Mostar
Mostar is a city of 75,613 (1991) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation.
The unofficial capital of Herzegovina, Mostar is situated on the Neretva river. Mostar Ortijes International Airport is also located in the nearby village of Ortiješ.
Mostar was named after its Old Bridge (Stari most) and the towers on its sides, "the bridge keepers" (mostars in Bosnian/Croatian).
The city is nowadays mainly populated by Croats and Bosniaks, and has had a carefully elaborated policy of national equality ever since the end of the war. Each group claims one side of the river and even the football clubs, Zrinjski and Velež, are each supported by its own supporters delineated along national lines.
History
Founded in the late 15th century, Mostar was the chief administrative city for the Ottoman Empire in the Herzegovina region. The Austro-Hungarian Empire absorbed Mostar in 1878 and then it became part of Yugoslavia in the aftermath of World War I.
After World War II, Mostar developed a production of tobacco, bauxite, wine and aluminium products. Several dams ("Grabovica", "Salakovac", "Mostar") were built in the region to harness the hydroelectric power of the Neretva.
Bosnian War
Between 1992 and 1993, after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, the town was subject to a nine month siege, and was bombarded by the Bosnian Serbs from the mountains to the east.
In 1993, the Bosnian Croats and Muslims began a long struggle for control of Mostar. Bosnian Croats relentlessly bombarded the Bosniak quarter of the city, reducing much of it (including many landmarks) to ruin. The 16th century stone bridge Stari Most that had been built by Mimar Hayruddin, by order from emperor Suleiman the Magnificent, along with numerous other mosques and houses from the Ottoman era, were destroyed.
Reconstruction
Since the 1994 ceasefire and the end of the war in 1995, great progress is being made in the reconstruction of the city of Mostar, and over $15m has been spent on restoration.
A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by Spring 2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by the United States, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and Croatia. A grand opening was held on July 23, 2004 under heavy security.
