Kozija ćuprija

tourist attraction in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Region: Central Bosnia — Sarajevo Region

Kozija ćuprija is one of the most beautiful and picturesque old stone bridges in Sarajevo and the only fully preserved bridge from the Ottoman period on the Miljacka River. It is located in the Miljacka canyon, a few kilometers east of the old city center. The bridge was built in the 16th century, on the former Istanbul road – an important route that connected Sarajevo, via Prača and Višegrad, to Istanbul and the eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire. The bridge is a harmonious architectural whole with one large arch and two circular openings on the sides, built mostly of white stone and tuff. There are also folk legends preserved about the origin of the bridge, the most famous being that of a poor shepherd who, while tending his goats, found a pot full of gold at this spot, and later, having become prominent and wealthy, built the bridge at the same place. In the Ottoman era, Kozija ćuprija was also a place for ceremonial welcomes of new viziers, when the bravest young men would jump from the bridge into the Miljacka. Today, it is declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is an unmissable point for all who wish to feel the spirit of old Sarajevo.