(Re)Building a Bridge: Landscape, Imagination and Memory in Mostar

Abstract

Stari Most (‘Old Bridge’) is one of Mostar’s most iconic structures and highly regarded as the symbol of the city. Stari Most was destroyed during the Balkans War in 1993, where it collapsed in the Neretva River below. It must be noted that for Mostar to attract visitors, Stari Most was reconstructed (completed in 2004). While this bridge symbolises the city’s heritage, memories of its destruction during war remind visitors not to forget the tragic events of the early-1990s. Insight from the geography literature helps us explore conceptual meanings of cultural heritage landscapes, geographical imaginations and memory—to help critically understand crucial turning point in Mostar’s recent history. The chapter frames what Mostar and Stari Most endured during the brunt of war (where its unique heritage met a tragic fate, at least temporarily) to the (re)building of Stari Most and its defining presence as the city’s key attraction once again.