Tuzla (, , ) is the third-largest city of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and the administrative center of

Tuzla Canton The Tuzla Canton
Official name of canton is Tuzla Canton (; ; ) is one of 10

of the

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: ''Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine'' / ''Федерација Босне и Херцеговине'') is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities composing Bo ...

. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, educational, health and tourist centre of northeast Bosnia. It is an educational center and is home to two universities. It is also the main industrial machine and one of the leading economic strongholds of the country with a wide and varied industrial sector including an expanding service sector thanks to its salt lake

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. The city of Tuzla is home to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

's only salt lake as part of its central park and has more than 350,000 people visiting its shores every year. The history of the city goes back to the 9th century; modern Tuzla dates back to 1510 when it became an important garrison town in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuzla is also regarded as one of the most multicultural cities in the country and has managed to keep the pluralist character of the city throughout the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...

and after, with

Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

and a small minority of

Bosnian Jews The history of the Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina (; ''Jevrejski narod Bosne i Hercegovine'') spans from the arrival of the first Bosnian Jews as a result of the Spanish Inquisition to the survival of the Bosnian Jews through the Holocaust and ...

residing in Tuzla.

Etymology

The name Tuzla is the

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

word for salt mine, ''tuzla'', and refers to the extensive salt deposits found underneath the city, mined for export as a large source of Ottoman tax revenue. Leveraging on their shared name, the city is twinned with

Tuzla Tuzla (, , ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inha ...

, a suburb of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

History

Early history

Archaeological evidence suggests that Tuzla was a rich

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

settlement. Being inhabited continuously for more than 6,000 years, Tuzla is one of the oldest

an sustained settlements. During the period of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

(before the area was conquered by

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

), Tuzla (or Salines as it was called at the time) was ruled by the

Illyrian tribe This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria (; ). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks, causing the name Illyrians to be ap ...

Breuci This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria (; ). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks, causing the name Illyrians to be ap ...

Middle Ages to 20th century

The city was first mentioned in 950 by

Constantine Porphyrogenitus Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, an ...

in his

De Administrando Imperio (; ) is a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII. It is a domestic and foreign policy manual for the use of Constantine's son and successor, the Emperor Romanos II. It is a prominent example of Byz ...

as a fort named ''Salines'' (). The name '' Soli'' was used in the Middle Ages. It means "

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

s" in Bosnian and the city's present name means "place of salt" in

. During the Middle Ages it belonged mostly to the medieval

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...

. After the fall of the kingdom to the

in 1463, the region was controlled by the House of Berislavić before the Ottomans occupied the villages of "Gornje Soli" and "Donje Soli" around 1512, and took control of the entire Usora in the 1530s. It remained under Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years, where it was administered as part of the

Sanjak of Zvornik The Sanjak of Zvornik (, ) was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Zvornik (in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) as its administrative centre. It was divided into 4 different districts: Žepče, Maglaj, Tuzla and Kladanj. The sanjak was ...

. In 1878 it was occupied by

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. After the dissolution of the monarchy it became the part of the newly formed

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

. The Husino uprising took place in 1920. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Tuzla was included in the puppet

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

and controlled by the mainly Muslim

Hadžiefendić Legion The Hadžiefendić Legion () or Muslim Legion was a Bosniak self-defence militia and Croatian Home Guard unit based in the predominantly Muslim Tuzla region of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) during World War II. The brigade–sized force ...

of the Croatian Home Guard.Redžić, Enver (2005)
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Second World War
Abingdon: Frank Cass. , p. 223 Tuzla was among the first areas in Europe to be liberated, when Tito's

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...

freed it from the German occupiers on 2 October 1943. Many members of the Legion deserted to the Partisans at this time. In December 1944, the city was unsuccessfully attacked by

Chetnik The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

forces of

Draža Mihailović Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб "Дража" Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...

along with the

Serbian State Guard The Serbian State Guard (, SDS; sr-Cyrl, Српска државна стража; ), also known as the Nedićevci, was a collaborationist paramilitary force used to impose law and order within the German occupied territory of Serbia during ...

