The most beautiful records about Sarajevo: A city that inspires

The Day of the City of Sarajevo is celebrated on April 6, and that date has deep-rooted symbolism in its past. On this day in 1941, Sarajevo was bombed by the Wehrmacht for the first time. On the same date in 1945, Yugoslav partisan troops liberated it from fascist occupation. Also, on April 6, 1992, the former Yugoslav People’s Army, the Army of Republika Srpska and Serbian paramilitary forces began a siege of the city, which lasted for a full 44 months.

Isa-beg Ishaković is considered the founder of Sarajevo, but the city itself was built by the natives. Located at the crossroads of Roman roads, Sarajevo became a place where different cultures and religions met, and this diversity has survived for more than 500 years. Throughout its history, Sarajevo has suffered numerous adversities, but it has always managed to rise from the ashes, fearlessly resisting its invaders and attackers. It has become a symbol of resistance – a city that wins hearts, but which is impossible to completely conquer.

Thanks to its rich past, where different empires spread, thanks to its cultural and historical heritage, beautiful nature and hospitable citizens, Sarajevo has always been a source of inspiration for writers, musicians, painters and artists of all kinds.
One of the most beautiful songs about Sarajevo was sung by the late Kemal Monteno “Sarajevo ljubavi moja”.
Lyrics: “We grew up together, you and I, the same blue sky gifted us a verse.” Under Trebević we dreamed dreams, who will grow faster, who will be more beautiful… Wherever I go I dream of you, all the roads lead me to you, I wait with some longing for your lights, Sarajevo my love…” from the pen of the artist Alija Hafizović Haf , and they depict attachment and true love for Sarajevo. Over time, the song became an unofficial anthem, in fact, the people of Sarajevo perceive it that way.

Academician, poet, writer, screenwriter, born in Sarajevo, Abdullah Sidran, among other things, wrote the following about his city:
“You can’t live in Sarajevo.
When you live in Sarajevo, you spend too much time.
While there, while here – the morning passes.
While this, while that – the day goes by.
It is, of course, all that – be among people.
And it is, for the most part, a nice story.
Life is short for Sarajevo.”
Many have written and are writing about Sarajevo, the city serves as an eternal inspiration for musicians and writers. Whether it is about those of today or those who have left this world, their word is always alive.

Words about Sarajevo

We have selected the most beautiful entries by reputable authors that celebrate the beauty of Sarajevo.

Ivo Andric

“And at whatever time of day and from whatever height you look at Sarajevo, you always involuntarily think the same thing. It’s a city. A city that decays and dies, and at the same time is born and transformed. Today, the city of our most beautiful aspirations and efforts, and boldest wishes and hopes.”

Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić described Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with these words.
The Nobel laureate and Yugoslav writer who left a rich mark in his work wrote an essay about Sarajevo, and this particular essay belongs to one of the best prose writings about the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

“Just below, at the bottom of the horizon, where the old city ends and the free plain begins, there is still a trace of daylight. In the indirect, ruddy glare of the already hidden sun, the smoke of factory chimneys is white and the roofs of new settlements can be glimpsed. There, new people of new generations of this old city are building and building a new one. Slowly and painfully, because great things are achieved slowly and painfully, down there in the plain the past will be overcome, history will be overcome. Below and around the virgin plain rest in rich deposits traces of prehistoric settlements, mosaics and landmarks of the Roman era and money and weapons of medieval Bosnia, and factories and apartments are being built on it and new forms of life are emerging. They grow slowly and painfully, but surely, according to the inexorable laws of social development. And at whatever time of day and from whatever height you look at Sarajevo, you always and involuntarily think the same thing. It’s a city. A city that decays and dies, and at the same time is born and transformed.” (March 15, 1975)

Alexander Hemon

For those who are less informed about Aleksandar Hemon, he was born in 1964 in Sarajevo, but after the events of the war caught him while he was in the USA, he decided to stay there.

