Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sarajevo at Night [Part 1/3]: Stories from the Dark

This series started out with an idea for high quality, city, nighttime photography filled with traffic lights, fast moving subjects, life in the streets, and while I was editing the images turned out to be quite the opposite. The images were more a personal, in depth story of this city, the unique charm it has, and the transformation that begins within a city after the sun is long gone.

This is a multi part series. Other parts include:
Part One: Stories from the Dark
Part Two: Life in the City
Part Three: Far from the Lights

click on the images for a bigger view


Vilsonovo Lane is depicted on the next two black and white images, and it is a walking path along the river Radobolja, which floats through Sarajevo. The streets are closed off for cars after 5 o'clock in the day, and also on weekends, which makes for a nice walk. Also just near, there are National and Historical Museum with their belonging attractions, or Church of Holy Transformation so this area offers a lots of possibilities for a person desiring nature and culture.




Next we have the Ali Pasha Mosque. The Ali Pasha's Mosque was constructed in Sarajevo during 1560-61 as a vakuf (legacy or perpetual endowment) of Hadim Ali-pasha, the former Ottoman governor of the Budapest administrative district and the Bosnia Pashaluk. The night gave actually more sight into the structure and various knocks and crannies, hidden in the shadows. The mosque was built according to the classical Istanbul architectural style.



The night gave a rather beautiful glow to the Eternal Flame of Sarajevo. The Eternal flame is a memorial to the military and civilian victims of the Second World War in SarajevoBosnia and Herzegovina. The memorial was dedicated on 6 April 1946, the first anniversary of the liberation of Sarajevo from the four-year-long occupation.


Written behind the flame:




With Courage and the Jointly Spilled
Blood of the Fighters of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian,
Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian Brigades
of the Glorious Yugoslav National Army; with
the Joint Efforts and Sacrifices of Sarajevan Patriots
Serbs, Muslims and Croats on the 6th of April 1945
Sarajevo, the Capital City of the People's Republic
of Bosnia and Herzegovina was liberated.
Eternal Glory and Gratitude to the Fallen Heroes
of the liberation of Sarajevo and our Homeland,
On the First Anniversary of its Liberation--
a Grateful Sarajevo



The Bascarsija is the old town of Sarajevo. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Isaković founded the town. The word Bascarsija derives from the Turkish language. The word "bas" which is "baş" in Turkish literally means "head" and "carsija" which is "çarşı" in Turkish means "bazaar" or "market". Due to the large fire in the 19th century, today Bascaršija is half the size that it once was.


Many restaurants and shops are located in this part of the city. In the night the warm colors of the shops filled the dark streets.




More images from nightly Sarajevo, await in part two. I hope you have enjoyed the stories thus far.


What does your city look like in the dark? Is it moody and secluded or fast and full of life? Or something in between...

62 comments:

  1. I do love your night shots, Mersad, and these are terrific as always! What a beautiful city! Hope your week is going well! Enjoy!

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  2. Very interesting stroll through the city at night!
    A city shines best when one adjusts to her demands, isn't it?

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    1. Agree completely. Ever city has its own rules and atmosphere.

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  3. i like the moody b&w shot. and the eternal flame.

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  4. This is very effective. The eternal flame is beautiful and simple.

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    1. Thanks Adrian. Thankfully I got close enough to take a shot without any visitors.

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  5. I'm so in awe of your skill with night photography. If it's not too much trouble, maybe you could include the technical data for each shot. It might help me (and others) learn. Meanwhile, though, let me just say that each of these is exceptionally beautiful.

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    1. I think I will devote an entire Tutorial on Night Photography and try to include as many tips as I can.

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  6. Traumhaft schön wieder, und sowas von gestochen scharf. Besonders beeindruckend finde ich die ewige Flamme und das Denkmal, so soll immer daran erinnert werden ;-)

    Liebe Abendgrüsse

    Nova

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    1. Ich finde es auch eine schöne Errinerungsstädte.

