MASTILOVIĆ: SERBS MUST NOT GIVE UP MAGNIFICENT MERITS AND WEALTH IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, JUNE 30 /SRNA/ - Historian Draga Mastilović told SRNA that the value of the cultural treasures located in the Treasury of the Old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo is invaluable and emphasized that Serbs as a people must not give up the magnificent merits and wealth of the Sarajevo Serbs.

Written by: Željka DOMAZET

It is difficult to talk about the values ​​located in Sarajevo when it comes to the property and documents of Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church /SOC/ and one can only conclude that they are invaluable.

The very fact that the Museum of the Old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo is ranked among the top five in the world and contains priceless icons and documents speaks volumes about the values ​​it holds.


INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL SCIENCES TRANSLATES 330 OTTOMAN DOCUMENTS FROM THE TREASURY

"I think that the Serbian people know very little about what is hidden in the Treasury of the Old Sarajevo Church, and even Serbian scientists and intellectuals. Thanks to the blessing of Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, the Institute of Historical Sciences of the University of Istočno Sarajevo is currently translating 330 Ottoman documents from this treasury, which undoubtedly testify to the fact that the Serbian Orthodox people live in Sarajevo.

You have Ottoman documents from the 18th century, and even earlier, that the Serbs are called by their national name, and their church is called the Serbian Christian Church in Sarajevo. That is something magnificent," Mastilović assessed.

At the beginning of this century, an attempt was made to build a residential building and garages on the land of the Old Orthodox Church, but representatives of the Metropolitanate of the Dabar-Bosna managed to stop this illegal plan.

The complex of the Old Orthodox Church in Baščaršija is a historical cultural monument under the protection of BiH.

The area where the attempt was made to build a residential building and garages previously housed the Old Serbian School, of which there is written evidence.


SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN SARAJEVO EXISTED BEFORE OTTOMANS' ARRIVAL

Commenting on the fact that land around the Old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo was usurped and illegal construction was attempted, Mastilović says that the property of the Old Sarajevo Church was destroyed in fires several times during the Ottoman period.

"The old Orthodox church in Sarajevo was originally made of wood. It was only later that it was built, which proves that a Serbian Orthodox church existed in that area even before the arrival of the Ottomans. Namely, Turkish regulations and canonical impositions strictly prohibit the construction of Christian places of worship in places where there were none before. In their documents, they say `since the old pagan times,` which means that if a church did not exist, there was no chance of its being built," Mastilović states.

Mastilović recalls that the Old Sarajevo Church has suffered from fires several times over the centuries and that it has constantly received licenses from Ottoman sultans to be rebuilt.

"This proves that the church existed on that site before the Ottomans. Historical documents confirm that there was a town at that time, as they call it, the Christian town, and another Christian town near Miljacka. It was actually a Dubrovnik colony, which testifies to the existence of an Orthodox priest in the town, immediately after the arrival of the Ottomans. All of these are clear signs that the Serbs in Sarajevo were and remained on their own land," Mastilović pointed out.

Mastilović notes that it is magnificent that wealthy Serbian merchants and craftsmen left their buildings and properties, if they had no descendants or if they separated a part and left it to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"Unfortunately, most of it has not been returned to the SOC today. After all, the Seminary has not been returned to it, and attempts are being made, in addition, to eradicate the existence of Serbs in Sarajevo," says Mastilović.

Mastilović said that Serbs as a people must not allow this, but must always bear witness to the constant presence of Serbs in Sarajevo and fight to preserve the truth about it.

"The Sarajevo Serbs have truly left a deep mark on the history of the entire Serbian people in all Serbian territories. Today, we are obliged to preserve that kind of culture of memory about the Sarajevo Serbs and to never give up on Sarajevo or what the Serbs did in that city," Mastilović emphasized.