“Sarajevo’s world: the smart and the greedy, the greedy and the beautiful, the tired and the young, the youthful and the frantic, the rich and the poor, the strong and the sick, the tall and the shabby, the angry and the lazy, the colorful and the geniuses, the diaspora and the Jalijas, the Đozovci and the poor, children and adults, faithful and unfaithful, powerful and pious, in all, almost four hundred thousand city atoms. And let’s not lie, there is no end there. You either love Sarajevo or you don’t.”

Reif Larsen, writer

“Living in Sarajevo means living on different levels. This intertwining of past and present gives the city a hyper-realistic texture, as if you are walking through a postcard that has come to life. To visit Sarajevo is to witness the greatest sorrows and triumphs of civilization.”

Djordje Balasevic

Balašević has shown many times that he is a friend of Sarajevo, the best proof of that is the humanitarian concert he held in a crowded Skenderija in 1998.

“You know what, coming here I was escorted from Novi Sad, the students came early in the morning in front of our house, the baker came and brought pretzels for the trip. The president of the city came, many came to send their love here with us, there are many people who think like us and who have no way to say it and who were thinking of you. Now that’s easy to say, you know that, but there are some things, like that, maybe I could have helped more, but the song is not heard. I wanted to save the world with a song. One average mortar can drown out all the lyrics I’ve ever written. It is so. Nevertheless, I said I would come, they asked if I was afraid, that morning the press appeared with the inscriptions ‘Balašević is being assassinated in Sarajevo’. But let me just tell you. Am I afraid to come to Sarajevo? If I was afraid of something, I would hide in Sarajevo. Look kids, ok, I’m going and it’s written down and it has to be that way. You don’t fear for your life, you don’t fear assassination? I say, if that’s the price of being in the crosshairs of some madman for two days, they could have been in the crosshairs for five years. Here’s a way for me to be in Sarajevo for at least two days…”

“You see, Sarajevo is middle class. Like a child – playful, simple-minded, naive, credulous, childish… That’s why he reaches out his hands first…”

Mike Leigh, English writer and director, briefly described Bosnia and Herzegovina. the capital:

“When you go to Sarajevo, what you will experience is – life.”

Bono Vox, frontman of the band U2, who wrote and sang a song about Sarajevo, “Miss Sarajevo”:

“This is the most beautiful city, sophisticated, complex and multicultural.”

Evlija Celebija, a 17th-century writer from the 17th century, wrote about Sarajevo:

“There are many cities in this world named Saraj… But this Bosnian, fortified city of Sarajevo is the most advanced, beautiful and lively of all.”

Nedžad Begović, director

“In Sarajevo, everything has its own story and nothing in Sarajevo is by chance.”

Goran Bregović, musician and composer

“Objectively, Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, nothing can be compared to Paris in Sarajevo, but my heart never trembles in Paris like it does in Sarajevo when I stand in line at the post office.”

Kénizé Mo office, writer

“I know that after the war it is sometimes more difficult than during the war, that the enemy is more insidious that a man, after so much effort to survive, wants to relax. But you can’t do that. Because the name of Sarajevo today is light and hope. Hope that courage and tolerance can win.”

Robert Stanhopes, a traveler who stayed in Sarajevo in 1634

“When you enter a pub and look around for a place to sit, you should be careful not to get stuck in the smoking pipes that the smokers, sitting on their cushions, stretch out to the middle of the pub. If you step on a chibuk or just touch it, it can cost you dearly, because you spoil the chief of Sarajevo. And as much as there is noise in the bazaar, there is silence in the tavern. You can hear the liquid gurgling in the hookahs and the coffee boiling on the embers.”

Juraj Neidhard, one of the most important Sarajevo architects

“What is the charm of the Orient that begins in Sarajevo, and which Westerners cannot resist? Here there are no plans that come from rational thinking, and everything is a matter of improvisation and the result of ad hoc ideas and temporary needs.”

