ECCOMAS MSF 2015 - General Conference Information

Arrival to Sarajevo and Transportation:

The Airplanes from all over the World arrive at Sarajevo International Airport, which is about 10

kilometers far from the city center. There is no regular bus line from the Airport. The best way to get to

the city center is to take a taxi. The cost should not exceed 15 Euros.

Taxi companies operating in Sarajevo:

Sarajevo Taxi

Tel: +387 (0)33 1515

Samir & Emir Taxi

Tel: +387 (0)33 15 16

Zuti taxi / Yellow Cab

Tel: +387 (0)33 663 555

Public transportation:

GRAS Public Transport Company

JKP GRAS d.o.o. Sarajevo Velika drveta 1 - Sarajevo

Tel: +387 (0)33 293 333

Website: http://www.gras.co.ba

Fare for single ride: 1,60KM (0,80€)

Car Rentals:

Champion AC

Hamdije Kresevljakovica bb 71 000 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tel: +387 (0)33 211 207 - Fax: +387 (0)33 204 447

Email: info@cac-rent.ba

Website: http://www.cac-rent.ba

Cito doo Car Rental

Dzemala Bijedica 185 Hotel Radon Plaza, Sarajevo, BiH

Tel: +387 (0)33 769 890 - Fax: +387 (0)33 769 891

Email: info@cito.ba

Website: http://www.cito.ba

Budget

Fra Andjela Zvizdovica

Tel: +387 (0)33 942 800 - Fax: +387 (0)33 942 030

Email: budget@budget.ba

Website: http://www.budget.ba

Conference Venue and Room Information

The conference will take place at GF Sarajevo (The Faculty of Civil Engineering), University of Sarajevo.

Exact address (to show to taxi driver):

GRADJEVINSKI FAKULTET

Patriotske lige 30,

71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Access:

The easiest way to reach the Civil Engineering Faculty from city center area is by taxi or on foot. The

alternative is to take a Trolleybus (line Otoka - Jezero or Dobrinja – Jezero). Trolleybus stops just before

the Civil Engineering Faculty building. You can buy one way ticket at the driver's place after you enter the

bus. The Faculty building is shown below (figure 1), as well as the city map (figure 2). The building ground

plan scheme is shown in figure 3 along with the indication of conference rooms.

Figure 1: The Faculty of Civil Engineering

Figure 2: The Civil Engineering Building on Sarajevo City center map

UPPER FLOOR PLAN

0

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Figure 3: Conference Rooms

ENTRANCE

HALL

AMPHI

STAIRS TO 1ST

FLOOR

8

R

R

LUNCH AREA

ENTRANCE

ABOVE

STAIRS TO 1ST

FLOOR

LEGEND

CONFERENCE ROOMS

RESTROOMS

ELEVATOR

R GF AF

R R

STAIRS FROM

GROUND FLOOR

Global ground

plan

MAIN ENTRANCE

LUNCH

AREA

CONFERENCE

ROOMS

Long corridor

Long corridor

Information for Speakers

Plenary Lectures will last 40 minutes and keynote lectures 30 minutes. All other presentations will take 15

minutes. Brief introductions by the Chairman of the session, as well as questions or discussions at the end

of each presentation, are included within the provided time. All speakers and session chairs are kindly

asked to respect the schedule.

All speakers should contact the co-chair of their session at least 15 minutes prior to its beginning in order

to confirm their presence and provide a brief introduction of their presentation. Forms for providing the

introductory information will be available in the registration package, at the conference desk and in the

speaker ready room.

All lecture rooms are equipped with at least one video beamer connected to a computer with an optional

alternative connection to a laptop. Please make sure that your presentation is working and projecting

properly. There will be staff in each lecture room in order to assist you with the presentation during all

breaks.

Computer Internet Access

Wireless internet connection is available in all conference rooms. Username and password will be

provided in the registration package.

Social Program

All registered Participants, Students and Accompanying Persons are included in events of the conference

social program. Your name badge is your ticket for admission to these events.

