Sarajevo · City · Ottoman heritage · Austro-Hungarian heritage · History
Ferhadija Street and the Meeting of Cultures
Sarajevo's main pedestrian street and the famous Meeting of Cultures line, where the Ottoman city meets Austro-Hungarian Sarajevo.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes to walk, longer with stops
- Best time
- Evening, when locals come out for a walk (the korzo)
- Region
- Sarajevo
Why visit Ferhadija Street and the Meeting of Cultures?
Ferhadija is Sarajevo's main pedestrian street, running west from Baščaršija toward the newer city center. It is named after the Ferhadija Mosque, built in 1561, which still stands halfway along it. The street is lined with shops, cafés, churches and grand Austro-Hungarian buildings.
Its most famous spot is a line marked in the pavement with the words "Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures." Face east and you see low wooden roofs, minarets and the Ottoman bazaar. Turn around and face west, and you see tall 19th-century facades that could be in Vienna. Nowhere else shows so clearly how Sarajevo grew from two empires.
Things to do
- The Meeting of Cultures marker: The line in the pavement where Baščaršija ends.
- Ferhadija Mosque: A 16th-century Ottoman mosque in the middle of the street.
- Sacred Heart Cathedral: Sarajevo's Catholic cathedral, just off the street (see Sarajevo's Four Faiths).
- Sarajevo Roses: Mortar scars in the pavement filled with red resin to mark where people were killed during the siege.
- The Eternal Flame: At the western end of the street, a memorial lit in 1946 to the victims of the Second World War.
Getting there
Starts at the western edge of Baščaršija.
Practical info
- Entry
- Free
FAQ
Where is the Meeting of Cultures line in Sarajevo?
On Ferhadija street, at the point where Baščaršija ends, a few minutes' walk from the Sebilj.
What is Ferhadija street known for?
It is Sarajevo's main pedestrian street, where Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Sarajevo meet.
Is Ferhadija free to visit?
Yes. It is a public street.
