Reconstruction of the Old Bridge of Mostar

Abstract

The Old Bridge of Mostar was built in 1566 by Hajrudin, a student of Kodza Mimar Sinan, the greatest Ottoman architect. It is a stone bridge of very slender and elegant shapes: its profile and its skyline are so thin and so high over the river waters that it is hard to believe that such a structure could be made out of huge stone blocks. The Bridge was destroyed in November 1993 by shelling during the recent war events. Its reconstruction was one of the biggest and most complicated projects involving UNESCO, The World Bank and many local and international experts. The task was to build a New Old Bridge – precisely the same in all details as the Old one. After many studies, tests and shape determinations, the project was completed and the actual reconstruction work could begin. Ancient techniques and methods, original materials and a perfectly reconstructed shape gave this Bridge its new life in post-war Mostar.