Spatial Identities of Sarajevo’s Residential Neighborhoods

Since the establishment of the city in the in the fifteenth century, Sarajevo has been at the crossroads of many different civilizations, cultures, and religions. The unofficial name “European Jerusalem” is well deserved due to its rich and diverse historical heritage and heterogeneous confessionalism. The architectural and urban categorization of Sarajevo’s neighborhoods is a reflection of diverse historical and cultural influences that left their mark on the very fabric of the city and have caused the creation of several spatial identities in the development of the city itself.

This study presents a chronological cross-section of the development of the city demonstrating the creation of its urban identities, from the Ottoman period in the fifteenth century to the present day, including the period of very turbulent early 1990s in which the country went through the war-induced destruction of the city. This article examines historical and contemporary spatial forms, typologies, and identities using examples from several case studies from different periods. The comparison should point out their advantages and disadvantages in terms of spatial organization and the quality of living. The graphical and textual supplements offer a concise overview explaining each of these very different urban matrices, which together create the architectural and urban heritage of the city of Sarajevo.