Baščaršija dates back to the 15th century, when İshakoğlu İsa Bey, the Turkish governor of Bosnia, builds Sarajevo. In keeping with the Oriental urban tradition, the cities have no square but a bazaar- this is what Baščaršija means and it was the commercial, administrative and cultural heart of the place. Here, mosques were built, along with shops, a library, a clock tower, inns. When the city becomes part of Austro-Hungary in 1878, the new rulers desire its transformation into a European city. A fire helps with the architects’ plans and the central space of the bazaar, dominated by a minaret in the 16th century, becomes a square. Today, it is unofficially known as “Dove square”.
