A Hot Day in the Old Town of Mostar

Even though the calender summer is a bit down the road, the temperatures here in Mostar, have certainly been acting like it's June 21st already. I had my friends Berina and Adi visiting me this past weekend, and we went exploring the Old town of Mostar in the heat.

We started around 11:00 o'clock and it was already burning outside. Still, a lot of tourists were roaming the streets. You have seen some parts of the old town of Mostar before on this blog, but in this post I will also be showing new sights. Come along with us...

click on the images for a bigger view

A view of the renovated "Old Bridge". The original bridge was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 to replace an older wooden suspension bridge of dubious stability. Construction began in 1557 and took nine years.

The Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque, built in 1617 is open to visitors. Visitors may enter the mosque and take photos free of charge. The minaret is also open to the public and is accessible from inside the mosque. We visited the premises later on and made some images there as well.

Mostar is know for a diving festival, that is held each year in mid June. Now, as I was gazing down from the Old bridge, I saw a canoeist peddling along the river. 

Little is known of the building of the bridge, and all that has been preserved in writing are memories and legends and the name of the builder, Mimar Hayruddin. Charged under pain of death to construct a bridge of such unprecedented dimensions, the architect reportedly prepared for his own funeral on the day the scaffolding was finally removed from the completed structure. Upon its completion it was the widest man-made arch in the world. 

The next two shots were taken on the premises of the Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque. The most attractive part of the mosque complex is the small courtyard outside with its fountain taps and garden area.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed the new sights from the Old Town of Mostar.