Welcome Reception (Wednesday, June 10)

Welcome Reception will be held on Wednesday evening, June 10, from 19:30 to 22:00 at the Bosniak

Institute. The easiest way to get to the Bosniak Institute is to walk (2,1 kilometer from the Faculty of Civil

Engineering, approx. 30 minutes), or to take a taxi. You can also use public transport. First take a

trolleybus in front of the Faculty (line Jezero – Otoka, or Jezero – Dobrinja) and drop off after two stops.

Then take a tram (line Ilidža – Baščaršija) and drop off after six stops (tram station Cathedral) and you will

be right in front of the Bosniak Institute. You can find maps later in this document with given directions of

how to reach the Bosniak Institute.

Figure 4: The Bosniak Institute Building

The Bosniak Institute is a cultural center housed in a renovated sixteenth century Turkish bath which

includes a library and an art center.

Visit to Sarajevo Old Town (Thursday, June 11)

The visit to Sarajevo Old Town is planned on Thursday evening, June 11, from 21:30 to 24:00. There you

will be served a traditional Bosnian meal ćevapčići and other tasty grilled dishes. This diner starts at 21:30

at the Hodžić ćevabdžinica. After that, You can visit some of the Old Town cafes.

You can find maps with given directions of how to reach Ćevabdžinica Hodžić in this document below

(figure 8). It is placed at the Old town. The Old Town (Stari Grad) is the oldest and historically

most significant part of Sarajevo. At its heart is the Baščaršija, the old town market sector where the city

was founded by the Ottomans in the 15th century. The Old Town is characterized by

many religious monuments and examples of traditional Bosnian architecture. The eastern side of the Old

Town is influenced by the Ottoman architecture, whereas the western side is a legacy of the Austro-

Hungarian Empire, symbolically representing the city as a meeting point between East and West.

Its rich history made the Old Town named the “European Jerusalem” since one can find mosques,

synagogues, catholic and orthodox churches within several hundred meters.

Figure 5: The Old Town – religious heritage

Figure 6: Nightlife in Sarajevo and Ćevabdžinica Hodžic building

(Friday, June 12) – Guided tour of Sarajevo (starts at the Hotel Europe) and Conference Banquet

A guided tour of Sarajavo starts from the Hotel Europe on Friday afternoon, June 12, at 17:00. You can

reach the Hotel Europe by taking a walk from the Faculty of Civil Engineering following the instruction

given in the figure 8. You can also use the public transport. First, take a trolleybus in front of the Faculty

(line Jezero – Otoka, or Jezero – Dobrinja) and drop off after two stops. Then take a tram (line Ilidža –

Baščaršija) and drop off after three stops (tram station Latin bridge – see figure 9). After you exit the tram,

turn left, and after 20 meters turn left again. You’ll be in front of the Hotel Europe after 50 meters walk.

The same day after guided tour of Sarajevo, you can visit the Banquet from 20:00 to 23:00, at the Svrzo’s

House. The easiest way to get to the Svrzo’s House is to take a taxi (2,7 kilometer from the Civil

Engineering Faculty), or to take a walk. You can also combine a public transport by taking a Trolleybus

drive, line Jezero – Otoka, or Jezero – Dobrinja, and to take a Tram (line Ilidža – Baščaršija) after 2

Trolleybus stops. You should exit tram on station Baščaršija or station Katedrala, and take a walk following

the instructions of how to reach the Svrzo’s House in the figure 8.

The Svrzo’s House

Before the Europeanization period began in Sarajevo, there was a dominant, unique culture of living that

literally symbolized the view towards life and the philosophy of life of a Bosnian man.

Comfortable, bright, convenient houses with a courtyard enclosed by a big wall from the outer world and

a backyard, where built on the

steep slopes of the city. The

house completely guarded the

intimacy of the family and

provided an insight into the life

of the backstreet. On the other

side, over the backyard, there

was an intact view. The Svrzo’s

House is the most beautiful,

preserved example of an

exceptional Sarajevo housing

architecture of the Turkish

period.

Figure 7: The Svrzo’s House

Figure 8: Directions for Social Program activities

Figure 9: Sarajevo public transport map

Touristic attractions

The area that Sarajevo occupies has been continuously inhabited since the Prehistoric period. It becomes

the city with the arrivals of the Ottomans in 15th century, when Isa Bey Ishaković, the Turkish governor,

founded it. Therefore, the name Sarajevo comes from the Turkish words, saray-palace and ovasi-field.