. After the war it developed into a major industrial and cultural centre during the

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

period in the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. File:Siegelmarke Kreisbehörde D. Tuzla W0390952.jpg, Seal of Tuzla county, 1850–1923 File:Siegelmarke Stadt-Bezirksamt D. Tuzla W0301738.jpg, Seal of Tuzla town, 1850–1923 File:Durch Bosnien und die Herzegovina kreuz und quer; Wanderungen (1897) (14801793493).jpg, Tuzla salt mine, 1897 File:3. korpus NOVJ u Tuzli oktobra 1943.jpg, Third

' Corps marching through liberated Tuzla in October 1943. File:Old industrial park, Tuzla, Bosnia.jpg, Yugoslav-era industrial plants in Tuzla File:Tuzla Thermal Power Plant02A.jpg,

Tuzla Thermal Power Plant Tuzla Thermal Power Plant is a coal-fired thermal power plant in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the largest power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is operated by Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine (EBiH). History Construction of ...

Bosnian War

In the 1990 elections the

Reformists Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political establishment , political or religion , religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. ...

won control of the municipality being the only municipality in Bosnia where non-nationalists won. During the Bosnian War of Independence between 1992 and 1995 the town was the only municipality not governed by the SDA party-led authorities. After Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence and was recognized by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

the city was besieged by Serbian forces. A few days later Serbian forces attacked Tuzla. The town was not spared the atrocities of the Bosnian War. On 15 May 1992, troops of the 92nd Motorised Brigade of the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...

were ambushed by units of Bosnia's Territorial Defence Force, while attempting to withdraw from the city. During the incident, 54 Yugoslav troops were killed and 44 were wounded. In 2009, Ilija Jurišić, a former Bosnian Croat officer, was sentenced to 12 years by a Serbian court for the attack before an appeals court acquitted him in 2015 citing a lack of evidence. On 25 May 1995, an attack on Tuzla killed 71 people and injured 200 persons in what is referred to as the Tuzla massacre, when shells fired from Serb's positions on the Ozren mountain (130 mm towed field gun M-46) hit the central street and its promenade. The youngest civilian who died in that massacre was only two years old. Following the

Dayton Peace Accords The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Dejtonski mirovni sporazum, Дејтонски мировни споразум), and colloquially kn ...

, Tuzla was the headquarters of the U.S. forces for the Multinational Division (MND) during Operation Joint Endeavour

IFOR The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background In ...

and subsequent

SFOR The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian War. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It was replaced by EUFOR Alt ...

Post-war independence

In February 2014, the city was the scene of the beginning of the

2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina The 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a series of demonstrations and riots that began in the northern town of Tuzla on 4 February 2014 but quickly spread to multiple cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, Zenica, Mostar, Ja ...

, which quickly spread to dozens of cities and towns throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a couple of days of calm protests, people lost patience and started burning cars in front of the canton government building, and later the building itself. Recent years have seen economic growth as well as increases in tourism.

Geography

Tuzla is located in the northeastern part of Bosnia, settled just underneath the Majevica mountain range, on the Jala River. The central zone lies in an east–west oriented plain, with residential areas in the north and south of the city located on the Ilinčica, Kicelj and Gradina Hills. It is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The climate is moderate

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

. There are abundant

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

deposits in the region around Tuzla. 6

coal mines Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

continue to operate around the city. Much of the coal mined in the area is used to power the

, which is the largest power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Salt deposits

Extractions of the city's salt deposits, particularly in the 20th century, have caused sections of the city center to sink. Structures in the "sinking area" either collapsed or were demolished, and there are few structures in the city that predate the 20th century, despite the fact that the city was founded over 1000 years ago. In the northeastern part of the town is an area known as Solina, named after the salt deposits.

