Sarajevo, Bosnia... a Tragic Lesson of How a Nation can Descend into Ethnic-Cleansing

Sarajevo's old town from hotel rooftop.

Crossing into Bosnia from Serbia was quite easy.  A short wait through the border crossing and we were on our way to the capital of Sarajevo.  The ride is stunning.  Coasting by beautiful rolling mountains caked with verdant green forests.  Descending into the valley almost felt like we were landing by plane.  The perspective gives you a spectacular view of the entire city.

Interestingly, Sarajevo did not feel much like a European city.  Demographically, the city is European, but religiously felt Muslim. There are plenty of women wearing hijab, but many of the tourists are from the Middle East as this is a popular destination for them.  As I entered into the old Turkish quarter, everything had a distinct Muslim texture.  Not surprising considering this part of Europe was under the Ottoman empire for centuries.  Their culture left a lasting impression on the people here.  Bosnian Muslims are commonly referred to as Bosniaks. During the days of the Ottoman empire many Turks settled the region and many of the locals converted to Islam as a result.  There was a certain privilege to convert to the winning team.  As a result, the former Yugoslavia has a very diverse social composition.  Bosniaks make up about 50%, Bosnian Serbs about 30%, and Croats about 15%.  Since the height of the Cold War, the demographic greatly shifted to a Muslim majority.  It is along these ethnic and religious division that the country descended into war in the 1990s, resulting in the Bosniak genocide by Serbian militia groups.

As a teenager in the Nineties, I remember the Bosnia war well.  At the time, I didn’t really understand what the war was about, or who was the aggressor, but it was a constant story on the news.  I remember thinking how strange it was that a decade long war was being waged in Europe.  How could this be? 

over 31,000 Muslim Bosnians went missing during the 90s

Learning this country’s painful and tragic past was one of the main reasons I came to Sarajevo.  After being in Serbia, I understood why a candid conversation on this topic was not something most Serbians were not willing to have with an American tourist, as Serbians waged a war of ethnic cleansing on the Muslim population.  In Bosnia, the Bosniaks tell the stories from the war with Serbia like Jews remember the Holocaust. 

This mother's six sons were killed by Serb forces. She carried this photo with her until the day she died.

Bosniaks towns like Srebrenic were cleansed of their Muslim populations

This boy shoots an arrow into the air.  He was twenty days old when the males of the village were taken away and executed.  He was allowed to leave with his mother.

A UN worker holds the hand of a Bosniak found in a mass grave

Two women pray over the remains of a man from a mass grave.  They come in search of any evidence that one maybe someone they know. 

Over 8000 Muslim men and boys were taken from their homes and surrounding forces and massacred in nearby schools in the town of Srebrenic in July 1995 by Serbian forces in Bosnia. 

 These are their coffins being prepared for burial after they were found in mass graves.

Every year, in summer the survivors of the genocide gather and properly bury any new victims found from the previous year.

You can easily find a number of Free Walking Tours to get an up close and intimate story tour of what the city experienced during this time. In addition, there are a number of museums and galleries dedicated to learning about the war.  The city’s bullet riddled concrete buildings and ubiquitous plaques of those killed act as a stark reminder to all visitors of the “Siege of Sarajevo”.  The city experienced the longest siege of any modern city in history.  For 1,425 days, Serbian backed militia groups shelled building and snipers targeted civilian, as well as military targets from the surrounding mountains.  The photos and videos are painful to view but need to be heard and seen.  The stories of some of the victims are incredibly personal and reveal just how surreal life was for the residents during the Nineties.  Despite, United Nations designated “safe zones” in Bosnia at that time, their presence did nothing to stop the carnage.  The UN’s Security Council effectively did nothing because of the veto power of Russia. So, the war raged on while over 13,000 city residents were killed from April 5, 1992 to February 29, 1996.

Galleries and Museums dedicated to the memory of what happened here are a must when visiting Sarajevo

items found in mass graves

Civilians were trapped in the city and were targeted by Serbian forces for over four years.  It was the longest siege of a city in modern times.

over 1500 children were killed during the siege.

reminders of the victims destroy your faith in humanity

testimonies of those killed are heart wrenching

words by Serbian soldiers on the Muslim children they terrorized and killed

the Tunnel of Hope... a secret tunnel that served as the only way supplies came into Sarajevo during the four year siege of the city.

the main street through Sarajevo today

There are other city tours worth checking out, that focus on Sarajevo’s colonial history under the Austrian and Ottoman colonial rule.  In fact, many of the town center’s buildings reflect this distinctly in the style they were built. The the old town is divided architecturally between these two periods.  The Western half, with Austrian style buildings from the late twentieth century and the eastern half Ottoman style. The highlight of the tour is the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife.  Sarajevo was the location that ignited Europe into World War I when a young Serb nationalist by the name Gavrilo Princip assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne in 1914.  The location of the assassination by the Latin Bridge along the Miljacka River is the main highlight of the tour.

Latin Bridge, the site where the heir of the Austrian empire was assassinated by a Serb nationalist and sparked World War I.

The main commercial street is full of families and tourists alike shopping, dining, and eating ice cream.  Sarajevo is a pretty tame destination compared to other European cities.  Plenty of places to grab a hookah and Turkish treats but not overwhelming.  The pace is and size allows you to take it all in without any rush.  I did a little bar hopping in the Turkish quarter to see how the Bosniaks party.  Most of the music they play in Balkan which was nice for a change.  Nothing crazy, and the people are quite friendly.  Definitely, more locals than tourists.

Bosniak men hang out and take in the summer weather in the old Turkish quarter

the old town is busy with families and tourists alike

The main meeting point in the old town is at this fountain.

the dividing line between the Austrian and Turkish quarters

Overall, Sarajevo is a very nice place to experience, especially for a up close and personal lesson on how a pluralistic country can descend rather quickly into to ethnic warfare.  The former Yugoslavia was once, a shining example of how nationalistic dreams led to liberation from the grips of imperialism and as a result, became an independent multiethnic nation that prospered together, but then descended into ethnic tension after a severe economic depression. These old divisions created ethnic blame and scapegoating resulting in nationalistic aspirations.  Succession followed, only to instigate militia and paramilitary groups to retaliate and commit ethnic cleansing on a scale not seen since World War II.  Heed the warnings!

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