The Vijecnica Library stands as a living witness to the Bosnian War

The library building, built in the Andalusian architectural style during the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the Ottoman Empire left Bosnia, is considered one of the most well-known architectural symbols in the region.

Construction of the building, which was known to have been influenced by the mosques and madrasahs in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, while architect Aleksandar Witek was preparing the project, began in 1892.

Vijecnica began operating as the town hall 129 years ago, on April 20, 1896, and remained so until the end of World War II. Converted into a national library in 1945, Vijecnica has earned the distinction of being a "memory of Sarajevo."

The Vijecnica Library was the target of Serb attacks during the Bosnian War, which began in 1992 and ended in 1995.

On August 25, 1992, Serbian soldiers besieging Sarajevo hit the library building, which housed books, historical documents and archive records, with artillery fire, and the building sustained significant damage in the resulting fire.

The fire at the library, a living witness to the war, lasted three days. According to official reports, approximately 2 million works, including 155,000 manuscripts and the country's national archives, were destroyed.

Restoration work on the library, which was a memory of the country with approximately 6 million books and archive documents, including manuscripts and important works belonging to Bosnians, Serbs, Croats and Jews before the destruction, began in 1996, a year after the war.

After 18 years of work, the Vijecnica Library reopened its doors to visitors on May 9, 2014.

The building, which was converted into a museum after restoration, hosts many important programs, exhibitions, invitations and organizations in the city and sheds light on the history of both the country and the capital.

One of the most visited attractions in Sarajevo by both local and international tourists, the historic building stands as a living witness to the atrocities the city endured during the three-and-a-half-year Serbian siege. Visited by tens of thousands each year, the Vijecnica Library is also a favorite spot for photography enthusiasts due to its location.