Sarajevo through History › Austro-Hungarian period › At Mejdan
At Mejdan
At Mejdan
In the past this area was known as the Sijaset mejdan (tur. siyaset – punishment), a trade slave square and a place where death penalties by hanging were executed. The name At Mejdan derives from a later period after a horse market and hippodrome.
Location: Old Town
A mosque and a maktab (Islamic primary school) were built on this site in the 16th century, and a madrasah and a library in the 17th century. With the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, all the buildings were ruined (19th c.).

The Music Pavilion with a cafe designed by Josip Pospisil was erected in 1911. The pavilion was surrounded by a wonderful tiny park with walking paths and benches. Holidays were always announced with a brass-band playing at the Music Pavilion. The Pavilion was destroyed during the Second World War bombing in 1941, and was restored into a small park with a cafe. The old Muslim graveyard was renovated as well and a small mosque built at the site of a former mosque.

In this area, Isa-Bey Ishakovic, a founder of Sarajevo, built his administration seat, a court to which the city owns its name (tur. saray – court; ovasi – field) in 1454/1455. At the end of the Ottoman rule, they started building a barracks in 1854. The barracks was completed in 1856 and it has been used as such ever since.

Other related objects
Grand Hotel (Payment Operations Institute)
Grand Hotel (Payment Operatio ... After the Europa Hotel was built in 1882, the second largest hotel opened only a year later. The Grand Hotel was designed by Karl Pařík and Josip Vancas in early Renaissance style. It was funded by a wealthy merchant Daniel Salom.
Markthalle (Indoor and Outdoor Market Place)
Markthalle (Indoor and Outdoo ... The City Market Place was designed by August Butsch in 1894 in the Neo-Renaissance style under the project name "Markthalle für Sarajevo". The market was opened in 1895 and to this day it maintains its original purpose.
Military Telegraph and Post Office (Main Post Office)
Military Telegraph and Post O ... Designed by Josip Vancas in 1913 in reference to the Viennese Post Savings Bank, the Post Office represents superb example of a vast interior, secessionist floral motifs around the windows and an impressive and richly decorated auditorium window.
Legislation Palace (Law Faculty, University of Sarajevo Rectorate)
Legislation Palace (Law Facul ... Another architecture delicacy, the Legislation Palace is a monumental square building built in two stages between 1912 and 1918. It a Karl Pařík’s design employing Late Historicism.
Academy of Fine Arts (Evangelistic Church)
Academy of Fine Arts (Evangel ... The Academy is located in the former Evangelistic Church, built by the Evangelistic Municipality in 1899 according to Karl Pařík’s design. This church portrays early Christian and Byzantium style.
Sarajevo Brewery
Sarajevo Brewery Sarajevo Brewery was built in 1882 as a private ownership of the Viennese industrialist, Heinrich Lewy.There was another brewery established even earlier, in 1864 by a wealthy merchant and industrialist, Josef Feldbauer at Kovacici.
Konak
Konak Konak is an Ottoman governors’ residence built in 1868 in Late Baroque style during the rule of Topal Osman Pasha, an Ottoman vizier. It was built on a site of the former Konak (tur. saray – court; 15th c.) to which the city owes its name.
City Hall
City Hall The building is an architectural masterpiece of pseudo-Moorish style designed by Alexander Wittek in 1892, and completed by Ciril Ivekovic. Wittek traveled to Cairo twice in order to study styles and techniques.
Government Buildings Ensamble
Government Buildings Ensamble The Government Building Ensemble consists of several impressive edifices from the Austro-Hungarian period.The Canton Sarajevo Administration Building was designed by Karl Pařík in Neo-Renaissance.
Marienhof (Marijin dvor)
Marienhof (Marijin dvor) Architecture lovers will love this impressive residential-commercial building built between 1885 and 1899. Mary''''s Court is the largest palace in the city designed by Karl Pařík in Late Historicism style.
HKD ˝Napredak˝ Palace
HKD ˝Napredak˝ Palace This representative building is located in Marsala Tita Street and it is the headquarters of the Croatian Cultural Association "Napredak”. It was built in 1913 according to the design of Dioniz Sukno in Secessionist style with pseudo-Moorish elements.
National Theatre
National Theatre The National Theatre is located at the former Country House/Clubhouse, built in 1899 according to design of Karl Pařík. The building employs the Neo-Renaissance style with elements of Classicism.
Gimnazijska Street
Gimnazijska Street Gimnazijska Street was named after three schools running along the street length: Prva gimnazija (First Gymnasium established in 1879), Preparandija (present-day Safvet-Bey Basagic Primary School) and the Applied Arts School.
Officers’ Casino (Army Hall B&H)
Officers’ Casino (Army Hall B&H) The Officers’ Casino was built in 1881 according to Karl Pařík’s design.
Ayas-Pasha’s Court (˝Central˝ Hotel)
Ayas-Pasha’s Court (˝Central˝ ... The Central Hotel was built in 1897. It has been one of the best hospitality and catering facility designed by Josip Vancas. It was built as a two-storey building with a restaurant and a cafe on the ground floor.
˝Europa˝ Hotel
˝Europa˝ Hotel Europa Hotel is the first Sarajevo hotel built in accordance with the western standards. It was built by a wealthy merchant and politician Gligorije Jeftanovic...
Sharia Law School (Faculty of Islamic Studies)
Sharia Law School (Faculty of ... Present-day Faculty of Islamic Studies was a residential court of the Curcic family, with houses for servants, stables, and carriage-lots. The Curcic family lived here from 1736 to 1886. The Sharia Law School was built in 1889.