The destruction of the old bridge at Mostar was not only the loss of a priceless Ottoman structure that had stood for more than four centuries; it was also a serious spiritual and cultural blow to an ancient multiethnic town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the elegant, hump-backed pedestrian bridge rising high above the dark green waters of the Neretva River collapsed under shelling from a Croatian tank on Nov. 9, 1993, Mostar (which means "guardian of the bridge") felt a sense of irreparable estrangement, as though the lost structure were a phantom limb.
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Publication date	06/07/2004
Publisher	International Herald Tribune.
Publication Location	Paris
Periodical Website	http://www.iht.com/
Related Website	http://www.iht.com/articles/528133.html
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Why we need the old bridge at Mostar? Koïchiro Matsuura (IHT). 06/07/2004 The destruction of the old bridge at Mostar was not only the loss of a priceless Ottoman structure that had stood for more than four centuries; it was also a serious spiritual and cultural blow to an ancient multiethnic town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. . When the elegant, hump-backed pedestrian bridge rising high above the dark green waters of the Neretva River collapsed under shelling from a Croatian tank on Nov. 9, 1993, Mostar (which means "guardian of the bridge") felt a sense of irreparable estrangement, as though the lost structure were a phantom limb. . It was only one of many outstanding cultural properties that were systematically destroyed during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Extremists seeking to obliterate the cultural roots of their society considered the bridge to be the last powerful symbol of living together, and destroyed it for this reason. . The decision to rebuild it and its historic neighborhood, following the Dayton peace agreement of 1995, highlights the important role of cultural heritage in the reconstruction of a culture of peace. Unesco was asked by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Mostar to provide technical and scientific expertise for the reconstruction of the old bridge. . The reconstruction of the Mostar Bridge was seen as a means not only of restoring communications in a physical sense but also of renewing connections with the past and between the communities of Mostar. . The reconstructed bridge, the inauguration of which on July 23 will be attended by heads of state from throughout the region, raises the hope that the broken communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina may become one again. The Mostar Bridge will serve as a symbol of reconciliation as well as an appeal to the regional and international community to protect and promote its cultural heritage. . The rebuilding of such monuments plays an important part in Unesco's policy of bringing former belligerents together, helping them to resume dialogue, recreate a common identity and build a sense of a shared future. . In Kabul, a sign painted above the entrance of the museum declared that "a nation stays alive when its culture stays alive." Whether cultural heritage is expressed through buildings, language, know-how or the performing arts, it is a treasure handed down by our ancestors and it is something that we should seek to hand on to our descendants. . In Cambodia, the restoration of the ancient monuments of Angkor Wat has helped to bring about a spirit of national reconciliation. Similar attempts to restore cultural identity are being made in places like Afghanistan and the Caucasus. . In Mostar, rebuilding the old bridge was a way to restore the dialogue between the communities on either side of the river. Contributions to the preparatory stages were made by the European Union and Turkey. The fully developed project, under the overall scientific coordination of UNESCO and involving an agreement between the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the city of Mostar, Unesco and the World Bank, has attracted broad international support and financing, notably from Italy, the Netherlands, Croatia, the Council of Europe Development Bank, Turkey and France. . The repair of Mostar's historic fabric, it should be noted, has cost much more than the $15 million set aside for the old bridge and its immediate surroundings. . Under the guidance of an international committee of experts established by Unesco, and including experts from neighbouring Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Turkey, the four-year project, which was preceded by detailed historical, archaeological and architectural studies, has been surrounded with aesthetic and historical as well as practical questions. For example, should it have been refashioned as it was when it was first built, or as it became with all the accretions of four centuries? . It was not merely a question of reassembling the old elements. All the measures have been taken to use the old available material as well as to respect traditional skills. Most of the stones of the old bridge were too severely damaged to use, and it was necessary to quarry new ones. The new Mostar Bridge is, in fact, both a restoration and a copy because it uses the surviving foundations and reproduces the destroyed span. . If it accomplishes its purpose, it will become, says the writer Predrag Matvejevic, "a work of human solidarity par excellence, an opponent of violence, intolerance and hatred. A bridge which is true, a true bridge." . For Unesco, the Mostar Bridge is indeed a bridge to peace. . Koïchiro Matsuura is director-general of Unesco.