Isabelle Imbert

Cities of Ottoman Bosnia with Vincent Thérouin

In this episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Vincent Thérouin, PhD candidate in Islamic archaeology in the university of Paris Sorbonne. Vincent works on a little-known topic: Ottoman Bosnia between the 15th and 17th centuries, and more particularly on the urbanisation of the region and the development of cities such as Sarajevo. In the episode, he talks about the process of founding cities, the Ottoman architecture of Sarajevo, but also the primary sources available to archaeologists to understand the urban network and how he uses this documentation in digital visualization tools to understand the evolution of the region.

Listen to the podcast here!

Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links

  • Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
  • Follow Vincent on Academia and LinkedIn
  • Cadastral map of Sarajevo at the end of the Ottoman period
  • Bibliographic references:
    • Aličić, Ahmed S. Sumarni popis Sandžaka Bosna iz 1468-69. godine. Mostar: Islamski kulturni centar Mostar, 2008.
    • Gazić, Lejla, ed. Vakufname iz Bosne i Hercegovine (XV i XVI vijek). Monumenta Turcica historiam slavorum meridionalium illustrantia. Sarajevo: Orijentalni Institut u Sarajevu, 1985.
    • Handžić, Adem, éd. Opširni popis bosanskog Sandžaka iz 1604. godine. 3 vol. Monumenta Turcica historiam Slavorum Meridionalium illustrantia. Serija 2. Defteri. Zürich, Sarajevo: Bošnjački institut Zürich – Odjel Sarajevo, Orijentalni institut, 2000.
    • Šabanović, Hazim. Bosanski pašaluk: postanak i upravna podjela. Nauc̆no drus̆tvo NR Bosne i Hercegovine. Djela 14. Sarajevo: Oslobodenje, 1959.
    • Šabanović, Hazim. Krajište Isa-bega Ishakovića – zbirni katastarski popis iz 1455 godine. Uvod, turski tekst, prevod i komentari. Orijentalni Institut Sarajevo. Monumenta Turcica historiam Slavorum meridionalium illustrantia. Sarajevo, 1964.
  • Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.

Reproductions of Artworks discussed in the Episode (click on the images to see more information)

Mosque of Ali Paşa, built around 1559-1561 (V. Thérouin, 2024)
Mosque of Ferhad Bey, built around 1561/1562 (V. Thérouin, 2024)
Mosque of Hasan Efendi, on site before 1604, burnt down in 1697 (minaret still-standing at this date), reconstructed in 1751 and probably renovated after WW2 (V. Thérouin, 2024)
Detail of the transition between the base of the prayer room wall and the base of the portico – northeast wall of the mosque of Sinan Çelebi (also called Komotin or Terzibaşı), on site before 1528-1530, rebuilt after 1697 (V. Thérouin, 2024).
Location of mosques in Sarajevo around 1563-1565 (V. Thérouin, 2022)
Location of beneficiary and producing structures mentioned in the waqf inventory of the sancak of Bosnia dated 1604 (TKG. KK.TTd. 41) (V. Thérouin, 2022)
First entries of the waqf inventory of the sancak of Bosnia recorded in the fiscal register dated 1528-1530 (BOA. TD. 164) (Istanbul, Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı – Osmanlı arşivi).
List of taxable residents from the first three neighborhoods of Sarajevo recorded in the fiscal register dated 1528-1530 (BOA. TD. 157) (Istanbul, Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı – Osmanlı arşivi).
View of the courtyard and semahane of the tekke of Hacı Sinan, on a zikr evening (V. Thérouin, 2024)
Detail of calligraphies on the south wall of the vestibule of the Hacı Sinan Tekke (V. Thérouin, 2024)