ARTS  AND  LITERATURE

Like other countries in the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is known for its folk dances and costumes, both of which are used for special occasions and showcased at folklore festivals. Folk dances and costumes reflect their region of origin. The dances are performed either in separate groups of men, women and children, or in combined groups. Dancers hold hands or link themselves together by handkerchiefs, strings of beads or small towels, or by gripping each other’s belts or shoulders. Dances by men’s groups are usually vigorous, while women’s are more graceful. Traditional instruments accompanying dances include drums, violins, flutes and lyres. Sometimes dances are performed without music - a feat that was originally intended to express people’s independence from the Turkish regime, which banned Slavic music.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s art and architecture were strongly influenced by different faiths. Medieval art finds its most complete expression in the stecak or standing tombstones that are scattered across the country. There are more than 60,000 of these, situated in over 2,600 locations. At a later stage, artisans developed a special technique of reproducing religious icons and old church paintings on wood. Early paintings are related to Orthodox and Catholic churches, mosques and synagogues.

The country’s numerous religious buildings often date back centuries. The famous Bey’s Mosque in Sarajevo is considered important to the regional culture and is the largest Islamic monument in the country.

Bosnian literature first began in the monasteries and churches. Modern Bosnian writers have reflected on their country’s struggles. Zlatas Diary by Zlata Filipovic, a teenager during the recent siege of Sarajevo, is considered a powerful, contemporary version of Anne Frank’s famous World War II diary. The novelist Ivo Andric won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1961. His works such as the Travnik Chronicle and Bridge on the Drina examine the intermingled histories of Muslim and Orthodox cultures in Bosnian towns. The country’s film industry has produced works such as 2002 Academy Award winner No Man’s Land, directed by Denis Tanovic.


  Did you know?

Archaeological discoveries in Bosnia and Herzegovina suggest that prehistoric settlers made pottery as far back as the Neolithic Age (3,000 BC).




  Did you know?

The most dominant type of folk song in Muslim culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina used to be the sevdalinka, a form of love song. Sevdah is the Turkish word for love.