Top Things to See and Do in Travnik, Bosnia

A city’s heart and soul usually lies in the historical districts where streets and buildings resist change. Travnik’s Stari Grad has an Ottoman centre with mosques, centuries-old buildings, and Bosnia’s only sundial. Walking through gives a sense of what life is like in the 18th century when Ottoman governors used the area as their official seat of government. You’ll find the best restaurants in Travnik inside the old town. Most serve grilled meat, cevapi (Bosnian kebabs), and Vlasic Cheese, the famous Travnik cheese.

About one kilometre to the west of Travnik Castle is Travnik’s oldest mosque. Jeni Mosque, completed in 1549 in a classical Ottoman style, predates the official Ottoman Vizier’s seat by more than a century. Every early settlement had at least one central mosque, and Jeni was Travnik’s. Throughout the almost 500-year lifespan, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. If you want to appreciate the rich history of the town, Jeni Mosque rates as one of the best things to see in Travnik.

Colourful murals cover the Many-Coloured Mosque or Ornamented Mosque’s exterior, making it one of the more intriguing Travnik attractions. Built in the 16th century, the colour has since faded. Today, the mosque has three horizontal stripes. Tall arches form the lower and colourful murals decorate the top with a white-washed middle.

But, Sulejmanija has another characteristic making it somewhat unusual in the Islamic world. Below the main prayer room sits a Bezistan, or small bazaar, selling a selection of Bosnian souvenirs, clothes, and snacks. According to local sources, this is the only mosque in the world with a market at its base.