Bosnia: Europes Jerusalem
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that stirs positive feelings in Turks through the mention of its name alone. It is a brother whose sorrow is our sorrow, whose joy is our joy and whose success we also deem as ours.
It is also an Ottoman land still alive and vibrant with its Ottoman-style bazaars, houses and minarets in the midst of the European continent. Above all, it is a gift from Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror to the Ottoman state as a sultan, whose conquest of Constantinople had been foretold centuries ago by the Prophet Mohammed and who transformed the Ottoman state into a world empire mostly through the conquest of Thrace.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is the land of Bosniaks, who still retain their loyalty to and respect for their former administrators by clinging onto their religious, cultural and traditional values despite the centuries that have passed. It is an exceptional land where different faiths and sects never once clashed under Ottoman rule until the 20th century and where Christian peoples were completely safe and secure from any arbitrary act of injustice through an edict of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror which is still kept and displayed in a monastery there. In short, it is a most beautiful land where Turks are treated just like other fellow Bosniaks.
There is a splendid park near the place where the River Bosna (Rijeka Bosna) springs. People come here particularly during spring and summer months to enjoy this area of outstanding scenic beauty. The short stroll we took across the park gave us a brief but unforgettable chance to experience a part of Bosnia’s natural beauty.
After being subjected to three ethnic cleansing attempts in one century, Bosniaks still yearn for the Ottomans. While touring Vrelo Bosne, a Bosniak who found out we were Turkish said: “Welcome to your ancestral land. In the last century you left us here high and dry...”
In almost every part of Bosnia we came across Ottoman traces. We even ran into Ottoman history at a monastery we visited. The Ottomans did not deny their compassion and respectful behavior to any race or faith. They protected all, including Christians, living in their lands.
We visited the town of Fojnica, located 50 kilometers from the capital of Sarajevo. After driving for a bit, the remote monastery where the edict issued by Mehmet the Conqueror is kept appeared on the horizon, standing on top of a hill.
When we came to the Franciscan monastery, monk Mirko Majdandzic welcomed us. We were very happy and excited at the prospect of seeing the original edict for ourselves. In Bosnia, this imperial edict is referred to as a “covenant.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina was conquered by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1463. After the conquest, the sultan granted many rights to the local non-Muslims as part of Ottoman state policy and made sure that they lived in utmost security, free from danger to life and property. Mind you, this was a human rights manifesto declared centuries before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written.
“I, Sultan Mehmet Khan the Conqueror, hereby declare to the whole world that the Bosnian Franciscans granted this edict are under my protection. And I command that:
No one shall disturb or harm these people and their churches! They shall live in peace in my state. These people, who have become immigrants, shall have security and liberty. They may return to their monasteries which are located on the borders of my state.
No one from my empire -- notables, viziers, clerks or my maids -- will dishonor or harm them!
No one shall insult, put in danger or attack the lives, properties and churches of these people! People and property these people bring from their own countries have the same rights.
By issuing this edict, I swear on my sword by the holy name of God, who created the Heavens and the Earth; His messenger Mohammed and the 124,000 prophets that came before him that no one from my citizens will react or behave in a way that opposes this edict!”
The original of this edict is still kept in this monastery. It is one of the oldest documents on religious freedoms. The sultan’s oath became law in the Ottoman state on May 28, 1463. In 1971, the United Nations published a translation of the document in all of the official languages of the UN.
Majdandzic says that Sultan “Fatih” -- as he is known both in Turkey and Bosnia, “fatih” meaning “conqueror” in Arabic -- was a very clever ruler, adding: “This covenant meant that Christians on this soil could live in peace and security. By granting it, the sultan permitted Catholic priests to live here, carry on their activities and preserve and practice their faith. He also stopped a stream of migration with this document. The people of a conquered land have no chance but to submit to the conqueror’s will. Despite that, the sultan gave us the right to live freely, which demonstrates how extraordinarily intelligent he was. Official institutions and laws always supported us after this edict.”
Emphasizing the importance of this imperial edict for his monastery, the Franciscan monk also said he wanted everyone to be able to see it. “The place where we will display it is being constructed, so currently we are only able to show it to certain guest groups and journalists like you.”
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