Monday, July 6, 2015

The Old Bridge in Mostar: 10 Years UNESCO World Heritage List Celebration

The Old Bridge in Mostar and its Old Town Area are on the UNSECO World Heritage List since 2005, which means that this year marks 10 years since this part of Mostar has been on the list. The city has organized a celebration of that occasion, including an elaborate light setup and a concert on the Neretva river bank. There were lots of people there, celebrating and enjoying the surroundings, including me. I went out with my camera to capture the sights.


The History behind Mostar

The current name of the city, Mostar, was mentioned for the first time in 1474 and derived from "mostari" - the bridge keepers. The historic town of Mostar developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman frontier town and during the short Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. Mostar has been long known for its old Turkish houses and the Old Bridge – Stari most, an extraordinary technological achievement of bridge construction.


Bridge Reconstruction

The Old Bridge was destroyed during the war at the beginning of the 90s and underwent a complicated reconstruction that finished in 2004. The Old Bridge Area, with its Ottoman, Mediterranean and Western European architectural features, is an outstanding example of a multicultural urban settlement. The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar are symbols of reconciliation, international cooperation and the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities.


In the Old Town Nowadays

The evenings are a great time of day to venture out into the old town, and especially during the summer, the streets are filled with tourists as well as locals. There are many restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops here. You can eat and drink here, all the while enjoying the sights the old city has to offer. For the UNESCO celebration, the light setup gave a special draw to this part of Mostar.



Selma and I had to fight through the crowds actually in order to get some decent shots. Most of the people were on the bridge, gazing down and the concert spectacle.



I love this view of the various restaurants that hover above each other on various plains of the gardens. The river Neretva is flowing just below and gives some much needed freshness.


Below the bridge, there were already many people gathered, waiting for the concert to start. Our goal was to get behind the crowds and somewhat lower to the river in order to get some interesting photos.





On our way to the concert, we had to pass through the rest of the old town, where I made these images. Some people were more interested in their dinner, and I can't blame them. This is an excellent spot for dinner and lunch.


The UNESCO World Heritage List Celebration

We finally made it to the river shore. As we arrived the concert began, even though we hadn't timed for it. As it turned out the timing was perfect, since the lights changed colors and began to play. I took all of these handheld in manual mode, since there was no way to set-up a tripod in this crowd. We didn't stay for the whole show, just parts of it.




As the end of the concert approached we had already moved on. From another bridge I took this following shot of the concert still in action. It was a truly mesmerizing and unique sight, and I hope the city arranges more of these summer celebrations.


I hope you enjoyed these celebratory sights from the night.

65 comments:

  1. WOW! Fantastic celebration shots. Your night photography is absolutely STUNNING. Wonderful to know the history of the place

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    1. Thanks so much Margaret. We had a great time there.

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  2. It's undeniably spectacular but I think I prefer it in any colour but blue. Great shots and I hope you didn't choose the lighting.

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    1. I had no influence on the lighting obviously :) But the colors were yellow, pink and white as well. But I missed those so you're stuck with the blue :)

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  3. I think the bridge was beautiful in the blue light! Nice to know the history behind the bridge.

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  4. Brilliant captures.... you are so good at taking night shots. I loved the second picture - oh to be there on a summer evening!

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  5. Your images are beautiful, and so crisp. I like the blue hues and how they make everything around them glow. And your commentary is wonderfully informative.
    Great post, Mersad!

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  6. I agree with everyone else - marvellous photos!

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  7. Divna atmosfera u tvom gradu. Kad god imam priliku, ne propustam da posjetim stari most.

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    1. Stvarno je bila odlična atmosfera.

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  8. Es sind fantastische Bilder, und knaller Farben dazu. es ist schon Kunst, wie du fotografierst!!! Du hast auch Glück, dort zu leben, es war bestimmt ein sehr tolles Erlebnis. Liebe grüße

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    1. Ja das war es. Die Farben haben mich auch verblüfft.

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  9. I went through the slide show twice... stunning night photography at its best. you are the king of night photography. they are all fantastic, my most favorite of all today is number 2.. it pulls me in to the photo and i feel like i am walking down that narrow walk way..

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    1. Thank you so much Sandra, so glad you enjoyed them. We had a great time making the photos.

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  10. Himmel, das ist ja wie gemalt?!?! jeder der schon mal im halbdunklen oder bei für die Kamera verwirrendem Licht geknipst hat weiß, dass das schwierig bis superkompliziert ist. Und deine Aufnahmen sind sooooo schön! Ich will mal nen Knipskurs bei dir machen Mersad ;-D! Ehrlich. Irgendwann steh ich vor deiner Tür und du wirst mich nicht mehr los ;-D! GlG Anne

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    1. Ich nehme die Aufgabe sehr gerne an :) Ja, es war schon schwer die ganzen Fotos hinzubekomen, aber ich much auch dank an meine Canon 6D geben, die ganz toll in der Nacht arbeitet.

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  11. Das war ja ein tolles Fest! Und diese Farben .... einfach traumhaft! Absolut großartige Fotos!!!

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  12. marvelous shots - wonderful captures!
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-community-with-holiday-spirit.html

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  13. Fenomenalne fotografije. Ko bi rekao da je prošlo više od 10 godina od rekonstrukcije mosta. Zainteresovala me je ova fotografija restorana, sjećam se da su u periodu do 2011. kada sam posljednji put bio hrana i usluga uvijek bile loše u tim okolnim restoranima, pa me zanima da li se nešto promijenilo u međuvremenu.