Sarajevo has always connected East and West thus creating a unique blend of history, culture and

heritage. Four distinct types of architecture, which reflect the city’s different historical periods, can be

recognized.

At the end of the First World War, Sarajevo became part of the newly-formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats

and Slovenes and it remained part of this state, which was later re-named the Kingdom of Yugoslavia,

until the beginning of the Second World War, when it became part of the new Socialist Federal Republic

of Yugoslavia. By 1984, when it hosted the 14th Winter Olympic Games, Sarajevo had become a modern

city with a population of more than 500,000.

National Museum of B&H

Under endless restoration, this good museum is only open two days per week, and only for a few hours. HAGGADAH is the Jewish book of rites, a collection of biblical stories, prayers and psalms related to Pesah, important Jewish holiday. It is named after an ancient Jewish prophet Haggai (around 520 BC). One of the such most valuable books in the world is the Sarajevo Hagaddah, written around 1314 in Spain. Unique by its extraordinarily rich illuminations, it came to present Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 15th century with Jewish Sephardic settlers, exiled from Spain in 1492. The value of this book of rare beauty is estimated by international experts to 700 million USD (1991).

One wing of the main building holds the newly arranged collection of archeological finds: Greek and Roman tombstones, mosaics and pottery, as well as medieval arte facts like rusty swords, jewelry and coins. Unfortunately, texts are in Bosnian only. The courtyard holds the University‘s modest botanical garden, where Japanese apple trees have survived the war, as well as some impressive Stecci, carved medieval Bosnian tombstones that are the symbol of the country, and of which thousands still remain across the country. The three other buildings around the garden hold the library, the natural history department with the usual stufy collection of stuffed animals (although the eagles are impressive) and finally the ethnography museum.

Baščaršija

The word "Baš-čaršija" literary means the "main marketplace" and designates the area of market square around the fountain called „Sebilj“. It was formed in the middle of XV century as the economic part of a new settlement whose urban skeleton is made of facilities built by the funds from Isa-bey's foundation. The market-place was built on the model of an Arabian „suk“, a line of spacious lots linked by a complex of a number of entangled little streets.

Gazi Husref-bey's Mosque (Gazi Husrefbegova džamija)

The mosque was ordered to be built by the Bosnian governor Gazi Husref-bey in 1530. At the same time, the dooryard walls with the gates were built, as well as the fountain. Today’s complex of the Bey's Mosque consists additionally of the two octagonal mausoleums, the mekteb (Muslim primary school) building, a hot-spring fountain, and the muvekithana building (for prayer calling).

Gazi Husref-bey's covered market building (Gazi Husrefbegov bezistan)

This massive basilica-like stone building extends in length of 109 meters along the street bearing the same name. The master builders from Dubrovnik built it from 1542 to 1543 by the order of the Bosnian governor Gazi Husref-bey. It consists of 52 shops lined in two rows inside of the building, with the third row of shops at its outside along the street Kujundžiluk (area of coppersmith shops). With the neighboring Tašlihan (stone house) it makes an organic unity.

Sarajevo Cathedral The Cathedral of Jesus' Heart was built in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an important Catholic concept. Architect Josip Vancaš modeled it after the Notre-Dame de Paris using the neo-Gothic style and elements of Romanesque architecture. Work began on August 25, 1884, and was completed in the same month in 1889.The building was damaged during the Siege of Sarajevo, but was not completely destroyed. The design above the door of the Cathedral is a part of the flag and seal of Sarajevo Canton and the Romanesque towers are featured on the flag and coat of arms of Sarajevo.

The Old Orthodox church

An anomaly between the mosques, the ancient Serbian Orthodox church of St. Michael the Archangel dates from medieval times, the foundations and the unusual arcade structures are even early Christian (5th/6th century). Although the building is plain, grey and squat seen from outside, the icy cold interior is beautiful, with a large balcony (for the women) and a carved wooden iconostases, the screen holding icons that shields off the altar. The cavernous sand icy-cold interior of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God from 1868 is worth peeking into for the large iconostases

holding icons made in Russia, installed here by Russian masons sent by Tsar Alexander II. As a proof of religious tolerance, Sultan Abdul Aziz (as well as the prince of Serbia) donated 500 gold ducats for the construction of the building.

