BAZ·nee·uh - /bɑˈzniʌ/
HER·tsuh·goh·vee·nuh - /ˌhert.sə.ɡoʊˈviː.nə/
Bosnia is named for the river Βοσώνα (Greek) in the Bosnian heartland, likely derive from Illyrian, Bass-an-as, which in turn could be from PIE root bʰegʷ = running water. Herzegovina = herzog's [land], with herzog deriving from the German herceg = duke, (which made it's way to the region via the title of 15th c. Bosnian magnate, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, the Herceg of Hum & the Coas)
The first mention of a form of the name Bosnia (Bosona) was in a handbook written by Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in 10th c. (It now refers the larger, Bosnia region in the north of the country, while Herzegovina is the smaller, southern region but, historically, the border between the two was never clearly defined) The region was renamed the Sanjak of Herzegovina by the Ottomans in the 15th c. and included within their Bosnia Eyalet, until the formation of the short-lived Herzegovina Eyalet in the 1830s. The two re-merged in the 1850s, which is when it became commonly referred to as both Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Why It's Worth a Visit -
Turkish, Greek & Ottoman influences abound in the Bosnia's bustling bazaars and proud coffee culture. The country offers dramatic landscapes, affordable outdoor adventures & uncrowded, historic, cozy old town charms.
@ a glance essentials:
Language:
Bosnian
+ Croatian & Serbian. Most Locals in larger cities can speak some English.
Country's Visitation Limit:
90 Days
Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink - including from many public fountains.
Emergency #
Police: 122 Ambulance:124
.
How to Say - Hello:
Zdravo
Thank You:
Hvala
Hot Tip:
Look for the label: aščinica when choosing where to dine - it's the local term for "traditional" Bosnian restaurants and they are the best way to try national dishes featuring an open coal grill.
Like all the nations formally part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia has a complicated enthno & political history rife with strife. It has three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks, (largest group,) Serbs & Croats.
The region's been inhabited since at least Paleolithic times, with the earliest recorded kingdom in Illyria, the Enchele, established in the 8th c. BC. The Illyrians were slowly annexed by the Roman Empire between 230Bc - 9 AD. During this period, Latin-speakers from the entire Empire settled among the Illyrians, (Roman soldiers were even encouraged to retire in the region.)
a bit of background...
................ While B & H is a 99.9% land-locked, mostly mountainous country that's nearly 50% forest, by international law they retain right of passage through Croatia (@ Nuem) to the Adriatic Sea.
FUN FACT:
Celts and then Early Slavs (ancestors of the South Slavic peoples that populate the area today) raided all of the Western Balkans in the 6th + 7th c. AD and established the Banate of Bosnia, which was part of the greater Croatian Duchy. This evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia by the 14th c. (still a sort of shared/joint state with the Serbians) which was then annexed by the Ottoman Empire the 15th c.
It was annexed again by Austro-Hungarian in WWI and in the interwar period it was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (with the South Slav Kingdom of Serbs, Croats & Slovenes.) After World War II, it became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992 and the Bosnian War, when it proclaimed it's independence as the Republic of Bosnia & Herzegovina, shortened to Bosnia & Herzegovina with the 1995 Dayton Agreement.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Ćevapi - traditional Bosnian sausage w/ minced meat ▪️ Somun/ Pitica - hollow & puffy flatbread
Begova Corba (or Bey’s soup) - a creamy chicken & okra stew ▪️ Khash - breakfast soup of beef legs & tripe
Bosanski Lonac* (Bosnian Pot) & Grah- slow-cooked meat/ been stews ▪️ Klepe - traditional mince-meat dumpling
Bosanska Kahva** - the national (coffee) brew ▪️ Salep Tea - made from tubers of particular orchid species
Tufahija - traditional dessert of poached apples stuffed w/ walnuts topped w/ whipped cream.
*A traditional miner's dish that dates back to medieval Bosnia
**Similar to Turkish coffee in preparation and presentation, but don't refer to it as 'Turkish' - the Bosnians are very proud of their distinct version.
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Bosnia
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal . recommendations, but you can start with the most popular spots . below, and I'll be updated with my favorites, hopefully soon!
(If you get there first send me your best finds!)
♦️ Mostar - with Stari Most (Old Bridge) connecting Bosniak & Croat neighborhoods over
the Neretva, originally constructed 1557-1566 by the Ottomans (destroyed in the Bosnian
War but reconstructed 2004)
🔸 Sarajevo - with 16th c. Old Clock Tower, Tunnel of Hope, the 'line in the sand' between
Asia & Europe, and Bascarsija Square with Sebilj Wooden Fountain & Old Bazaar
♦️ Perucica Rainforest - the lungs of Europe, one of the continents few surviving rainforests
🔸 Tito Memorials & cafés including Tito’s Nuclear Bunker
♦️ Pliva Lakes - home to the unique wooden Pliva watermills
🔸 Ostrožac Fortress - Gothic castle in the Una Valley
Most Known For:
🌀 Sarajevo Film Festival (August) - one of only 18 Internationally recognized 'film cities,' the city also hosts
the MESS International Theatre Festival
🌀 Music Festivals like Mostar Summer Fest & Sevdah's Sevdalinka Festival of traditional music
🌀 Cimburijada/ Festival of Scrambled Eggs - (first day of Spring) locals gather at dawn in Zenica, to cook &
enjoy a huge quantity of scrambled eggs w/ music & picnics along the banks of the Bosna River
Cool Local Festivals:
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