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  7. I don't get to travel so I enjoyed your tour so far! York, PA is a mixture of old and new, but boy, it is pretty quiet at night. :)

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  8. I have examined each photo 3 times each in the enlarged view and i can not pick a favorite. each one is so different and shows another face of the city... these are all spectacular....you are truly talented with you camera and your eye to SEE.... loved my trip to Sarajevo... our town is not beautiful at night and not safe to be out there in the dark.

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    1. Thanks for your devotion Sandra. There are parts of Sarajevo where I also wouldn't want to be caught in the dark, but then again that's the state in most places in the world now.

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  9. Some really wonderful night scenes here!

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  10. Very intriguing night life photos.
    So well done.

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  11. These are just beautiful, Mersad! Your photography keeps me coming back. I like the B&W shots too - something about them calls to me.

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    1. So glad you enjoy it. I really mean that. Thanks for visiting and your continued support.

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  12. Very interesting photos. I particularly liked the flame. An Arkie's Musings

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  13. Love the first black and white, Mersad. There's a moodiness and mystery, the light through the trees, the unknown in the darkness of the water. But then I saw the flame. The simplicity, the light from the flame picking up the words behind it. Really lovely.

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    1. Thanks Pauline. So glad you enjoyed it.

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  14. Stunning shots! I can see why you were voted "Best Bosnian PhotoBlog."\

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  15. These are fantastic! Quite different from our downtown. I assume these were taken with your 6D? Gorgeous night shots!

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  16. Wonderful night shots of the town. The flame is beautiful, great capture.

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  17. I enjoyed the night tour of your town. Great photos!

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  18. superb photography. well done.

    http://kilelong.blogspot.com

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  19. For a night shot, this one is really quite colorful!

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    1. I think that I commented on the wrong photo, but doesn't matter: these photos are wonderfully bright and colorful, too.

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  20. I have been trying to think when I was last in a city at night and I cannot remember. This is a combination of living in the country (and near a small town rather than a city) and living in perpetual summers. I must make an effort to try and get some night time shots of towns some time. Yours are quite an inspiration.

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    1. Would love to see them on your blog. Thanks for visiting.

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  21. Nice work on these. I really like the colors of the first image.

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  22. I have really enjoyed this visit to your part of the world. Much different than what I would imagine. Your shots are amazing. Looking forward to more.

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  23. Dark can be scary, but you make it inviting!
    ROG, ABC Wednesday

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  24. oh my gosh, these are all just amazing! and what a beautiful memorial...i am glad you translated it :)

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  25. HI Mersad Fantastic walk around the city at night and you captured it very well. I love the flame shot

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  26. Beautiful and atmospheric photographs, makes me want to walk those streets.
    Joy - ABC Team

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  27. splendid night shots of a beautiful city. I liked the little bit of its rich history as well.

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    1. The history of the place is spread out through out the city and is visible at every corner.

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  28. You found a lot of interest and color, but not a lot of activity. Downtown Hartford is very quiet at night, but West Hartford Center is usually very active. Naples at night is very busy from January to March, but the rest of the year it is very, very quiet.

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    1. That's interesting to read. Mostar is also more alive during the summer months. Winter nighta are quite dead here.

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  29. Every shot is just perfect. Colorful lights from the place highlights your night photography. Great job and I enjoyed looking at these photos.

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  30. I just cannot pick a favourite here, all the pictures and subjects are excellent. Do you publish photographs in book form?

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    1. I haven't been publishing my images in books. It's a nice thought, though. :)

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  31. Wow! These are simply amazing! (I need to take some photography lessons from you; my nighttime pictures never measure up to my expectations!)
    I'm glad you found my blog through Texwis. Thanks for following! I'm going to have a look around here on your site!

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  32. subhanaallah..your place is so beautiful..i hope one fine day i will go to your country..you good in captured..are you photographer?

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