Pannonian Lakes

Tuzla is the only city in Europe that has a

salt lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

in its centre. The ancient Pannonian Sea dried up around 10 million years ago, but work by researchers and scientists has now enabled a level of saline water to be kept stable at the surface, and in 2003 the Pannonian Lake was opened. A second lake that includes

artificial waterfall An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

s was inaugurated in 2008. An archaeological park and replica Neolithic lake dwellings were also incorporated into the scheme, providing information about the different cultures which left their material and spiritual mark here. The site has become an international tourist destination. A third lake was completed in August 2012. Construction expenses for this were nearly 2 million Bosnian marks (ca. 1 million euros). This third lake also contains 2 water slides which are an attraction for the younger population. The summer season of 2013 recorded approximately 5,000 visitors per day (c. 450,000 for 3 months).

Climate

Tuzla has a temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfb'') with warm summers which have 100.6 days annually with maximum temperature above 36.3 days above . Tuzla has cold and chilly winters, with 85.8 days having minimum temperature below , as well as 14.9 days in which the maximum temperature is also below freezing. There are 38.7 days per year with

thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

and 2.1 days with

hail Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...

, both of them being more common in spring and summer than other seasons. The highest recorded temperature is on 22 July 2007.

Administration

Tuzla is the seat of the

Tuzla Canton The Tuzla Canton
Official name of canton is Tuzla Canton (; ; ) is one of 10

, which is a canton of the

, as well as of Tuzla Municipality, which is one of the 13 municipalities that together constitute the Tuzla Canton. Administratively, Tuzla is divided into 39 ''mjesne zajednice'' (local districts). Apart from Tuzla, the municipality incorporates several other adjacent settlements, including the town of Gornja Tuzla (''Upper Tuzla''), as well as the villages of Husino, Par Selo,

Simin Han Simin Han is a town east of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a school, a mosque, and a youth soccer training centre. Its neighboring towns are Gornja Tuzla and Slavinovići. History During the Bosnia Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire, people wo ...

, Obodnica, Kamenjaši, Plane, Šići and others. The current mayor of Tuzla is

Zijad Lugavić Zijad Lugavić (born 15 October 1973) is a Bosnian politician serving as the 32nd mayor of Tuzla since December 2022. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party. Lugavić was born in Tuzla in 1973. He graduated from the University of Tuzla. ...

, of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

(SDP BiH). He succeeded long-time mayor

Jasmin Imamović Jasmin Imamović (born 8 October 1957) is a Bosnian politician and writer serving as member of the national House of Representatives since 2022. He previously served as the 31st mayor of Tuzla from 2001 to 2022. Imamović is a member of the So ...

in 2022. The City council of Tuzla has 30 members, of the following parties: *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

– 12 members *

(SDP BiH) – 8 members * Platform for Progress (PzP) – 2 members *Tuzla alternative – 2 members *

Party of Democratic Action The Party of Democratic Action (; abbr. SDA) is a Bosniak nationalist, conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) was founded on 26 May 1990 in Sarajevo, as a "party of Muslim cultural ...

(SDA) – 1 member *

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

(SD BiH) – 1 member * Our Party (NS) – 1 member *

Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union (, , HDZ) is a major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. Since 2016, it has been the ruling political party in Croatia under the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. It is one of the ...

(HDZ BiH) – 1 member *

Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina The Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina (, abbreviated SBiH) is a centrist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The party is one of the most prominent centrist and the most prominent unitarianist party in the country as it staunchly opposes fe ...

(SBiH) – 1 member *

Movement of Democratic Action The Movement of Democratic Action ( Bosnian: ''Pokret demokratske akcije'' or PDA) is a conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History The party was founded by Mirsad Kukić in 2018. After Kukić was removed from the SDA Canton ...

(PDA) – 1 member

Demographics

Demographics in Tuzla municipality:

1971 census

Total: 107,293 *53,271 (49.65%) –

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

*27,735 (25.84%) –

*21,089 (19.65%) –

*2,540 (2.36%) –

Yugoslavs Yugoslavs or Yugoslavians ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslaveni/Jugosloveni, Југославени/Југословени; ; ) is an identity that was originally conceived to refer to a united South Slavic people. It has been used in two connotations: ...

