Tag Archives: Guesthouse Yildiz

The Road to Diamond, Day 313, Part II: A Resilient Heritage

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 6, 2025, Sarajevo- The vivacious young lady engaged all her patrons, in a charming yet suitably guarded way. She made us all feel welcomed and appreciated, but remained a bit of a mysterious presence. Her father, nearby in the kitchen, was watching all. Sebilj is a bit of Turkiye in Old Sarajevo. True, there are lots of bits of Turkiye in this city, but Kemal and Harina (not their real names) pack the house, with local regulars, day and night because of their Turkish welcome and the quality of their food.

I was very blessed to enjoy comforting split pea soup-not something I had associated with Turkiye before tonight, but it was golden, especially after a jarring day at Srebrenica. The shish was also well-seasoned and tender.

There is lots of resilience across Sarajevo. This evening, I focused on a swath of the Old City, the area that embraced Islam, the story goes, because the Ottoman Turks had a policy of not taxing those who converted to Islam. That story came from a man who has not embraced any organized religion, so who knows? I thought better than to ask any of the fervent Muslims I encountered here, as to such matters.

Here are some of this evening’s scenes.

Evening at the Edge of Old Town
Minarets light the night. Harina lights our hearts.
The Central Circle of Old Town
Bascarsija Mosque. Here worshipers were still very active, at 9 p.m.

Some streets were bustling; some were quiet. All were safe.

Old Town streets (above and below)
A quiet alley
Contrasting spires
A Mosque courtyard. The Imam only said “no worshipers!”. The empty courtyard was okay to photograph.

Old Sarajevo is filled with beauty-and that includes the lilting voice of the lady of the house, at Guesthouse Yildiz, as she offers her prayers in morning and afternoon. That includes the rug merchants, the shoppers haggling with the vendors, the children squealing with delight at their taste of ” Authentic Turkish Ice Cream”, and it includes people like Harina, who love what they do. Old Sarajevo was the perfect salve for the heart that was broken by what was shared in Srebrenica.

The Road to Diamond, Day 312: Serenity in the Rain

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 5, 2025, Sarajevo- The bus driver had a long face, as we all boarded his vehicle, in Split. I don’t think the man’s demeanour changed much, even after he had a sit-down meal at a nice roadside restaurant. The weather was equally gloomy, but I felt a comfort that transcended both the driver and the skies.

We went down the coastal highway, very close to tourist haven Dubrovnik, and then turned inland towards Mostar and Sarajevo. Here is a view of the Adriatic from Jesenice, the first major town south of Split.

View from cliffs near Omis, Dalmatia

At Brela, the wonders shifted to the mountains above the southern Dalmatian coast.

Limestone mountains above Brela, Croatia
Heading inland, near Ljubuski (Lee-oo-boo-skee)
These lakes are near the well-known Kravica (Kra-VEET-sa) waterfall .

Passing through Mostar, a worthy stop in its own right (for me, maybe on a future Mediterranean visit), the weather was really getting nasty, but the mountains are always stunning.

Prenj Range (Pren-yeh), outside Mostar
Neretva River, near Donja Jablanica (Donya Yablanitsa), Hercegovina. It was near here that we stopped and the driver had his lunch. I opted to wait until Sarajevo. Below, are the rotating barbecue wheels at Lamb House.
Old-style roasting spits, Lamb house, Donja Jablonica

About an hour later, we were in Sarajevo. I caught a taxi in short order, and that driver, from Libya, was determined to find Guesthouse Yildiz. He was very close, but it took asking around the immediate Old Town neighbourhood to get the exact spot. Now, he has another hard-to-find address on his phone.

I found a gem of a place, with a dear young couple from Turkiye, the owners. (Since we’re on a pronunciation binge- it’s Tur-kee-yuh). Here is how to spot Guesthouse Yildiz, on a short alley way off Old Town Sarajevo’s main road.

Guest House Yildiz, Old Town Sarajevo

Here is the junction of Yildiz’s street, with the main road through Old Town.

Intersection near Guesthouse Yildiz

I was in a comfortable place for the evening, and after a well-prepared dinner of Chicken Stir Fry and rice, settled in to get ready for tomorrow’s visit to Srebrenica.