Aščiluk

It is presumed that this street was first laid out in the second half of the 15th century as part of Minetoglu Mehmed Bey Mahala, which took its name after Mehmed Bey Minetović, the first Sanjak Bey of the Bosnian Sanjak (1463-1464).

Not far from Aščiluk, where Zelenih Beretki St. and Kundurdžiluk St. meet, Mehmed Bey had a mosque built on the spot that is now home to Bosna Pharmacy and the office for the Islamic Community of BiH. The mosque was destroyed in a fire in 1879.

During the Ottoman period, when the Miljacka River hadn’t yet been regulated, there were three little streets that ran down from Aščiluk toward the river.

Aščiluk takes its name from aščinicas, eateries which mainly served food to travelers and passersby during the Ottoman period.

While aščinicas could be found throughout the old Sarajevo marketplace, those that belonged to this specific guild had their own čaršija on Aščiluk.

Today, the word aščinica is used for restaurants that serve traditional Bosnian specialities, but nowadays there isn’t a single aščinica on this street.

However, it’s still a very lively street and there are a few cafes that offer nargila, Bosnian coffee, Turkish tea...