*2,658 (2.47%) – others and unknown

1981 census

Total: 121,717 *52,400 (43.05%) – Muslims *24,811 (20.38%) – Croats *20,261 (16.64%) – Serbs *19,059 (15.65%) – Yugoslavs *5,186 (4.26%) – others and unknown

1991 census

Total: 131,618 *62,669 (47.61%) – Muslims *21,995 (16.71%) – Yugoslavs *20,398 (15.49%) – Croats *20,271 (15.40%) – Serbs *6,285 (4.77%) – others and unknown

2013 census

Total: 110,979 *80,774 (72.78%) – Bosniaks *15,396 (13.87%) – Croats *3,378 (3.04%) – Serbs *11,431 (10.30%) – others and unknown Source:

Culture

Arts

One of the most influential writers in the Balkans,

Meša Selimović Mehmed "Meša" Selimović (; ; 26 April 1910 – 11 July 1982) was a Yugoslav writer, whose works are widely considered some of the most important in Bosnian and Serbian literature.

hails from Tuzla, and Tuzla hosts an annual book festival in July, where the "Meša Selimović award" for the best novel written in the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

and

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

is presented. The first professional theatre in Tuzla, the Tuzla National Theatre, was founded by the brothers Mihajlo and Živko Crnogorčević in 1898 during Austro-Hungarian rule, and is the oldest theatre in the country. The theatre is working continuously since 1944. The Portrait Gallery has continuous exhibitions of work by local and international artists. The Ismet Mujezinović Gallery is mainly dedicated to Ismet Mujezinović, a painter from Tuzla. The Eastern Bosnia Museum exhibits archaeological, ethnological, historical and artistic pieces and artifacts from the whole region. An open-air museum at ''Solni Trg'', opened in 2004, tells the story of salt production in Tuzla.

Religion

Apart from Tuzla's many mosques, there is also an Orthodox church that went untouched throughout the war. The Franciscan monastery of “St. Peter and Paul” in town is still very active as there is a sizable Catholic community in Tuzla. The church of St.Francis (sv. Franjo) which had been demolished after being hit by a landslide in 1987 is being rebuilt since 2011 and should open by 2019. Just outside the town, in the nearby village of Breska, is a 200-year-old Catholic church. Tuzla is also home to an old Jewish cemetery which recently underwent renovations, organized by the OPEN Organization of Tuzla and the Jewish Municipality of Tuzla. According to the 2013 census, most of the citizens living in Tuzla are

, to be precise 75.4%, with

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

accounting for 13.7%, while 3.3% of the population being

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

, 3.6% of people belong to other religions, and 3.9% of people are not religious.

Music

Bosnian roots music came from Middle Bosnia,

Posavina Posavina ( sr-cyr, Посавина) is a geographical region that stretches along the Sava river, encompassing only the inner areas of the Sava river basin, that are adjacent or near to the Sava river itself, namely catch region spanning fro ...

, the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...

valley and

Kalesija Kalesija is a town and municipality located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, east of Tuzla. As of 2013, the town has a popu ...

. It is usually performed by singers with two violinists and a

šargija thumb The ''šargija'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, šargija, шаргија; ), anglicized as ''shargia'', is a plucked, fretted long necked lute used in the folk music of various Balkan countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Koso ...

player. These bands first appeared around

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and became popular in the 1960s. This is the third oldest music following after the

sevdalinka Sevdalinka (), also known as Sevdah music, is a traditional genre of folk music originating in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sevdalinka is an integral part of the Bosniak culture, but is also spread across the ex- Yugoslav region, including Croatia, Mo ...

