The Sebilj is an Ottoman-style wooden

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

(

sebil A sabil or sebil (; ) is a small kiosk in the Islamic architectural tradition where water is freely dispensed to members of the public by an attendant behind a grilled window. The term is sometimes also used to refer to simple unmanned fountain ...

) in the centre of

Baščaršija Baščaršija (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-beg Ishaković founded the city. Bašča ...

Square in

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 ...

. The original Sebilj was built by Mehmed Pasha Kukavica in 1753, but it was destroyed in a fire in 1852. It was reconstructed by the Austrian architect

Alexander Wittek Alexander Wittek (12 October 1852, Sisak – 11 May 1894, Graz) was an Austrian-Hungarian architect and chess master. As an architect, Wittek worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Austro-Hungarian Empire. His most well-known works in Sarajevo ...

in 1891, and was relocated to its present site several metres away from the position of the earlier structure. According to local legend, visitors who drink water from the fountain will return to Sarajevo someday.

Replicas

A multinational collaborative public arts project created a life-size contemporary interpretation of the famous public fountain and landmark in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, using traditional Bosnian design and craft techniques, combined with modern digital technology. There is a replica of Sarajevo's Sebilj in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, Serbia, donated by the city of Sarajevo in 1989 as a gift ahead of the 9th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. Another replica in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, in the United States, was donated by the Bosnian community to the city of St. Louis for the city's 250th birthday.St. Louis Bosnians -
/ref> A third replica is in

Novi Pazar Novi Pazar ( sr-cyr, Нови Пазар) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the urban area has 71,462 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 106,720 inha ...

, also a gift from the city of

. In

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

, Turkey a replica of Sarajevo’s Sebilj was built as a symbol of friendship between the city of Bursa and the city of Sarajevo. In 2018, another replica of the Sebilj was completed in the town of

Rožaje Rožaje ( Bosnian: ''Rožaje''; , ; , ) is a town located in the Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along the Ibar river. The town is the cultural center of the Bosniaks in Montenegro. As of 2023, the town has a population of 13,608 inhabi ...

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 ...

References

External links

{{Commons category, Sebilj History of Sarajevo Monuments and memorials in Bosnia and Herzegovina Stari Grad, Sarajevo Fountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina Buildings and structures completed in 1753