Kozija ćuprija
Description
Kozija Ćuprija is the only fully preserved Ottoman bridge on the Miljacka River and one of four old bridges in the Sarajevo area that have survived the centuries. Built during the reign of Vizier Mehmed-Pasha Sokolović between 1565 and 1579, on the Imperial Road that led from Sarajevo toward Istanbul, the bridge was much more than a mere crossing. New Ottoman viziers arriving from Constantinople were welcomed here, and the people of Sarajevo bid farewell to pilgrims departing for Mecca and Jerusalem from this bridge.
The bridge is 42 meters long and 4.75 meters wide, built from white Hrešan stone with a single arch and two circular openings for the rapid flow of water during floods. According to legend, it was built from treasure discovered by a poor goatherd named Meho through his herd of goats — hence the name. Declared a national monument of BiH, it is today a beloved promenade for Sarajevo residents, accessible via an 8-kilometer cycling path along the Miljacka from the City Hall.
