Latin Bridge

The Latin Bridge is one of the oldest and most historically significant bridges in Sarajevo, spanning the Miljacka River in the city centre. The first bridge here, a wooden one, was raised back in 1541, and in 1565 the Sarajevo notable Ali Ajni-beg built a stone bridge. After the great flood of 1791 the bridge was rebuilt in its present form in 1798/99, with funds bequeathed by the respected merchant Hadži Abdulah Briga.

Built of tufa and limestone, it is recognisable by its four arches and two oculi, which also appear in Sarajevo's coat of arms. It takes its name from Latinluk, the quarter of Catholic residents on the Miljacka's left bank. Right beside the bridge, on 28 June 1914, the Sarajevo assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie took place – the event taken as the trigger for the First World War. The bridge was last reconstructed in 2003/2004.