Sarajevo’s Latin Bridge is the historic Ottoman span that spans the Miljacka River in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The famous Sarajevo bombing of 1914 took place in the northern part of the span.
It was on Sarajevo’s Latin Bridge that the heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary, Franz Ferdinand of Habsburg-Este, was killed together with his wife by the student Gavrilo Princip. That moment marked the destiny of Europe and the world, dragging them both into the First World War.
Sarajevo’s Latin Bridge is the oldest bridge in the city. It was built of stone with four arches and three powerful pillars and can be seen from every corner of the city. It was built on the initiative of leatherworker known as Hussein, son of Sirmerd.
Although there is no absolute certainty, the Latin bridge in Sarajevo is said to have been built for the first time in wood. Only after 1565, thanks to large sums paid by the then magnate Ali-Aini Bey, was it built of stone.
A plaque outside the Sarajevo Museum marks the exact spot where Franz Ferdinand and his wife lost their lives.
