Recommended by Locals

Sarajevo is a cultural center of the region

Updated: 29 June 2026

Professor Mehmed Akšamija, PhD – pedagogue, historian, art theorist and master photographer, founder and regular member of the Bosnian Academy of Sciences and Arts (BANU), tenured professor and dean of the Sarajevo Academy of Fine Arts (ALU) – became a regular member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in December 2019 for service to the field of General Art Theory – Photography Theory.

Having written a book about his father (the great photographer Alija Akšamija), entitled Monograph of Archivography, Dr. Mehmed Akšamija is currently completing a historical and architectural monograph about Gradačac and the city’s medieval fortifications with his wife Lemija, a professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, and his son Ammar, an architectural engineer. He believes that this topic has not been given adequate attention in the existing scientific literature and archives.

Born in Višegrad, Mehmed completed his PhD in photography at the FAMU Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and he describes Sarajevo as “a part of myself, my life and thought, and an inspiration for my own creative work.”

- When so many cultures, faiths and nations can be found in such a small place, only then do you come to realize all of the richness that is, to this day, concealed by this city, one that owes its charm to the very interweaving of civilizational traits of the Orient, the Balkans and the West, making it one of Europe’s most colorful capitals.

European Capital of Culture

He says that the British publication Rough Guides gave Sarajevo this very kind of recognition by ranking it as number two on its list of ten cities that should be visited.

- It states that: “The different world religions mingle on the streets of Sarajevo, and this city is often described as a little Istanbul or even a little Jerusalem.” I assume that it was for similar reasons that members of the European Parliament nominated Sarajevo to be the European Capital of Culture in 2014, which marks the first time a city outside the European Union had even competed for the title, through which they wanted to reflect the richness, diversity and common characteristics of European cultures, and improve mutual understanding between the citizens of Europe and Sarajevo. So why not pay it a visit?

He sees Sarajevo as a terrific place to live, where one can get almost everywhere by bike or on foot, with wonderful mountains all around and diverse architecture.

- Sarajevo is a cultural center for the region, where, throughout the centuries, a unique way and expression of life has been built up and nurtured and is now recognizable the world over. There’s the unique sense of humor, the relaxed take on life, and Sarajevans’ unique intelligence, which doesn’t require “a blood cell count.” One doesn’t have the feeling that nationality is an important matter in this multiethnic and multinational city.

He says that visitors who are staying in Sarajevo for only two days should discover why the city is called “a European Jerusalem.

- The constant building led to a unique context, a Sarajevo ambience, so they have to visit Baščaršija, the city’s historical center; and Vijećnica, the symbol of the meeting of civilizations; and I recommend that everyone stand on the line where East and West meet on Ferhadija St., and then visit the spot where the Sarajevo Assassination took place.