and ilahija. Self-taught people, mostly in two or three members of the different choices of old instruments, mostly in the violin, sacking, saz, drums, flutes () or wooden flute, as others have already called, the original performers of Bosnian music that can not be written notes, transmitted by ear from generation to generation, family is usually hereditary. It is thought to be brought from Persia-Kalesi tribe that settled in the area of present Sprecanski valleys and hence probably the name Kalesija. In this part of Bosnia it is the most common. Again, it became the leader of First World War onwards, as well as 60 years in the field Sprecanski doline. This kind of music was enjoyed by all three peoples in Bosnia, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs, and it contributed a lot to reconcile people socializing, entertainment and other organizations through festivala. In Kalesija it's maintained each year with the Bosnian Festival Original music. Studio Kemix firm Dzemal Dzihanovic from

Živinice Živinice is a city located in Tuzla Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, south of Tuzla. As of 2013, it has a population of 57,765 inhabitan ...

together with his artists brought this kind of music to perfection at the end 20th century. With its entirely new form of modernity, it is most common in the

Tuzla Canton The Tuzla Canton
Official name of canton is Tuzla Canton (; ; ) is one of 10

and the cradle of this music city

was named Bosnian town of original music. Songs are performed preferably in a

diphthong A diphthong ( ), also known as a gliding vowel or a vowel glide, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of ...

, the first and second voice which is a special secret performance of this music and some performers sing in troglasju as they do Kalesijski triple that was recorded in 1968, as the first written record of the tone on the album, along with Higurashi no naku.

Sports

Founded in 1927, the Workers Sports Society Sloboda became the first sporting organization in Tuzla. It has 14 member clubs. The city is home to two

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

clubs, '' FK Sloboda'' and ''

FK Tuzla City Fudbalski klub Tuzla City (), formerly known as Fudbalski klub Sloga Simin Han, is a professional football club based in Simin Han, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club competes in the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

''. Both teams play their home games at the

Tušanj City Stadium The Tušanj City Stadium (), commonly known as Tušanj Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Sloboda Tuzla and FK Tuzla City. The stadium has ...

. OKK Sloboda

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

club and RK Sloboda

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

club play their home games in the Mejdan Sports Arena which has a seating capacity of 4,900. Jedinstvo Tuzla is the female counterpart to Sloboda. The women's basketball team Jedinstvo Aida won the FIBA Women's European Champions Cup, with the most famous sportswoman from Tuzla, Razija Mujanović. She was inducted to the

FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. Originally built in ...

in 2017.

Miscellaneous

On 1 September 2007, 6,980 couples kissed for 10 seconds in Tuzla, erasing the previous

Guinness Guinness () is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at Guinness Brewery, St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic bever ...

World kissing Records of the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

(for synchronised osculation in 2004 with 5,327 Filipino couples, overtaken by Hungary in 2005 with 5,875 couples; Filipinos came back in February 2010 with 6,124 couples but the Hungarians responded in June 2010 with 6,613 couples). The record now awaits official certification. On 26 September 2008, Tuzla began offering free

wireless internet Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided mediu ...

access in the city center. On 7 May 2010, Tuzla tried to break the World Record for the world's largest mass waltz dance. It is estimated that over 1,521 couples danced together on the main city square.

Transport

Tuzla has an

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

located at Dubrave (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

code: TZL), and an effective and well-developed public bus network. There are plans to introduce a

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

network in the city soon. The airport was opened and obtained

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

certificate for civilian Air traffic in 2008. The airport had comprised a portion of "Eagle Base", an American military base that has been home to NATO troops serving in SFOR, Bosnia's stabilization force. Nowadays former Eagle Base become home of Bosnian Military Forces. In 2013. the airport became a base for

Wizz Air {{Infobox airline , airline = Wizz Air Holdings Plc. , IATA = , ICAO = , callsign = , aoc = , hubs = , focus_cities = , frequent_flyer = {{ubl, class=nowrap , Wizz All You Can Fly , Wizz Discount Club , Wizz Privilege Pass , ...

