In Mostar, there are numerous palaces to be seen, built during the Austrian-Hungarian period, which demonstrate the blending of western and eastern architectural styles (pseudo-Moresque style). Amongst the most interesting: the Secondary School (1898), the most prestigious school of the city (in Španski trg) and the Public Bath (1914), built according to a project of the architect Rudolf Tonnies with the support of Miroslav Loose.These are imposing buildings in the Austrian-Hungarian style where the Moorish ornamental features are particularly notable.
In the Public Bath (in Musala b.b.; open 8.00 am - 5.00 pm from Monday-Friday), recently restored and now open to the public, you can swim in covered swimming pools or ask for relaxing massages and various treatments. Moreover, a fitness gym, a solarium and a beauty salon will let you find a pleasant and relaxing way of combining a knowledge of the city with well-being.
Another important monument belonging to the prolific Ottoman period is the Clock Tower standing beside the Herzegovina Museum. This square tower, dated about 1630, is 15 metres high and verbal tradition relates that it was built and commissioned by an influential lady named Fatima - Kaduna Saric.The well known Ottoman writer and traveller Evlija Celebija wrote that the sound of its bells could be heard at a distance of three hours’ walk away. The tower suff ered serious damage during the last war and was restored in 1999.
Toward the middle of the 16th century – according to some sources around 1564 – Nesuh-Aga Vučjaković erected a mosque beneath the Clock Tower, near the Kujundžiluk and the Old Bridge, also well-known as the ‘mosque under the lime-tree’. This building is unusual due to its artistic infl uences deriving from the coastal area (Dalmation-Mediterranean School) seen in some of its decorative elements.
This mosque was built at the beginning of the 17th century by Koski Mehmed-Pasha. From the minaret, at only five metres from the Neretva River, a spectacular panoramic view of the city can be enjoyed. The welcoming atmosphere within the courtyard off ers a pleasant, relaxing break in a unique and romantic context.
This mosque was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, as desired by Hajji Kurt, member of the ancient Mostar Kurt family. Standing on the right bank of the Neretva River, about 100 metres from the Old Bridge, this mosque was next to the antque Tabhana, the district where leather processing workshops were once found; and this fact reveals the mystery of its name, deriving actually from the term Tabaci (leather tanners). A row of small shops and its location make the Tabačica mosque one of the most frequently visited in Mostar.