Are you ready for a journey filled with flavors intertwined with history? While visiting Sarajevo, you can make your memories more colorful by enjoying a warm coffee at Inat Kuca, a place with an interesting story and a connection to the past. You can also try unique Bosnian flavors to give your taste buds a memorable experience.

In this article, I want to take you to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, known as the most melancholic city in the Balkans. Sarajevo wakes up to sunny mornings despite the bullet scars on the walls of its houses. It's a city that, on the one hand, wishes to erase the traces of war so that they are not relived or forgotten.

This melancholic gem of the Balkans will provide you with a completely different travel experience through its warm-hearted people, delectable cuisine and streets filled with history.

Despite being a small city, its diversity carries the spirit of the Ottoman Empire into the present. It has many places to see and witness a multitude of historical events.

If you go to Sarajevo, get lost in its beautiful streets, listen to the heartbeat of the city in the Bascarsija, feel the European side of the city on Ferhadija Street, see the Latin Bridge where the World War I began, visit the Tunnel of Hope to feel the power of hope and admire the view of the National Library, which was at risk of being entirely destroyed by a major fire but rose from its ashes.

National Library

Inat Kuca is the main character of the story I want to tell you about. Remember that name as I share some information about the National Library.

The National Library, which was once one of the most significant structures in Sarajevo, is situated on the banks of the Miljacka River. With its remarkable architecture, the National Library was used as a municipal building from 1896 until the end of World War II.

During the construction of this building, which served as a municipal building during the Austro-Hungarian Empire era, the story of Inat Kuca, which I will describe shortly, came to light.

In 1946, the building was transformed into a national library, housing approximately 2 million books and priceless manuscripts. However, during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995, the library suffered significant damage. Subsequently, with national and international support, the library was reconstructed and reopened in 2014.

It is said that the Austro-Hungarian prince Archduke Ferdinand, who marked the beginning of World War I, left this building before being assassinated on the Latin Bridge, located just ahead of the building.

Inat Kuca is one of Sarajevo's tourist spots. You can add it to your list of places to see during your visit to Sarajevo. The reason this building attracts tourists is because of the following story:

"Inat" means stubbornness or defiance in Turkish, and "kuca" means house in Bosnian, so it's the "House of Defiance." Of course, there's a connection between its name and the story. Anyone familiar with Balkan culture knows about stubbornness. This house has become a symbol of that very trait.

The story of this house dates back to the 19th century. After the 1878 Berlin Treaty, Sarajevo came under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From that point on, intensive construction efforts were made in Sarajevo.

Under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Sarajevo, they constructed magnificent government buildings throughout the city to showcase the state's power. After the post office, national museum and courthouse, they also decided to build a municipal building.

The empire undertook the building of a grand municipal building by the banks of the Miljacka River. They planned to construct this building at the base of the bridge over the Miljacka River.

The empire purchased all the properties and land in the area where they intended to build the municipal building. However, there was a big obstacle for the powerful empire. The obstacle was a person from Bosnia who owned a house in that area. This person firmly said, "I won't allow you to destroy my house." They offered the homeowner a lot of money and asked important people to help negotiate, but the homeowner refused to give up his house despite all efforts.

The homeowner agreed to allow the municipal building to be constructed on the condition that they replicate his house exactly on the other side of the river. It was such a strange request that he asked that all the building materials of his house be transported one by one and the house be constructed in this way.

The homeowner agreed to build the government building, but only if they built an exact copy of his house on the opposite side of the river. He insisted that they transport all the materials from his house and use them to build the new one, piece by piece.

The empire had no options other than agreeing to the deal. From that day on, people started calling the house "Inat Kuca." And if you look at the sign at the entrance, it says, "I was on the other side and I didn't give you the house because I'm stubborn."

Setting stubbornness aside, it's not easy for anyone to give up their home. But, if you ever find yourself in a situation like this, remember the outcome of this story and don't tread on the stubbornness of any Balkan person.

In 1997, Inat Kuca became a restaurant that still offers a unique dining experience today, filled with historical objects. Don't miss the chance to visit, enjoy coffee and savor delicious Bosnian dishes.

In Sarajevo, you can hear many stories apart from those of the National Museum and Inat Kuca. Despite its small size, Sarajevo is filled with buildings that have witnessed significant historical events, each with its own unique story.

I highly recommend extending your trip to fully explore this city's rich history. Additionally, as winter approached, despite some hesitation about visiting Balkan cities during this season, we had a fantastic experience traveling to Bosnia-Herzegovina in winter. The snowy landscapes added a magical touch to the city, making exploring its historical sites under a blanket of snow a truly nostalgic experience.