Daredevil Divers And Tourists Defy Heat To Mark 20th Anniversary Of Mostar Bridge Rebuilding
- By RFE/RL's Balkan Service and
- Reuters
Thousands of tourists braved extreme heat to cheer for divers jumping off the historic Ottoman-era Old Bridge in Bosnia's city of Mostar. The 458-year-old tradition coincides with the 20th anniversary of the reconstruction of the landmark, which was destroyed during the Bosnian War.
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People gather to watch divers plunge into the waters of the Neretva River from the 16th-century Mostar Bridge, a marvel of Ottoman-era architecture, on July 28.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the rebuilding of the bridge, one of the most important Ottoman monuments in the Western Balkans.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the rebuilding of the bridge, one of the most important Ottoman monuments in the Western Balkans.
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Before the competition, ballet dancer Petra Kozul -- hanging from the bridge on a silk rope -- performed a routine for the crowd below.
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During the festivities, 38 athletes from Bosnia and abroad took part in the contest, diving 24 meters from the bridge's high arch into the cold waters below.
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The iconic Mostar Bridge was destroyed by Croat forces during the 1992-95 Bosnian War.
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Thousands of tourists braved extreme heat of 39 degrees Celsius to cheer the divers on.
In 2004, the Mostar Bridge was rebuilt by the World Bank and UNESCO as a symbol of reconciliation and unification of the ethnically divided town and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2004, the Mostar Bridge was rebuilt by the World Bank and UNESCO as a symbol of reconciliation and unification of the ethnically divided town and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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A diver jumps from the arch of the Old Bridge during the 458th edition of the competition.
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Divers wait for the next participant.
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Members of a local club of divers have launched an initiative to have the event added to the UNESCO list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
"This year, we were visited two or three times by UNESCO representatives. One of their proposals is a museum dedicated to the jumps,” said Mustafa Hadzajlic, a member of the club Mostari.
"This year, we were visited two or three times by UNESCO representatives. One of their proposals is a museum dedicated to the jumps,” said Mustafa Hadzajlic, a member of the club Mostari.
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Flares illuminate the Mostar Bridge during evening festivities.