Tuzla International Airport Tuzla International Airport () () (); is an airport in Živinice near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the second largest airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Sarajevo International Airport. The airport is known as a low-cost airline hub ...

nowadays has connection to 17+ European cities and expanding. More than 300000 passengers have been traveled via Tuzla International Airport in 2016.In 2017

broke its own record for most passengers in one year with 535.596 passengers. While in 2018 that number again rose up to 584.47

Tuzla has a railway station that has passenger services to

Doboj Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...

, from where trains run to

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, and Belgrade. The services to

Brčko Brčko ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, the Brčko District b ...

were discontinued in 2012. Tuzla is well connected with other major cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and even with some European cities via its bus connections. Bus and taxi traffic is very well organised in Tuzla and is affordable to its citizens. Bus stations were built in 1970 and completely renovated and modernized in 2017.

Economy

* Tuzla oil field

Health care

Clinic for Pulmonary Diseases, a hospital specializing in lung diseases, is located in the city.

Education

Tuzla is home to the public

University of Tuzla University of Tuzla ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Univerzitet u Tuzli, Универзитет у Тузли) is a public university located in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The university was founded in 1958. It became a proper university in 1976, and today ...

, with 16,500 students, and also private FINra University, IPI Academy and Empirica faculty.

Universities

Schools

* Association Citizens Educational Center *

Behram-Begova Medresa Tuzla The Behrem-Begova Medresa is the oldest educational institution found in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated ...

Secondary Music School in Tuzla Secondary Music School in Tuzla () is a Public Institution music school in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1957. History Foundation and early years Tuzla Music School was founded by the decision of the People's Committee of the ...

* Gimnazija Meša Selimović *Građevinsko-Geodetska Škola Tuzla * Katolički Školski Centar "Sv.Franjo" Tuzla * Ekonomsko-Trgovinska Škola Tuzla * Elektrotehnička Škola Tuzla *

Medicinska Škola Tuzla Medicinska Škola Tuzla, is a four-year high school that prepares and qualifies students for immediate work in health institutions, as well as for continuing education in colleges and higher education institutions. It was founded April 7, 1954. C ...

* Mješovita Mašinska-Saobraćajna Škola Tuzla

Notable people

Alma Zadić Alma Zadić (; born 24 May 1984) is a Bosnian-born Austrian lawyer and politician of the Green Party. She served as Minister of Justice from 7 January 2020 until 3 March 2025 in the governments of Chancellors Sebastian Kurz, Alexander Schallenbe ...

, Austrian politician *

Amer Delić Amer Delić (; born June 30, 1982) is a Bosnian American former professional tennis player. He is a former captain and member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Davis Cup team. Delić was born in Tuzla, then in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugosla ...

, professional tennis player * Andrea Petković, German professional tennis player *

Andreja Pejić Andreja Pejić ( , ; born Andrej Pejić; 28 August 1991) is an Australian actress and former model. Since coming out as a trans woman in 2013, she has become one of the most recognisable transgender models in the world. Early life Pejić was bo ...

, Australian model *

Damir Mulaomerović Damir Mulaomerović (born 19 September 1974) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is the current coach of KK Dinamo Zagreb. Professional career Mulaomerović started his career with Sloboda Dita in 1990. Not too lo ...

, Croatian basketball player * Denis Azabagić, guitarist *

Emir Hadžihafizbegović Emir Hadžihafizbegović (; born 20 August 1961) is a Bosnian actor. Often regarded as one of the best actors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has appeared in over fifty films, including '' When Father Was Away on Business'' (1985), ''Remake'' (20 ...

, actor *

Emir Vildić Emir Vildić (born 25 February 1994) is a Bosnian - German musician, with a honours degree in Diploma – Musician, and award winning teacher. Education Vildić finished his elementary music education in Tuzla in the department of the accordion ...

, musician * Franjo Herljević *

Lepa Brena Lepa may refer to: People * Astrid Lepa (1924–2015), Estonian actress and director * Margus Lepa (born 1953), Estonian radio journalist and actor Places * Palma de Mallorca Airport, assigned the ICAO code LEPA * Lepa, Samoa village in Samoa ...

