By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday commemorated the 20th anniversary of the rebuilding of Mostar Bridge, with a panel discussion titled "Dialogue for the Future" to highlight the bridge's significance as one of the most important Ottoman monuments in the Western Balkans.
The iconic Mostar Bridge, which was destroyed by Croat forces during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and rebuilt afterwards, continues to serve as a symbol of unity among people of diverse races.
The bridge collapsed into the waters of the Neretva River on Nov. 9, 1993, after failing to withstand artillery shots fired by Croat forces the day before.
The bridge connects the city's two sides, as well as the Bosniak and Croat populations that continue to coexist.
In a video message to the "Dialogue for the Future" program held in a hotel in Mostar, Chairman of the Bosnian Presidential Council Denis Becirovic said it is critical that messages of cooperation and dialogue be sent from the historical city to the rest of the world.
"The historical experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina has taught us that there is no alternative to dialogue. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a bridge that unites different civilizations, cultures, peoples and religions. Everyone who loves Bosnia and Herzegovina builds and protects bridges.
“Those who do not understand our thousand-year existence destroy bridges.... 20 years ago, the Mostar Bridge was rebuilt. It wasn't just a rebuilding that united a city; it was much more than the symbolism of unification,'' said Becirovic.
Bosnia's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic said his country desperately needs unification.
"The Mostar Bridge is actually a symbol of unification, a symbol of joint action, a symbol of reaching out, and this is what Bosnia and Herzegovina desperately needs today,'' said Konakovic.
It was designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin, a student of the renowned architect Mimar Sinan, and completed in 1566 in Mostar.
Many countries did not remain silent over the collapse of the bridge. With the support of Türkiye, it was rebuilt in accordance with the design of the original bridge in 2004.
The reconstruction of the Mostar Bridge began in 1997 with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Islamic History, Art and Culture Research Center, and the World Bank.
The bridge’s original stones were found by the Hungarian army divers from the river bed and removed with cranes.
It was reopened on July 23, 2004, by then-UK Prince Charles, now England's King Charles III, in a ceremony attended by many senior officials from the country.