Stari Grad (Serbian Cyrillic: Стари Град, pronounced [stâːriː grâːd]; lit. "Old Town") is a municipality of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the oldest and most historically significant part of Sarajevo. At its heart is the Baščaršija, the old town market sector where the city was founded by Ottoman general Isa-Beg Ishaković in the 15th century.
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Features
The municipality of Stari Grad is characterized by its many religious structures, and examples of unique Bosnian architecture. The eastern half of Stari Grad consists of the Ottoman influenced sectors of the city, while the western half showcases an architecture and culture that arrived with Austria-Hungary, symbolically representing the city as a meeting place between East and West.
The population of Stari Grad is 36,976, making it the least populous of Sarajevo's four municipalities. Its population density of 742.5 inhabitants per km2 also ranks it last among the four. Stari Grad contains numerous hotels and tourist attractions including the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, Emperor's Mosque, the Sarajevo Cathedral and more.
Politics
The municipal mayor of Stari Grad is Irfan Čengić from the Social Democratic Party.
The municipal council has 24 seats in total, which are allocated as follows:
Social Democratic Party - 8 seats
Party of Democratic Action - 8 seats
Democratic Front - 4 seats
People and Justice - 4 seats
Our Party - 2 seats
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2 seats
Independent - 2 seats
People's European Union - 1 seat
Forward - 1 seat
Local communities
The Stari Grad municipality consists of the following 16 local communities:
Babića Bašća
Baščaršija
Bistrik
Ferhadija
Hrid - Jarčedoli
Kovači
Logavina
Mahmutovac
Medrese
Mjedenica
Mošćanica
Sedrenik
Širokača
Sumbuluša
Toka - Džeka
Vratnik
Demographics
1971
126,598 total
Bosniaks - 74,354 (58.73%)
Serbs - 27,658 (21.84%)
Croats - 12,903 (10.19%)
Yugoslavs - 5,944 (4.69%)
Others - 5,739 (4.55%)
1991
50,744 total
Bosniaks - 39,410 (77.66%)
Serbs - 5,150 (10.14%)
Croats - 1,126 (2.21%)
Yugoslavs - 3,374 (6.64%)
Others - 1,684 (3.35%)
2013
36,976 total
Bosniaks - 32,794 (88.68%)
Croats - 685 (1.85%)
Serbs - 467 (1.26%)
Others - 3,030 (8.19%)
Sites
Prior to 1914, the Austro-Hungarians who ruled Sarajevo wanted land in the Sarajevo Old Town district to build a city hall and library. The land had a home on it and, despite offering the owner money, he refused and continued to refuse even when told that he had to move. When the officials threatened him, he moved the house and rebuilt it, piece by piece, on the other side of the Miljacka river, as a way of spiting the officials. The Sarajevo spite house operates today as a restaurant, called "Inat Kuća", which means "Spite House."