27, +387 62 339 713) is another excellent restaurant with the friendliest owners in the history of time and space. All of the ćevabdžinicas are indistinguishable at this point, but for some reason, I always gravitate towards Petica Ferhatović (Bravadžiluk 21, +387 33 537 555). I’m told that the chicken and mash at ASDŽ (Ćurčiluk mali 3, +387 33 238 500) is fantastic, but I am yet to try it. The pita at Sač (Bravadžiluk 2, +387 33 239 748) is excellent. Falafel (Đulagina Čikma 2, +387 33 233 200) is excellent for veggies. If we’re talking about coffee, the above-mentioned Boardroom is fabulous, while Cafe Divan (Sarači 71, +387 62 530 972) in Morića Han is delightful when quiet. Ramis (Saraći 1, +387 33 535 947) does a good line in sweet treats and has buckets of history. As in, it is very old; it doesn’t have literal buckets filled with history. Wine Not (Čizmedžiluk 5, +387 61 439 241) is a decent little wine bar, although the name should tell you that.

SLEEPING

Just outside the oldest portion of the Baščaršija, Hotel Sana (Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 53, +387 33 272 222) is an excellent boutique hotel with fantastic showers, and that really isn’t a strong enough adjective. Best hotel shower in the country, or at least it was when I stayed there. Hotel President (Bazardžani 1, +387 33 575 000) is also technically in Baščaršija jurisdiction, although it is a little at odds with the heritage of it all. Nice, though. Ljubičica (Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 65, +387 61 131 813) is a hostel from back in the day, and even writing that name has made me a little nostalgic for those days. There are lots of sleeping options in the Baščaršija, but you are better off staying in one of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

BAŠČARŠIJA