A Sephardic synagogue

A Sephardi synagogue (also known as Sijavuš-pašina

daira or Velika Avlija) was built in 1581 with the donation of the

Turskish beglerbeg Sijamuš-paša to help members of the Jewish

community in Sarajevo who were poor. By the end of the 16th

century, the space encompassing Velika Avlija was turned into the

first synagogue. The building burned down in both 1679 and 1778,

and was rebuilt each time. It now serves as a Jewish museum.

Next door is the New Synagogue (Novi Hram) serving as an art

gallery owned by the Jewish community of Sarajevo. The magnificent Sephardic synagogue of 1932 (Il Kal

Grande) acknowledged as the largest and most ornate synagogues in the Balkans, was destroyed by

the Nazis in 1941.

The Town Hall (Gradska vijećnica) It represents the most beautiful and the most representative building

from Austro-Hungarian period, built in Pseudo-Moorish style. The first

design was made by Karl Paržik, and since Minister B. Kalaj did not like

it, building of the new one was trusted to Alexander Witek. Since A.

Witek allegedly grew mentally ill just because of this project, he

committed suicide. The finalization of his project was then entrusted to

Ćiril M. Iveković. The Town Hall building was officially opened in 1896.

The Old Clock Tower

As the tallest one, the Clock Tower was built in Sarajevo next to the Gazi

Husrev Bay’s Mosque. What makes Sarajevo’s clock tower so unique is that

it is probably the only public clock in the world that keeps lunar time (“à la

Turk”), to indicate the times for prayers. Since the Clock Tower has long lost

its original significance, many of the Sarajevo inhabitants are unable to

explain why the Clock Tower always shows the “wrong time”.

The Spite house

Prior to 1914, the Austro-Hungarians who ruled Sarajevo wanted

land in the Sarajevo Old Town district to build a City Hall and a

library. The land had a home on it and the owner refused to move

although he was offered the money. He continued to refuse even

when he was told that he had to move. When the officials

threatened him, he moved the house and rebuilt it, piece by piece,

on the other side of the Miljacka River, as a way of spiting the

officials. The Sarajevo Spite House operates today as a restaurant

and is called "Inat Kuca" which means "Spite House“.

The Latin Bridge

The Latin Bridge was built in 16th century but acquired world fame for the

infamous Sarajevo Assassination. Precisely from this spot Gavrilo Princip shot

and killed Austro Hungarian heir to the throne- archduke Franz Ferdinand and

his wife Sophia, which triggered the start of World War I.

Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library

This library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. The library holdings

total approximately 50,000 books, manuscripts and archive documents,

in Arabic, Turkish and Persian. The manuscripts in the Turkish language

(several thousand) are particularly important for the studying of political,

social, cultural and economic events in Ottoman’s time.

Evangelical Church (The Academy of Fine Arts)

According to the design of Karlo Paržik, it was built in 1898-99. This place of

worship architecturally expresses the early Christian- Byzantine style. In the

beginning there was only the church building, and a decade later wings

were added in the same style.

Tunnel of Hope

Built under the runway of Sarajevo Airport in 1993, the Tunnel of Hope was

the city’s only connection with the outside world during the four years of

siege.

The Eternal flame

The Eternal flame is a memorial to the military and civilian victims of the World War

II. It was dedicated on April, 6. 1946, when was the first anniversary of liberation of

Sarajevo from the four-year-long occupation by Nazi Germany and The Independent

State of Croatia.

Ćevapčići – The original Bosnian product Ćevapi or Ćevapčići – the traditional grill specialty is the famous Bosnian brand being internationally recognized. Those are small dumplings made from minced meat, mainly veal, onion and different spices. Ćevapi are grilled and served in a special type of bread (somun) with chopped onion on the side. They can be tasted in numerous stores called ćevabdžinice located mainly in Baščaršija.

Nearby mountains

Bjelašnica, Jahorina, Igman and Trebević Mountains are located several kilometers from Sarajevo. The XIV Winter Olympic Games were held at these locations. During summer these mountains offer numerous hiking and climbing opportunities.