Mostar Threatened By Erasure From UNESCO List

If the hotel “Ruza” is not fitted dimensionally in the historic core of Mostar, this city might be erased from the world heritage list.

Mostar might be erased from the UNESCO World Protected Cultural Heritage list. Because the offered solution referring to the “Ruza” hotel is not in accordance with UNESCO provisions.

Disputable fact is that the hotel does not fit in with the ambient of the historic centre of Mostar and must be shrunk.

-We received clear instructions from UNESCO experts, which state the “Ruza” hotel does not fit in with the architectural-urban solution of the protected historic core. The hotel is simply too large and I believe the fear of Mostar being transferred to the endangered world heritage list because of it, is realistic- said Dubravko Lovrendic, member of the BH National Monuments Perseverance Commission, the Nezavnisne novine daily reports. If Mostar was to return to the endangered cultural monuments list, it would be “a great disgrace for Mostar and BH”, considers Lovreovic.

Hotel enlarged three times

The “Ruza” hotel has been enlarged three times during the renovation in relation to the previous foreseen surface, and it has been magnified by a floor in relation to the allowed model.

Member of the expert commission prof. Vjekoslava Simicic insisted on the investor considering taking down the complete fourth floor on all slices of the “Ruza” hotel, which is about 3,400 squared metres. The hotel investor, still, offered removal of 1,766 squared metres of the newly constructed object. Investor`s representative Edin Baltak says it is in the investor`s greatest interest to keep Mostar on the UNESCO list.

-The entire case has been exaggerated. The “Ruza” hotel does not endanger the Mostar city core status as a protected monument of culture. The main culprit for this rumour are incapable state government institutions. The investor has been interested in dialogue the entire time, but until recently, we did not have a chance to speak with anyone- says Baltak.

Recently, the BH Presidency joined in the whole story. The collective chief of state invites UNESCO experts to help and say which solution they are prepared to accept.