On November 8, 1993, the bridge was first damaged, apparently accidentally, during shelling of the city of Mostar by Croatian troops. However, the following day, November 9, it was targeted and ultimately completely destroyed [JQ1].
The Old Mostar Bridge was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and is considered the symbol of the city of Mostar [JQ2]. The bridge connected the districts on both sides of the river, which were both culturally and religiously very different – ​​both Serbs and Bosniaks, Christians and Muslims lived there – and is considered a symbol of peaceful coexistence [JQ3].