a call for prayer wafts over the garden wall
the call for prayer being raised among the 160 some odd mosques in the city of sarajevo set the stage for my return trip home to slovenia. i've spent the last week wandering through a city that marries two architectural styles and three religious ways of life together. sarajevo is home to not only bosnian muslims, but also orthodox serbs, and catholic croats. this city is also the site of the longest seige in the last century. for nearly four years, serbian forces occupied the hills around sarajevo, raining artilary and sniper fire down on its inhabitants. yesterday, i visited a privately owned war museum in the butmir neighborhood of sarajevo. this small, quite area of the city is the site of an 800 meter long tunnel dug underneath the airport. the bosnians dug this tunnel to assist in the escape of some 300,000 citizens of sarajevo during the seige. i'll post a few pics of the tunnel, as well as a plaque detailing its construction, and operation soon.
as i prepair for my journey home, i am reminded of the people that i met here in sarajevo. the bosnian muslim who become one of the first bosnian baha'is some 10 years ago. he showed me many of the sites in sarajevo, and has become a good friend. i remember the italian woman who has become more bosnian than her bosnian husband. and the shop owner who invited me to coffee every single time i passed his shop. these people mean a lot to me know, and have assisted in making this trip one of the most memorable weeks i've spent in one city.
and now, as i sew on the patch of the bosnian flag onto my bag, as trophy of my travel here, it becomes more to me. just as the slovenian patches signify my new home, this bosnian patch signifies a new kind of insight for me. it is not my place to comment on the war in bosnia. that's not why i came to sarajevo. but after seeing the shraple damaged buildings, the empty husks of cultural landmarks slowly being rebuilt, i see the world anew. i see how global ignorance on my part has left me as a naive child in the world. it's not fun, and it's not exciting to see war, to see the effects of war, its disturbing. and now, having seen what happened here a mere 11 years ago, war has taken on an entirely new sickening turn in my stomach.
but i don't want to leave you on a sour note. sarajevo is climbing its way out of the effects of the war. it's a city of regrowth and rebirth. there are many new and wonderful things being built, and many old things being restored. the people are amazing, and the hospitality and food are fantastic. there's an old legend in sarajevo, a warning to travellers. it says that the water in baščaršija is magical, and if you drink it, you will be forced to return to sarajevo. in my experience, your don't need to drink the water.
as i prepair for my journey home, i am reminded of the people that i met here in sarajevo. the bosnian muslim who become one of the first bosnian baha'is some 10 years ago. he showed me many of the sites in sarajevo, and has become a good friend. i remember the italian woman who has become more bosnian than her bosnian husband. and the shop owner who invited me to coffee every single time i passed his shop. these people mean a lot to me know, and have assisted in making this trip one of the most memorable weeks i've spent in one city.
and now, as i sew on the patch of the bosnian flag onto my bag, as trophy of my travel here, it becomes more to me. just as the slovenian patches signify my new home, this bosnian patch signifies a new kind of insight for me. it is not my place to comment on the war in bosnia. that's not why i came to sarajevo. but after seeing the shraple damaged buildings, the empty husks of cultural landmarks slowly being rebuilt, i see the world anew. i see how global ignorance on my part has left me as a naive child in the world. it's not fun, and it's not exciting to see war, to see the effects of war, its disturbing. and now, having seen what happened here a mere 11 years ago, war has taken on an entirely new sickening turn in my stomach.
but i don't want to leave you on a sour note. sarajevo is climbing its way out of the effects of the war. it's a city of regrowth and rebirth. there are many new and wonderful things being built, and many old things being restored. the people are amazing, and the hospitality and food are fantastic. there's an old legend in sarajevo, a warning to travellers. it says that the water in baščaršija is magical, and if you drink it, you will be forced to return to sarajevo. in my experience, your don't need to drink the water.