Ottomans introduced Islam to the Balkans at a large scale in the mid 15th century. The majority of Bosnians embraced Islam under the 400-year rule of the Ottomans.
The bridge at the center of the image, Stari Most, in the city of Mostar in Bosnia was originally commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Suleyman Kanuni in 1557 and was built by the architect Mimar Sinan.
It lasted until 1993, when it was destroyed by Croatian forces during the fighting after the collapse of Yugoslavia. An exact replica was built in its place in the early 2000s.
In Bosnia, when you walk around the streets, you will frequently see splashes of red ink called as the “Sarajevo Roses,” which are marks on the ground that were left by the mortar shells fired by the Serbian army more than 300 times a day for more than three years.
Dr. Bilal Philips