Baščaršija

Baščaršija from the tram stop

Baščaršija is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Isaković founded the town.^[1] The word Baščaršija derives from the Turkish language. The word "baš" which is "baş" in Turkish literally means "head", in some contexts however also "primary", "main", "capital" and "čaršija" which is "çarşı" in Turkish means "bazaar" or "market".^[2] Due to the large fire in the 19 century, today Baščaršija is twice smaller than it once was.

Baščaršija is located on the north bank of the river Miljacka, in the municipality of Stari Grad. On Baščaršija there are several important historic buildings, such as the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and sahat-kula. Today Baščaršija is the major tourist attraction of Sarajevo.^[3]

History

Before the arrival of the Ottomans in the largest settlement on Sarajevo field was the village square Tornik, which was located at the crossroad of the roads where today is the Ali Pasha's Mosque. Baščaršija was built in 1462 when Isa-Beg Isaković built the Ishaković han, in addition to its many shops. At that time, most of the inhabitants of Sarajevo lived in the vicinity of the Emperor's Mosque. Therefore, Isa-Beg Isaković built a bridge across the Miljacka to focus the main Sarajevo suburb and a new economic center of the city, Baščaršija.

Around the main entrance, the Bazerdžani čaršija was formed. The čaršija Kazaz is situated to the west, and to the north sit both the čaršija Sedlar and Sarača. The most significant buildings constructed during this period are the mosques. Baščaršija's famous mosque was built by Havedža Durak in 1528, and Gazi Husrev-beg built his mosque in 1530.

One of the entrances to the Gazi Husrev-Beg's Bezistan

Gazi Husrev-Beg raises a madrassa, a library, a haniqah, the Gazi Husrev-Beg Hamam, the Gazi Husrev-Beg bezistan, the Morića Han, sahat-kula and other tourist attractions in Baščaršija. Gazi Husrev-Beg was buried in the harem of his mosque, beside the harem is the Türbe of his freed slave and the first mutevelija of his vakuf Murat-beg Tardić.

At this time a number of commercial facilities was built, such as bezistans, hans, and caravanserais. Sarajevo was an important center of trade in the Balkans and had three bezistans (today the Gazi Husrev-Bey bezistan and Brusa bezistan are still standing). There were colonies of Venetians and Dubrovnik traders, and Baščaršija had approximately 12,000 commercial and craft shops. After the earthquake in 1640 and several fires in 1644 and 1656, Sarajevo was 1697 burned and devastated by the troops of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Travel writer Evliya Çelebi wrote:

" The čaršija has in everything, one thousand and eighty stores that are a model of beauty. The čaršija is very attractive and built according to plan."

To the 19th century, the area of Sarajevo doesn't spread. With the Austro-Hungarian occupation in the 1878th year, foreign architects have wanted to make Sarajevo into a modern European city. A great fire helped them, it destroyed the Stari Grad except the part that is still there. That is how today's well-known boundary between Baščaršija and the street Ferhadija was made. With the liberation of Sarajevo in 1945, a new city people's committee has decided that the čaršija should be gradually destroyed, believing that the old shopping center has no role in the modern city.^[4][5]

Important buildings

• Emperor's Mosque
• Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
• Gazi Husrev-Beg Hamam
• Gazi Husrev-Beg bezistan
• Morića Han
• sahat-kula

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baščaršija

• Baščaršija Nights
• Stari Grad, Sarajevo

References

Coordinates: 43°51′32″N 18°25′48″E / 43.859°N 18.430°E / 43.859; 18.430