Top reasons why Bosnia and Herzegovina is Southern Europe’s dream destination

Photo: Mostar Bridge, Bosnia-Herzegovina / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

Step into Sarajevo airport during the height of summer and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve wandered into a forgotten terminal of Abu Dhabi International. Such is the volume of tourists arriving at Bosnia and Herzegovina’s premiere airport from countries like the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia that the most useful language in this European airport isn’t English but Arabic.

But why? What is it about this former communist state that makes it such a popular destination for Muslim holiday makers from the Gulf?

1. A ‘MUSLIM’ COUNTRY

This is unquestionably the biggest draw. More than half of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Muslim. Long before the country fell to communist rule it was part of the Ottoman Empire. For nearly five centuries, Bosnia and Herzegovina was a powerful province of the Turkish Muslim Caliphate during a period that witnessed the founding of some of the nation’s most prominent cities, including Sarajevo and Mostar. This period has left an indelible mark on the culture of the nation and gives tourists almost 500 years of Islamic history to explore. It is for these reasons that Muslims of all persuasions feel at ‘home’ in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a place where ancient minarets still dominate the skyline, and the call to prayer is heard five times a day. Any Muslim that has travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina will tell you it is a place that feels like Europe; only it is a ‘Muslim’ country.

Photo: Use of Arabic is widespread throughout the country / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

2. ARABIC IS WIDESPREAD

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s long Muslim heritage also means it has a proud tradition of Islamic education. Young Bosnians throughout history have been educated in the traditional Islamic sciences at established madrasahs and institutes across the land, such as the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo, which is housed in a beautiful neo-Moorish building close to the old town.

This tradition of Islamic education has enjoyed resurgence in the post-communist era, with increasing numbers of Bosnians being taught the classical Islamic texts again. This is why tourists come across people all over Bosnia and Herzegovina who can speak in the language of the Quran; some have travelled to Arab lands to perfect it.

As a result, Gulf tourists can easily find Arabic-speaking guides in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the streets are filled with folk who will understand them should they need directions.

3. FASCINATING MUSLIM HERITAGE

Photo: Blagaj Tekijie, Bosnia-Herzegovina / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

The Muslim heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost unknown. Names such as Gazi Huzrev Beg and Sokollu Mehmet Pasha mean nothing to those outside the Balkan nation. Similarly, few people know about the country’s magical monuments, such as the iconic Mostar Bridge, the fairytale-like Blagaj Tekijie and the stunning Gazi Huzrev Beg complex in Sarajevo.

Then there are the darker moments in recent history, most vividly evoked by the killing fields of Srebrenica in the north-east of the country. To go and stand amongst the graves and talk to those still working today to identify the people murdered in the 1995 massacre is an experience your soul will never forget.

Photo: Courtesy Tharik Hussain

4. STUNNING NATURAL BEAUTY

There is a reason the traditional destinations of many Gulf tourists were Switzerland and Austria. The natural, green beauty of the Alpine Mountains offers an escape simply unheard of in the dry, arid lands they hail from.

Now the Gulf tourists wandering into Bosnia and Herzegovina are beginning to realise that it isn’t just Central Europe that is blessed with rolling, lush, green mountains where crystal-clear springs come crashing down onto rocks and form stunning blue rivers, creating scenery that seems to mirror Quranic descriptions of heaven.

Come and take a drive following the course of the stunning aqua-blue Drina as it snakes its way through the breathtaking Sutjeska National Park, creating steep ravines and stunning mountain scenery—you will begin to see that God’s artistry can also be found in this little corner of Eastern Europe.

5. FAMILIAR FOOD

Photo: Bosnian coffee and sweets / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

With a Muslim-majority population, not only is almost all food in Bosnia halal, but virtually no pork is consumed here, something I discovered very quickly during an embarrassing exchange with a Sarajevo baker. “Humph! … Don’t you know this is a Muslim city?!” That was the rotund baker’s retort when I asked whether the meat in his pastry was pork (it was only my second day!).

But it isn’t just halal food that makes the cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina so agreeable to the Gulf tourist. The lengthy period spent under Ottoman rule means that the nation adopted the Central Asian love of grilled meat and bread, a familiar staple across the Muslim world. Bosnia’s national dish is the cebap, the country’s take on the Turkish kebab. These small kofte-like meat patties are lightly salted and spiced and come served in freshly baked round Bosnian bread with a side of fried onions. This familiar-sounding dish is available everywhere, the beauty being in its simplicity.

6. LOW PRICES

There’s another reason Gulf tourists are choosing Bosnia and Herzegovina over Switzerland, as one Saudi man explained to me as we sat together at a cebap cafe close to the Sebilj, the city’s iconic symbol. “Bosnia is as beautiful as those places, only it is much, much cheaper!” he said.

No wonder, then, that we were surrounded by large Gulf families, complete with maids in tow. For every 10 AED, you get almost five Bosnian Marks, which will buy you a hearty meal in most city centres, whilst a double room in a five-star hotel next to the old town of Sarajevo will cost as little as 370 AED even during peak season. You would be lucky to get a three-star hotel for that price in Geneva.

Photo: Cheap shopping in Bosnia-Herzegovina / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

7. DIRECT BUDGET FLIGHTS

You cannot fly direct to Sarajevo airport from London, but you can go there straight from Dubai using FlyDubai, the region’s popular new budget airline. During peak seasons, FlyDubai’s route to Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the airline’s most popular European routes, and the carrier has daily flights throughout the summer. With flights starting as low as 665 AED one way, flying to Europe from the Gulf has rarely been so affordable.

8. AN AGREEABLE SUMMER CLIMATE

Photo: The Drina, Sutjeska National Park, Bosnia-Herzegovina / Courtesy Tharik Hussain

Surrounded by hills that break up weather, Sarajevo’s location means that the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is protected from the searing heat experienced further south during the country’s summer season. Even at the height of August, Sarajevo has an agreeable climate that is reminiscent of a summer’s day in London, with temperatures only ever reaching the high 70s (Fahrenheit). The only difference is that you would get twice as much rain if you were in the UK. This makes Sarajevo the ideal escape from the crippling heat of a Gulf summer.

(This article is written by Tharik Hussain. Tharik is a freelance British Muslim travel writer, journalist, broadcaster and photographer specialising in the Muslim stories of Europe. Hussain’s first ever radio documentary, America’s Mosques; A Story of Integration, has been declared one of the world’s best radio documentaries for 2016. All his work can be viewed at www.tharikhussain.co.uk)

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