Kulturarv utan Gränser
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Projects in Jajce
The town of Jajce with its medieval centre is considered to be one of the most important towns in Bosnia-Herzegovina of historic interest. In Jajce Cultural Heritage without Borders has carried out a number of restoration projects in order to re-create parts of the historically important but war-damaged town centre. Several of the damaged buildings were so located that they affected the panoramic view of the town that before the war was so admired throughout the whole of the former Yugoslavia.
The last Bosnian king resided here during the 15th century. The town's oldest part is dominated by fortifications built on its upper slopes. Before the war this part was full of traditional houses with steep hipped roofs visible from a far distance. A significant number was destroyed during the war from 1992 to 1995. Through its collaboration with architects from the Heritage Institute in Sarajevo and the Swedish aid NGO Cross Roads on the work of conservation and reconstruction, Cultural Heritage without Borders has been able to participate on safeguarding the cultural and historical significance of this part of the town
Jajce. Photo: Robert Stergar october 2003.text
Request from the council
The project in Jajce arose out of the discussions with the council which The project in Jajce arose out of the discussions with the council which wanted to invest in the rebuilding of the town's cultural and historical sights. Prior to the war, Jajce had been a major tourist attraction so that with this rebuilding programme the council hoped to bring the tourists back to the town. After the war a large number of Bosniaks began to be re-housed and, as part of this programme, Cultural Heritage without Borders started its project to restore the two mosques of Disdareva and Sinanbegova. Despite some initial problems, our work has met with a positive response which in turn has led to requests for further projects. The symbolic importance of Jajce within the political climate of Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot be underestimated.
Work in Jajce has been a pilot project to formulate a method of how heritage conservation can be integrated into a humanitarian-rebuilding programme. The project has prevented further destruction of the Bosniak houses and mosques. Instead, a positive development could be achieved in the cooperation with the town’s Croatian leaders when they became all the more convinced during the process that the Ottoman and Muslim cultural heritage was in fact a valuable asset. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities about 300,000 tourists visited the town every year and a fifth of the inhabitants made a living out of tourism. The town’s leadership would like to continue its collaboration with Cultural Heritage without Borders, partly to work out a plan for Jajce’s historically important parts.
The projects have included three private houses, two mosques, the roof on a gate tower that was part of the fortifications and town wall and the Omer Begova house which is to be the premises for tourist association and a minor exhibition of local historical importance.
Donors Sida och Mrs. Amanda Sebestyen
