At certain times of the day, the peal of church bells merges with the muezzin’s call in Sarajevo. It is hard to separate the two. They are in such perfect harmony.

When Pope John Paul II, during his visit in 1997, called the city on Miljacka river the ‘Jerusalem of Europe,’ he was not off the mark. Sorry. Perhaps he was. Just a tiny bit.

Whereas in Jerusalem the various Abrahamic religions’ places of worship are fitted neatly into their own respective walled quarters, Sarajevo throws all such restrictions to the wind. Every hundred metres or so is a mosque or a Roman Catholic church or a Serbian Orthodox church or a synagogue, filled with glorious religious art and jostling next to each other in a spiritual kaleidoscope.

Sarajevo’s unusualness lies not just in its marriage of the Abrahamic faiths, but also of East and West—the eastern Ottoman [1463 – 1878] and western Austro-Hungarian [1878 – 1918] empires which ruled over the city. There is even a line drawn across a street aptly named ‘meeting of cultures’ where the two cultures technically meet.

Yet, none of these religious and cultural identities have ever merged to create a syncretic new form. Rather, they chose, and still choose, to coexist, unwalled and untethered, in their own individual lights. Next to each other.

I wanted to see this in person. So, I set off in search of Europe’s Jerusalem. Come along with me? 🙂

SOUTH SLAV MUSLIMS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Bosnians have historically been a bit of a rebel. In a time when the Christian world was split between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, the medieval Bosnian kingdoms chose to go their own way. They founded their own Bosnian Church in the 12th-13th Century, rooted in Bosnian traditions, headed by its own bishop.

After the Ottomans conquered the region in 1463, it was relatively easy to convert the Bosnians without the need for ethnic amalgamation. Labelled a heretic by the two Christian denominations, Islam offered the Bosnians the same monotheistic beliefs coupled with social and economic benefits. Slowly and steadily, over the next century, the South Slavs of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted their new faith, and have practiced it ever since to form 51 percent of the country today. Blue-eyed and blonde in hijabs and prayer caps.

CROATS, THE SOUTH SLAVS WHO CHOSE ROMAN CATHOLICISM

Not all medieval Bosnians chose Islam when their kingdoms were taken over by the Ottoman rulers. Some veered towards Roman Catholicism practiced by the neighbouring Croats. A number that rose further with the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian empire. 15.4 percent of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s population [2013 official census] is Roman Catholic of which 98 percent are ethnically Croats.

Unlike its neighbours who chose very specific religious and political trajectories, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s journey has often been that of a melting pot. Sandwiched between Roman Catholic Croatia aligned with Rome and Western Europe, and Eastern Orthodox Serbia who were pro-Constantinople and later pro-Russian, both Croats and Serbs spilled into the nation in-between over the centuries—and called it home.

EASTERN ORTHODOX SERBS WHO MADE BOSNIA THEIR HOME

Thirty-one percent of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s population is Serbian Eastern Orthodox; it is practiced by ethnic Serbs. Since 1995, they are centred in Republika Srpska, one of the two political entities formally established within a single national border, courtesy of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Things were different before the Bosnian War. Prior to 1992, Eastern Orthodox Serbs lived across the country, including Sarajevo. A spill-over from next door Serbia over centuries, they enjoyed special protected status under the Ottomans; a practice started by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and continued by later rulers. This helped the Serbs boost their numbers, build churches and monasteries, and even have their own metropolitan bishops in an otherwise Muslim region.

SEPHARDIC JEWS WHO FOUND REFUGE IN SARAJEVO

The Ottoman empire’s fetish for plurality, especially as a source for economic growth, also included Jews. When Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal, amidst the Spanish Inquisition’s bloodbath launched in 1492, they found a safe haven in Sarajevo. Arriving in the hundreds, they brought with them their rich traditions and the famed 15th Century Haggadah. A few centuries later, they were followed by an influx of Ashkenazi Jews under Austro-Hungarian rule.

These numbers have since dwindled significantly—because of the holocaust and many choosing to move to Israel during the Bosnian War [1992 – 1995]. Though Bosnian Jews amount to a mere few hundred today, they form an inseparable part of the soul of the city having contributed to its trade, art and crafts, and literature over the years.

– – –

EPILOGUE

One city. Four religions.

The very mix that made Sarajevo different, became the reason for its biggest wounds through a four-year long siege [1992 – 1995], and ultimately its strength to withstand it and rise again. Stronger. More kind.

For a secular spiritual person, as I like to see myself, Sarajevo is plurality in all its earthly flawed splendour. The word was: Jerusalem. ❤

I hope you enjoyed this post. Next week, come along with me to Mostar, the city of the iconic Stari [Old] Bridge.

– – –

Travel tips:

• Staying there: I stayed at the very lovely, comfortable, and spotless family-run Halvat Guesthouse in Sarajevo Old Town. Valida, the hostess is an absolute sweetheart and super-hospitable.
• I explored Sarajevo first on a walking tour, and then more on my own. My guide for the walk, Taljic Lejla [cell no. +387 62 709273] of Sarajevo Insider is fabulous.
• Getting around: All sights are within walking distance of each other.
• Recommended café: Slatko i Slano Carsija for delicious coffee, pastries, and home-cooked meals.

[I travelled solo and independently across Bosnia and Herzegovina for 11 days in September-October 2026. To read more posts in my Bosnia and Herzegovina series, please click here.]

Note: There are NO affiliate links in this post, or in any of my posts. Links are provided only to help you with your plans or to give extra info. Neither is any of the content in this post or any of my posts sponsored. The services mentioned in this post are what I used and I am simply sharing them with you.