Stari Most

25 Fascinating Facts about Stari Most

1. Location: Stari Most stretches across the emerald-green Neretva River, right in the heart of Mostar in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Just a few meters away, the smaller Radobolja River flows into the Neretva. The bridge marks a central point within the city’s historic old town.
2. Significance: Stari Most is the defining symbol of Mostar. It stands for the peaceful coexistence of different cultures and religions. The bridge connects the predominantly Muslim east with the Catholic-influenced west of the city.
3. Predecessor Bridge: Before the stone structure of Stari Most, a wooden suspension bridge crossed the Neretva. It was held by chains and so unstable that, according to the Ottoman scholar Katip Çelebi, every step across felt like a near-death experience. As Mostar grew in strategic and economic importance, building a solid stone bridge became a pressing need.
4. Construction History: The construction began in 1556 under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and was completed around ten years later, in 1566. The bridge formed the heart of an urban plan, around which mosques, markets, houses, and bathhouses were deliberately arranged.
5. Historical Context: By the time construction began, Mostar had already been under Ottoman rule for several decades. The Kingdom of Bosnia had fallen in 1463. The bridge was a central part of the Ottoman strategy for expansion and integration, serving both economic and cultural-religious aims.
6. Engineering Feat: When completed, Stari Most was hailed as the longest stone arch bridge in the world, with a span of 28.7 meters. Its graceful, single-arch design was a remarkable engineering achievement and earned admiration far beyond the Ottoman Empire.
7. Architecture: The bridge features a slender, elliptical arch that rises with a gentle bend at its highest point. Inside the stone structure, two large hollow chambers reduce the overall weight and increase stability.
8. Building Materials: A pale limestone from a nearby quarry was used, secured with iron clamps and sealed with molten lead. According to popular legend, the mortar also included 300,000 eggs, unwashed sheep’s wool, and honey. So many eggs were needed that eating them was temporarily banned.
9. Architect: The bridge was designed by Mimar Hayreddin, a renowned 16th-century architect originally known for mosque construction. He was a student of Mimar Sinan, the most celebrated architect of the Ottoman era and designer of landmarks such as the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul.
10. Architect’s Ordeal: Legend has it that Sultan Suleiman ordered Hayreddin to build the bridge and threatened him with death if it collapsed. Out of fear, Hayreddin is said to have fled after completion and died of jaundice while in hiding. According to the story, he never saw the bridge without its scaffolding.
11. Model Bridge: According to a popular theory, Mimar Hayreddin built a smaller bridge before starting work on Stari Most. Known as the Kriva Ćuprija – or “Crooked Bridge” – it supposedly served as a structural model for his ambitious design. The bridge still stands today, just a few minutes’ walk from the main one, in the heart of Mostar’s old town. However, there is no written evidence to support this theory.
12. Destruction: On November 9, 1993, during the Bosnian War, Stari Most was destroyed by targeted artillery fire from the Croatian Army. Before that, the bridge had been used by Bosniak forces as a supply route, making it a strategic target. Croatian General Slobodan Praljak later claimed the bridge had collapsed due to explosives, but that version has since been widely discredited.
13. Temporary Bridge: Just three days after the destruction, Spanish UN soldiers built a temporary metal bridge on the same site. For many years, it was the only pedestrian connection between the eastern and western sides of the devastated old town. It remained in place until reconstruction work began.
14. Reconstruction: Plans to rebuild the bridge began in 1995, with the aim of creating a faithful replica. The actual construction took place between June 2001 and July 2004. Traditional materials and techniques were used: Hungarian army divers recovered original stone blocks from the river, and the Turkish company Er-Bu was commissioned to carry out the work.
15. Funding: The reconstruction was an international effort led by UNESCO. Around 15 million euros were raised, with funding provided by the World Bank, the European Union, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the city of Mostar.
16. Legal Consequences: Two decades after the bridge’s destruction, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) delivered a clear verdict. In 2013, six high-ranking Croatian politicians and military officers were convicted of war crimes, including the attacks on Mostar, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. One of them, General Slobodan Praljak, took his own life on November 29, 2017, immediately after the verdict was read. In full view of the courtroom and cameras, he drank a small bottle of cyanide.
17. Memorial Stone: At the western end of Stari Most, a large stone with the inscription “Don’t Forget ’93” serves as a powerful reminder of the bridge’s destruction. This silent memorial warns against forgetting the horrors of war. Similar stones can be found throughout the old town.
18. The Tara and Halebija Towers: The Tara Tower stands on the eastern bank of the Neretva, in the traditionally Muslim part of Mostar. On the western bank lies the Halebija Tower. Both served as guard and watch towers to protect the bridge and are believed to be slightly older than the stone bridge itself.
19. Architecture of the Towers: Built from solid stone, both towers feature multiple levels and narrow slits for defense. Tara has a squat, square base, while Halebija is taller, slimmer, and slightly asymmetrical in shape.
20. Current Use of the Towers: Today, both towers are open to visitors and form part of Mostar’s cultural tourism. The Tara Tower houses the “Museum of the Old Bridge”, while the Halebija Tower offers a panoramic viewing platform.
21. Diving Tradition: For generations, leaping from the 24-meter-high Stari Most into the cold waters of the Neretva has been a test of courage for young men in Mostar. What began as a local rite of passage became an official competition in 1968 and continues every summer to this day.
22. Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series: Since 2015, Stari Most has served as a recurring stage for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The global event combines Mostar’s centuries-old diving tradition with the thrill of modern extreme sports, drawing large crowds and international media attention.
23. Coat of Arms of Mostar: Mostar’s current coat of arms was introduced in 2004 to mark the reopening of the rebuilt Stari Most. At its center is a stylized image of the bridge, flanked by the towers of Tara and Halebija. Wavy lines below symbolize the flowing Neretva River.
24. Name Origin: “Stari Most” translates to “Old Bridge.” The name “Mostar” comes from the mostari – bridge guards from the Ottoman era who were tasked with protecting and overseeing the bridge.
25. UNESCO World Heritage Site: On July 15, 2005, Stari Most and the historic old town of Mostar were officially added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the first in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When a nearby hotel threatened the visual integrity of the site, its top floor was removed in 2008 to preserve the bridge’s iconic silhouette.