Sarajevo till Gazi Husrev-bey

Abstract

The work gives a short review of the origin and development of the town of Sarajevo from its beginning till coming of Gazi Husrev-bey as its governor. From the text it can be concluded that the Turks brought a new type of town, different in origin and character from those they found. This is one of the many consequences of the Turkish conquest of Bosna.

The establishment and early development of Sarajevo is connected with the name of another Bosnian sandžakbeg Isa-beg Ishaković (1464-1470). The nucleus of the first settlement in Sarajevo was around the presentday Careva džamija, which tells us that Sarajevo was a completely new town, and not a continuation of some other settlement. From the geographic, military and economic point of view the town is exceptionally well located.

The oldest written document about Sarajevo is Isa-beg's vakufnama from 1462. On the basis of the mentioned document it is possible to conclude that the town was founded at the beginning of the second half of XV c., on the agricultural land of the village BRODAC.
Because of the development of handicrafts and commerce the town expanded into all directions. A water-pipe network spread. In 1514 the first pharmacy was found. Firuz-Beg built the first medresa and bath in 1514. In the middle of the second decade of the XVI c. Sarajevo had 20 mahalas. By the end of the third decade XVI c. then were 35 mahalas in Sarajevo and the same number of mosques; two big hans, two medresas, four hamams, six tekias and several hundreds of shops in the čaršija. By the time of Gazi Husrefbeg more than 40 public and private water-pipes and wells were built in Sarajevo.
With the annual of Gazi Husrev-bey govern Bosna (September 15th, 1921) Sarajevo grew very quickly from a small provincial town (kasaba) into a big town (šeher) in oriental Islamic style with some elements of Bosnian architecture.