Mostar is the historic center of Herzegovina, a thriving city during the Ottoman Empire and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Balkans today. This colorful city attracts with its fairytale atmosphere, warm amber sun, and the picturesque Neretva River.

Known for the oldest mosque in Herzegovina and the tallest bell tower of the Church of St. Peter and Paul, Mostar warrants its name because it primarily boasts its bridges. As is commonly known, the city was named after the Old Bridge over the Neretva, built by the Ottoman Turks in the middle of the 16th century. The architectural landmark of Mostar, the Old Bridge, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, the symbol of the modern city of Bosnia and Herzegovina is its exact copy. Built during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557, the original bridge was an outstanding monument of the Ottoman Empire. This large construction of 456 stone blocks was designed by the famous Turkish architect Mimar Hayreddin. Later, in the 17th century, the bridge was flanked by the defensive towers of Tara and Halebija. When the famous medieval traveler Evliya Celebi saw the famous Old Bridge, he said that he had crossed sixteen empires and had never seen such a high bridge."

For more than four centuries, the ancient stone bridge had delighted locals and tourists, until, in 1993, it was destroyed by Croatian fighters during the Croat–Bosniak War. The symbol of the peaceful life of Mostar suffered from more than 60 direct hits from T-55 guns in two days. Not a single, even the strongest structure could withstand such an onslaught. The ancient stones of the bridge collapsed, along with the observation towers and even part of the cliff. Some of the stones were raised from the bottom of the river, some were brought from the nearest districts of Mostar. The grand opening of the Old Bridge took place a year later. It was attended by the former president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the bridge is almost entirely modern, it still looks like a medieval architectural monument in the Ottoman style.