, singer *

Maya Sar Maja Sarihodžić (; ; born 12 July 1981), known by her stage name Maya Sar, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter. She represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Korake ti znam". Her debut album '' Krive ri ...

, singer *

Meša Selimović Mehmed "Meša" Selimović (; ; 26 April 1910 – 11 July 1982) was a Yugoslav writer, whose works are widely considered some of the most important in Bosnian and Serbian literature.

, writer *

Milan Đurić Milan Đurić may refer to: * Milan Đurić (politician) (born 1977), Serbian politician and lawyer * Milan Đurić (footballer, born 1987), Serbian association football midfielder * Milan Đurić (footballer, born 1990) Milan Đurić (; bo ...

, footballer *

Mirza Delibašić Mirza Delibašić (9 January 1954 – 8 December 2001) was a Bosnian professional basketball player and coach. Delibašić was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2008, he ...

, basketball player, Olympic, World and European champion,

member *

Miralem Pjanić Miralem Pjanić (born 2 April 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow. Pjanić started his professional career at Metz, playing there for one season. He signed for fellow ...

, footballer * Miroslav Tadić, musician * Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi Bosnevi, writer, poet * Muhamed Hadžiefendić, commander of

Muhamed Konjić Muhamed Konjić (; born 14 May 1970) is a Bosnian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back, most notably for Monaco, Coventry City and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team who he also captained. Club career A solid defen ...

, retired football player *

Nesim Tahirović Nesim Tahirović (23 October 1941 – 14 August 2020) was a Bosnian painter. He studied art (painting) in Belgrade under professor Kosta Hakman. Along with painting he also worked in the area of scenic design and other applied arts. During a f ...

, painter *

Nefisa Berberović Nefisa Berberović (born 3 July 1999) is a Bosnian tennis player. Berberović has career-high rankings of 221 in singles and 454 in doubles. Alongside Dea Herdželaš, she won the silver medal in the women's doubles at the 2018 Mediterranean Ga ...

(born 3 July 1999) is a Bosnian

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

player. *

Jusuf Nurkić Jusuf Nurkić ( ; born 23 August 1994) is a Bosnian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, be ...

, basketball player for

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

* Sanja Maletić, singer * Siniša Martinović, professional ice hockey player * Svetlana Dašić-Kitić, retired handball player, Voted World Player of the Year 1988 by the

International Handball Federation The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball. IHF is responsible for the organisation of handball's major international tournaments, notably the IHF World Men's Handball C ...

Zlatan Saračević Zlatan Saračević (born 27 July 1956) is a retired Bosnian shot putter who represented SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Biography He was born in Zenica, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. but represented the clubs AK Sloboda Tuzla, AK S ...

, retired Olympic athlete, European Indoor Championships 1980 Sindelfingen gold winner – shot put. * Sándor Tátrai, Hungarian football player and manager

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Tuzla is twinned with: *

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

, Turkey *

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, Italy *

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (; ), often shortened to L'Hospitalet or just L'H, is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Barcelonès Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'', in Catalonia (Spain). It is part of the Barcelona metropolitan area, ...

, Spain *

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

, Austria *

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

, Croatia *

Pécs Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...

, Hungary * Saint-Denis, France *

, Turkey

Partner cities

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...

, Serbia

Gallery

File:TuzlaPark IV.jpg, Main park of Tuzla, located next to the Pannonian lakes. File:Work Affair Building Tuzla 01TE.jpg, Work Affair and Residential building in the center square of Tuzla. File:ISM 02 Tuzla.jpg, Business center, as well as the main Muslim Religious center. File:TrgSlobode2IP.jpg, Trg Slobode File:Tuzla Massacre memorial complex.jpg, WWII memorial File:Panorama Mellain 05.jpg, Panoramic view of the ''Mellain'' Hotel building from the Pannonian Lakes. File:King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Mosque, Tuzla.jpg, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Mosque.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Populated places in Tuzla Cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina