A New Layer in a World Heritage Site:  The Post-War Reconstruction of Mostar�s Historic Core

Mehmet Beng� Uluengin¹, �ze Uluengin²
¹Bah�e�ehir University, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Istanbul, Turkey
²Y�ld�z Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Istanbul, Turkey

This paper focuses on the historic core of Mostar in general, and the Old Bridge in particular, and attempts to trace this city�s unique experience to rebuild and revitalize itself after a particularly destructive series of armed conflicts. Just as its preservation before the war was exemplary, Mostar�s destruction during the painful dissolution of the Yugoslav Federation proved to be an example of human destruction at its worst. The city�s devastation became a symbol of backwardness and ethnic strife in the Balkans. The destruction of the Old Bridge, in turn, came to be regarded as an attack on a multi-cultural Bosnia in general, and Mostar in particular with its Ottoman, Mediterranean and western-European architectural features. Mostar�s postwar situation, particularly as it pertains to the city�s architectural heritage, is considerably more complex than what many interpretations would have us believe. It seems that Mostar�s (and by extension, Bosnia�s) multiculturalism can be better understood if one accepts that some antagonism is necessarily present in any multicultural society. Indeed, greater insight into cities such as Mostar would be gained if they are taken not as sites of �positive tolerance� but those of �competitive sharing and antagonistic tolerance.� Methodologically, the study takes a panoptic view of numerous local and international institutions� efforts, and evaluates them based on the expectations and exigencies of local residents. The article�s conclusions are articulated at several different, but interrelated levels: implications regarding the local populace, implications for cities that may have issues similar to that of Mostar, and lastly, implications for disciplines which focus on issues of urban regeneration, housing renovation, and the revitalization of old neighborhoods.

Keywords: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Old Bridge, reconstruction, urban preservation

D�nya Miras� Alan�nda Yeni Bir Katman: Mostar Tarihi Kent Merkezinin Sava� Sonras� Yeniden Yap�land�r�lmas�

Mehmet Beng� Uluengin¹, �ze Uluengin²
¹Bah�e�ehir �niversitesi, Mimarl�k ve Tasar�m Fak�ltesi, �stanbul, T�rkiye
²Y�ld�z Teknik �niversitesi, Mimarl�k Fak�ltesi, Mimarl�k B�l�m�, �stanbul, T�rkiye

Bu makale, genel olarak, Bosna-Hersek�teki Mostar kentinin tarihi kent dokusunu ve �zellikle Mostar K�pr�s��n� irdelemekte ve bir dizi silahl� �at��man�n y�k�c� etkisinin ard�ndan, bu kente �zg�n yeniden yap�lanma ve yeniden canlanma deneyiminin izlerini s�rmeye �al��maktad�r. Sava� �ncesi d�nemde, Mostar�da ger�ekle�tirilen koruma �al��malar�n�n �rnek niteli�i ta��mas� gibi; Yugoslavya Federasyonu�nun sanc�l� bir �ekilde da��lmas�n�n ard�ndan kentin y�k�m� da, insan tahribat�n�n ne kadar ileri seviyelere varabilece�ini kan�tlam�� ve kentteki tahribat, Balkanlar�daki geri kalm��l��n ve etnik anla�mazl��n bir sembol� haline gelmi�tir. Mostar K�pr�s��nde ger�ekle�tirilen y�k�m, genel olarak Bosna ve Osmanl�, Akdeniz ve Bat� Avrupa �zellikleri ta��yan Mostar�daki �ok k�lt�rl�l��e bir sald�r� olarak kabul edilmi�tir. Mostar��n sava� sonras� durumu, �zellikle de kentin mimari miras� ile do�rudan ilgili oldu�u i�in, pek �ok yorumda belirtildi�inden �ok daha karma��kt�r. Mostar��n (dolay�s�yla Bosna-Hersek�in) �ok k�lt�rl�l��n�n anla��lmas�, bu t�r toplumlarda kar��t g�r��lerin temsil edilmesinin gereklili�inin kabul edilmesiyle ger�ekle�ebilir. Asl�nda, Mostar gibi kentleri daha iyi kavramak, bu kentlerin �pozitif tolerans� b�lgelerindense �rekabet�i payla��m ve kar��t tolerans� b�lgeleri olarak kavranmas�yla m�mk�n olacakt�r. Y�ntembilimsel olarak �al��ma, genel bir bak�� a��s�yla �ok say�da yerel ve uluslararas� kurumun �abalar�n� yans�tmakta ve bunlar� yerel halk�n beklenti ve ihtiya�lar� do�rultusunda geli�tirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Makalenin sonucu birka� farkl�, fakat birbiriyle ilgili d�zeyde ortaya konmu�tur: Bunlar, yerel halk�n neden olaca�� olas� sonu�lar, Mostar ile benzer �zellikler g�steren kentler i�in olas� sonu�lar ve son olarak, kentsel canland�rma, konut yenileme ve eski mahallelerin yeniden canland�r�lmas� konular�na odaklanm�� disiplinler i�in olas� sonu�lard�r.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Mostar, Bosna-Hersek, Mostar K�pr�s�, yeniden yap�land�rma, kentsel koruma

Mehmet Beng� Uluengin, �ze Uluengin. A New Layer in a World Heritage Site: The Post-War Reconstruction of Mostar�s Historic Core. Megaron. 2015; 10(3): 332-342

Corresponding Author: �ze Uluengin, T�rkiye

TOOLS

Full Text PDF

Download citation

RIS

EndNote

BibTex

Medlars

Procite

Reference Manager

Share with email

Send email to author

Similar articles

PubMed

Google Scholar