City Profile: Mostar
Current day Mostar is the fifth-largest city in Bosnia-Herzegovina and is considered the unofficial capital of Herzegovina. The city has a long history dating back to the twelfth century in which a wooden suspension bridge set across the Neretva River was the focal point of the settlement. The early fifteenth century, with the introduction of the Ottoman Empire into the region, saw the development of the settlement into the more modern city of Mostar and the renovation of the bridge into the beautiful single-span masonry arch that came to be known as “Stari Most” or the Old Bridge. From this bridge the name of the city Mostar is derived, which means “bridge keeper.”
Under the Tito regime, Mostar had a thriving economy based around the metal-working factory, cotton textile mills, and an aluminum plant. Most of these industries were destroyed during the war; however, the city of Mostar rebounded and now relies on production of aluminum and other metal industries, agricultural, stone manufacturing, and tourism. Three hydro-plants situated along the Neretva River provide energy to the surrounding countryside. Mostar is also home to the two leading universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, University of Mostar and Džemal Bijedic University educating about 6,000 students annually.
An official census has not occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1991, however, as of 2005 it is estimated that about 127,066 people call Mostar home. The city is almost equally divided between Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks, with the Croats having a slight numerical edge. A negligible number of Serbs live in the city. Mostar was a key city in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s, with much of the city, including the iconic Stari Most, being destroyed by constant shelling from all sides. It was reconstructed in 2004 and the bridge and its immediate surroundings are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The reopening of the bridge has not brought Croats and Bosniaks together, and the city remains divided. The Croats live on the western side of the river and the Bosniaks reside on the eastern side. Politically, the Croats and the Bosniaks share power at the municipal level, but practically, the citizens of the two largest communities rarely mix.
Under the Tito regime, Mostar had a thriving economy based around the metal-working factory, cotton textile mills, and an aluminum plant. Most of these industries were destroyed during the war; however, the city of Mostar rebounded and now relies on production of aluminum and other metal industries, agricultural, stone manufacturing, and tourism. Three hydro-plants situated along the Neretva River provide energy to the surrounding countryside. Mostar is also home to the two leading universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, University of Mostar and Džemal Bijedic University educating about 6,000 students annually.
An official census has not occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1991, however, as of 2005 it is estimated that about 127,066 people call Mostar home. The city is almost equally divided between Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks, with the Croats having a slight numerical edge. A negligible number of Serbs live in the city. Mostar was a key city in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990s, with much of the city, including the iconic Stari Most, being destroyed by constant shelling from all sides. It was reconstructed in 2004 and the bridge and its immediate surroundings are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The reopening of the bridge has not brought Croats and Bosniaks together, and the city remains divided. The Croats live on the western side of the river and the Bosniaks reside on the eastern side. Politically, the Croats and the Bosniaks share power at the municipal level, but practically, the citizens of the two largest communities rarely mix.
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The logo for the Forum for Cities in Transition was based on the semi-circular arrangement of tables for the plenary sessions at the initial conference that took place April 14-16, 2008, at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. There is further inspiration from King Arthur's famed Round Table, with no head and everyone who sits there having equal status. In this design, the circle is presently half-complete, but with leaders of each city at their place, there will be collaborative work among Forum participants to realise a full circle.
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