Christiane Amanpour, journalist

“Sarajevo is a city of resistance and human courage. My heart goes out to you. It was always with you.”

Bill Carter, writer and director

“In some cases, the ties with Sarajevo are stronger than family ties. You trust them with your life, your soul. Another strange thing about Sarajevo is that life is reduced to individual moments with great clarity. Sharing a cup of tea, beer or food is usually huge.”

Richard Geere, actor

“Sarajevo is a wonderful and beautiful city where incredible people live. It is an ancient city where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together very well for centuries. It’s an amazing place that everyone wants to go to once in their life.”

Francis Bueb – director of the Andre Malraux Center

“It is true that people here discover what you call the Sarajevo spirit. There is something small, special, something that is attractive. This is a place where people can live beautifully.”

Annie Leibovitz, photographer

“All my dilemmas about what my photos of Sarajevo should be, disappeared when I got there. Things happened too fast there. I could only answer them.”
Bernard-Henri Levy, philosopher, writer
“This city has given me so much. He was and remains very important in my life. The status of Honorary Citizen of Sarajevo is the greatest honor that could have been given to me.”

Morgan Freeman, actor

“Sarajevo is a city of charming people and beautiful women. It’s a walkable city, which is great for the body.”

Pope Franjo

“The city that was once a symbol of war and destruction has become a place where diversity is no longer a threat, but a sign of wealth and opportunity. The European Jerusalem represents a crossroads of cultures, nations and religions, a status that requires the building of new bridges, while at the same time maintaining and restoring the old ones.”

Terrence Howard, actor

“The people of Sarajevo did something wonderful. They took large shells, from the same ammunition they used to shoot at in the war, they carved a picture of Sarajevo as it used to be, polished them and now they sell them. I bought a lot of them. It is the most beautiful example of how we can overcome what happens to us.”

Juan Antonio Samaranch

“Sarajevo had the best organized winter games in the history of the Olympics … Goodbye, dear Sarajevo.”

Angelina Jolie, director, actress, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

“The time spent with the people I met in Bosnia changed me forever. I cannot tell you how much the title of honorary citizen of Sarajevo, a city so dear to my heart, means to me.”

Joel Rosenthal, president of the Carnegie Council on Ethics in International Affairs

“Sarajevo is a symbol of pluralism, multi-ethnicity and minorities that have peacefully coexisted for centuries. We all remember the 1984 Winter Olympics. That event emphasized pluralism, multiculturalism and peaceful coexistence despite differences. Not even the terrible tragedy of the Balkan wars of the 1990s negates this ideal of a dream.”

Richard Burton, actor

“In Sarajevo, I ate a lot of sweets, drank a lot of water and read Nero Wolfe.”

Toše Proeski, singer

“80 percent of the biggest Yugoslav music stars come from Sarajevo. Their career continues today.”

Edin Dzeko, football player

“There is nothing more beautiful than my arrival in Sarajevo, where I am greeted by the smiles of dear people. I have the feeling that everything in Sarajevo is more beautiful, that the sun shines brighter, the snow is whiter, the rain is less wet, people are happy, regardless of all the problems they have. I have never seen more joyful people anywhere in the world.”

Vanessa Redgrave, actress

“Sarajevo was a good lesson for me. It taught me that art gives a person hope.”

Alex Elena, musician

“This city and people are something really special. There are no words to describe them. I love this city, and I call the people I met here “brothers”.

Robert De Niro, actor

“I was interested in coming here… I was impressed by the beauty of the city and I think it’s a shame to see that a city like this can be attacked.” This reward I will always treasure. With pleasure I will keep the “Heart of Sarajevo” and remember Sarajevo, because there are not many cities in the world that were brave and died gave my heart when it was most needed in the most difficult moments.”

Orhan Pamuk, writer, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

“Sarajevo is the most unique place in Europe”