Historical View

Under the influence of traditional concepts, the Orient, and the political, economic and cultural trends the town of sarajevo gradually began to take shape int the valley of Miljacka River. The builders of the town were,no boubt, led by the desire to obey the unwritten architectual laws of Bosnia: The road is the spine of the town, the valley its shape, the ”Carsija” (business center) its heart, the vegetations its loungs, and the river its soul. The Carsija was laid out in the valley shows a rather regular pattern. It is spangled with architectual masterpieces: Mosques, hans (hotels), hamams (baths), bezistans (covered markets), and other magnificient buildings. On the slopes of the valley the Mahala (residential areas) was build. Here builders had followed a more regular pattern. Small streets leading to Carsija, give this part of town lively, picturesque, Oriental look. As time went on, however, the unwritten laws began to fade and were and eventually superseded by new, this time, written laws. The appartment house superseded the one family house and vasted interests were more important than the wonderful view from the Mahala (residential areas). The gardens witheard in the clutch of realtors, the sun hid behid clouds of dust and smoke, and the landscape become sad and dreary. In the wake of social incongruity came architectural incongruity. The lofty concepts of the country were exchanged for foreign misconceptions. Thus it will be necessary for architect of tomorrow to set right to wrong done to, and rectify the errors commited in, architectual development of Sarajevo. Furthermore, the architectual inherintance will have to be put in harmony with the requiments and trends of the present.