Three houses, one heritage: Ottoman-Islamic residential traditions in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Omer, Spahic (2026) Three houses, one heritage: Ottoman-Islamic residential traditions in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. IIUM Journal of Religion and Civilisational Studies (IJRCS), 9 (2). pp. 106-130. E-ISSN 2637-112X

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Abstract

This study examines Ottoman-Islamic residential architecture in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the Bišćević House, the Kajtaz House, and the Muslibegović House. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how these houses embodied an Islamic worldview integrating spirituality, family, morality, aesthetics, functionality, and cultural continuity. This research is significant as it highlights the role of residential architecture in shaping Mostar’s identity and examines its destruction during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of wider processes of urbicide, culturocide, epistemicide, and theocide. The methods used in this paper are interdisciplinary, combining history, Islamic studies, architecture, urbanism, heritage studies, and sociology. The study focuses on the architectural characteristics and meanings of the three houses, their destruction and survival, and their significance for memory and civilisational continuity. The findings demonstrate that the surviving houses are not merely architectural remnants but enduring expressions of Ottoman-Islamic heritage, resilience, and cultural identity.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	The Bišćević House, the Kajtaz House, the Muslibegović House, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ottoman
Subjects:	BPN Islamic art and architecture
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of History & Civilization
Depositing User:	Omer Spahic
Date Deposited:	05 Nov 2026 10:15
Last Update:	05 Nov 2026 10:15
Queue Number:	2026-10-Q6003
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/132462
Indexed In:	UNSPECIFIED

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