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East meets West

  • Foto van schrijver: Cycling4Education
    Cycling4Education
  • 11 mei 2022
  • 2 minuten om te lezen

The further we pass into Bosnia, the greener the hills and the more prominent the mosques become.

At noon and various times during the day we hear the beautiful voice of the ‘muezzin’ who calls for the prayer. These signs seems to confirm that we are definitely on our way to the East, slowly but steadily.


Although someone told us Bosnian people are a bit reticent, we experience the opposite on the road: people laugh, raise hands, smile or toot friendly while holding thumbs up in their cars.


Entering Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia), we see an old friend back – a French Canadian biker whom we shared the road with for some time two days earlier. He is thrilled about the city, and we will soon understand why.

The old town of Sarajevo is a little discovery. Our vibrant guide Neno shows us how Eastern and Western influences live peacefully together.

Habsburg and Ottoman history blends together resulting in beautiful mosques, bazars, churches and a cosy buzz.

On the building of an Old Ottoman school, next to a silk market, we see the word ‘Iqra’. ‘Read’, the first word of the Qu’ran. It stresses the importance of studying and reflecting for Muslims. With our project ‘Cycling for education’ we believe in the same thing and we are cycling to the East, to follow the Old Silk route until Kyrgyzstan. It might sound a bit superstitious, but it seems we had to cross this city on our path.

3 influences catched in one picture! To the left the Ottoman Mosque, behind 'Hotel Europe' in Austrian style (Habsburg empire), and to the right an Yugoslavian building from Tito's time.

Nevertheless, traces of more recent history, such as those from the Bosnian war, can be seen as well in Sarajevo.

The renovation of the affected buildings has been a difficult process until now, as most money still goes to unknown pockets and corruption is widespread.

65% of Bosnian youngsters are unemployed (one of the highest numbers in Europe), while the standard of living is more or less the same as ours (thanks to importing a lot of goods, not being part of the European Union, ineffective industrialization process, …)!


Therefore a lot of people start working abroad and leave the country.


Neno confirms that much people miss the old Yugoslavia, as Tito overcame the nationalism and ensured a house and job for most ones.

He ends on an emotional note: the hope Sarajevo and thus Bosnia will once rise as a phoenix out of the ashes post-war, leaving corruption behind forever.


 
 
 

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