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    1. Imaš sada sigurno dobrih restorana u Starom Gradu, kao što su Hindin Han i Šadrvan (klasični restorani) te Rota (ćevabdžinica).

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  14. Fabulous shots. You really showed us your talent in these, Mersad!

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  15. Superb, awesome captures, Mersad!! And what an incredible celebration!! Your photos are the next best thing to being there!! Thank you so much for sharing the fun, excitement and beauty!! Hope you have a great week!!

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  16. This is one of the best posts ever! Loved the celebration and your shots! Wonderful stuff!

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  17. I love those night time shots of the bridge! Excellent shots!

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  18. A concert on the river with all the wonderful night lighting...a treasure!!!

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  19. Really spectacular night shots, Mersad!

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  20. What a shame the bridge was destroyed in the 90s but how wonderful that it has been lovingly restored. The coloured lights make everything look super festive!

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  21. I love that bridge! So beautiful and unique. Glad to hear it was reconstructed. Looks like quite a huge celebration. Nice photos.

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  22. Wow! just wow. Your photos are stunning. You captured the blue lights beautifully. This looks like a fun celebration.

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  23. Wow! This celebration was a wonderful occasion and your photos are superb. Thank you for sharing them with us.

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  24. Words fail me, Mersad. You have captured such stunning images in this post. Positively stunning. Well done.

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  25. Very nice light effects!
    I personally loved the 2nd photo.
    Have a Wonderful Day, Mersad!
    Peace :)

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  26. What a stunning place to visit at night!

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  27. Oh wow! J'adore the blue light on the bridge Mersad, stunning celebration images. I'm guessing you used a tripod right?

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  28. Oh wow! J'adore the blue light on the bridge Mersad, stunning celebration images. I'm guessing you used a tripod right?

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  29. What a delight Mersad! Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  30. Wonderful photos. I remember reading about the destruction of the bridge way back when and it seemed to hopeless then. Things are really changed since the 90's.

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  31. I want to wander these streets!

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  32. What a wonderful celebration! I love the night shots and the pretty blue light. The bridge is awesome. Great post and photos, enjoy your day!

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  33. What an amazing experience and your images really make me feel like I was in the crowd witnessing the moment

    Mollyxxx

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  34. Hi Y'all!

    Not only are the night shots of the old town and bridge fantastic, but we enjoyed the history. Love those old towns. We have nothing to compare in the U.S.

    BrownDog's Human

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  35. Such a beautiful place on a beautiful night! I bet the atmosphere was truly buzzing!

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  36. Beautiful lights and colors! Wonderful photos! Thank you!

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  37. I would love to visit these beautiful places you photograph!!

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  38. These are some of the most amazing night shots I have EVER seen! They are breath-taking! The celebration looks wonderful, with all the lights and the celebratory mood is so beautifully captured. How proud you must be of your wonderful city! I can't get over how awesome these shots are....that second one actually looks 3-D!

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  39. Oh Mersad... Wonderful night shots. I was thinking that it is nice that the bridge was rebuilt as so much has been lost with all the past and present wars. Maybe some day there will be no wars... But I guess that is not likely.... Michelle

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  40. Most interesting and beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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  41. The bridge and the town are very beautiful. I must say you have captured this amazing event very well.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Alexander
    Alex's World! - http://alex.kakinan.com

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  42. Beautiful pictures, wonderful place, beautiful night lighting !!

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  43. Very nice colorful shots in the dark. Is the bridge still in use by boys diving for coins from the bridge. When I was there a long,long time ago (1969) they did just that and of course no illumination at all but also a very impressive view. Mostar looks very nice on your photo's here. I like it.

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  44. These images may be my all time favorites of yours. I can't pick out one that I like better than another. They are all so fabulous!!! Wonderful place and fantastic photography Mersad!!!

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  45. These photos are quite impressive! So vivid and well captured. Thanks!

    =)

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  46. Looks like the place to be! I love outdoor concerts!

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  47. One mesmerizing walk through the bridge :)
    have a wonderful weekend

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  48. wonderful shots and presentation...Looks like you all had a fabulous time♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/hazy-sun/

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  49. AnonymousJuly 11, 2015

    great shots!

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  50. I watched the destruction of the bridge during the war and was so sad. Not for the destruction of the bridge as much as the symbolic destruction of so much and so many. I found it hard to believe such things could happen so close to home at that time. It is heartwarming to see what it is like now. May such things never happen again.

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  51. Love the blue lighting on the bridge. Looks like a fun evening.

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  52. Exquisite place to visit...thanks for sharing with Our Beautiful World

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  53. Beautiful pictures!
    After visiting Bosnia twice Mostar - Stari Most is still on my wish list...
    So, maybe... 'zdravo' :>)
    Cheers,

    Jeanneke.

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  54. AnonymousJuly 12, 2015

    Spectacular photos.

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  55. My second visit to this post, Mersad and I love every bit of the experience!
    Have a Wonderful Day!
    Peace :)

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  56. These shots are simply fantastic. I'm impressed by the huge crowds of people attending this celebration. I remember when that bridge was blown up and even though I had never seen it in person, I felt heart broken at such a historic loss. It is wonderful that it has been reconstructed so it can live again and be enjoyed by all.

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  57. This blue-lit bridge is so happy and festive.

    I love seeing all the smiling crowds experiencing it.

    And thanks for letting me visit, too, from the letter H.

    Thank you for linking.

    A+

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