TourBosnia
November 12th, 2010, 07:04 AM
Ilidža is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a metro population of 157,654, making it the 7th largest city in the country. Ilidža is the chief suburb of Sarajevo. It is famous for the natural beauty of its surroundings and historical tradition dating back to neolithic times. Sarajevo International Airport is located nearby, as is the famous Vrelo Bosne spring.
"One of the prettiest places on the Earth ", as E.B.Lanin wrote in The Contemporary Review in 1894 in London
Ilidža in Turkish (Ilıca) means "spring". Ilidža is known to have a pleasant and attractive geography. The city itself is built on fairly level ground, although it is surrounded by mountains. The biggest and most famous is mount Igman, whose 1,502 m (4,928 ft) peak towers above the city. On the mountain grows the Lillium Bosniacum, a branch of the Lily family of flowers that is a historical symbol of Bosnia. The area is rich in flint especially in the Butmir neighborhood. The Željeznica river, a tributary of the Bosna, passes through the center of the city. The Bosna itself passes through Ilidžas outskirts. Its spring, Vrelo Bosne, is found a few kilometers to the west of city center and is a popular national park. A number of smaller streams also pass through the city's area. A number of horticulture projects have been undertaken in the history of Ilidža. The city is today very rich in trees. The total area of the city's parks is about 50% of that of Sarajevo, which has six times its population. In 1894, an article in a London newspaper called Ilidža "One of the most beautiful places in the world".
History :
Ilidža is one of the longest continuously inhabited regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the 19th century, numerous archeological finds have been made in the Butmir neighborhood, dating from Neolithic times. The so called Butmir culture, is one of the best documented Neolithic cultures in Europe of the 26th and 25th centuries BC. During Roman times, the Ilidža area was the location of the town Aquae Sulphurae. This was a Roman colony, and the main settlement in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time. Today numerous traces of Roman civilization have been found, such as mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, coins, and even structural remains. During medieval times, the Ilidža area was part of the Bosnian province of Vrhbosna. Katera, one of the two original Bosnian towns mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio, was found on the ground of today's Ilidža municipality. The disciples of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius considered the area important enough to stop by Vrelo Bosne and build a church in the area. The modern town of Ilidža as we know was founded during the Ottoman rule of Bosnia. Its name derives from the Turkish word Ilıca, meaning "warm thermal springs". (Ilıca is also the name of a district of Erzurum, a southeast city of Turkey. There are also Ilıca named municipalities in the following provinces of Turkey: Samsun, Kahramanmaraş, Antalya, Malatya, Ordu.) Numerous elements of Turkish culture found their way into Ilidža, such as a number of oriental homes from the 15th and 16th centuries that have survived to this day. Numerous mosques and bridges were also built at this time. Ilidža, like the rest of Bosnia, experienced industrialization and westernization with the coming of Austria-Hungary. A railroad station and tracks, hotels, and various other structures made Ilidža the most important town after Sarajevo in the region. This continued into the 1900s as Ilidža continued to grow and develop.
Tourism :
Sarajevo International Airport is located just a few kilometers[quantify] from the city. The region's natural beauty and historical sites are draws for tourists. Igman mountain is a popular destination for skiing and hiking, and Vrelo Bosne is one of the country's most popular parks. The Rimski Most ("Roman Bridge") over the Bosna river was built in the 16th century using actual Roman stones.
"One of the prettiest places on the Earth ", as E.B.Lanin wrote in The Contemporary Review in 1894 in London
Ilidža in Turkish (Ilıca) means "spring". Ilidža is known to have a pleasant and attractive geography. The city itself is built on fairly level ground, although it is surrounded by mountains. The biggest and most famous is mount Igman, whose 1,502 m (4,928 ft) peak towers above the city. On the mountain grows the Lillium Bosniacum, a branch of the Lily family of flowers that is a historical symbol of Bosnia. The area is rich in flint especially in the Butmir neighborhood. The Željeznica river, a tributary of the Bosna, passes through the center of the city. The Bosna itself passes through Ilidžas outskirts. Its spring, Vrelo Bosne, is found a few kilometers to the west of city center and is a popular national park. A number of smaller streams also pass through the city's area. A number of horticulture projects have been undertaken in the history of Ilidža. The city is today very rich in trees. The total area of the city's parks is about 50% of that of Sarajevo, which has six times its population. In 1894, an article in a London newspaper called Ilidža "One of the most beautiful places in the world".
History :
Ilidža is one of the longest continuously inhabited regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the 19th century, numerous archeological finds have been made in the Butmir neighborhood, dating from Neolithic times. The so called Butmir culture, is one of the best documented Neolithic cultures in Europe of the 26th and 25th centuries BC. During Roman times, the Ilidža area was the location of the town Aquae Sulphurae. This was a Roman colony, and the main settlement in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time. Today numerous traces of Roman civilization have been found, such as mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, coins, and even structural remains. During medieval times, the Ilidža area was part of the Bosnian province of Vrhbosna. Katera, one of the two original Bosnian towns mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio, was found on the ground of today's Ilidža municipality. The disciples of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius considered the area important enough to stop by Vrelo Bosne and build a church in the area. The modern town of Ilidža as we know was founded during the Ottoman rule of Bosnia. Its name derives from the Turkish word Ilıca, meaning "warm thermal springs". (Ilıca is also the name of a district of Erzurum, a southeast city of Turkey. There are also Ilıca named municipalities in the following provinces of Turkey: Samsun, Kahramanmaraş, Antalya, Malatya, Ordu.) Numerous elements of Turkish culture found their way into Ilidža, such as a number of oriental homes from the 15th and 16th centuries that have survived to this day. Numerous mosques and bridges were also built at this time. Ilidža, like the rest of Bosnia, experienced industrialization and westernization with the coming of Austria-Hungary. A railroad station and tracks, hotels, and various other structures made Ilidža the most important town after Sarajevo in the region. This continued into the 1900s as Ilidža continued to grow and develop.
Tourism :
Sarajevo International Airport is located just a few kilometers[quantify] from the city. The region's natural beauty and historical sites are draws for tourists. Igman mountain is a popular destination for skiing and hiking, and Vrelo Bosne is one of the country's most popular parks. The Rimski Most ("Roman Bridge") over the Bosna river was built in the 16th century using actual Roman stones.