THE MOSQUES ON THE TERRITORY OF THE MAJLIS OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY OF ZVORNIK PRIOR TO THE AGGRESSION ON BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND TODAY

Abstract

The territory of Zvornik has been inhabited from the earlier times, which is evidenced by various remnants of material culture. The natural and climatic conditions offered numerous advantages for the life of people in this region: open fertile plains on one side and on the other the mountains filled with forests, ore and wildlife, and the third side is the Drina River which abounds in fish and is navigation-friendly. The Ottomans conquered Zvornik in 1460 and from 1463 Zvornik was the seat of the Zvornik Sanjak. Since that period the Muslims and the material traces of their culture have been present in this region: mosques, maktabs, masjids, taqiyas and turbets. This work studies the history of those buildings on the territory of the Majlis of the Islamic Community of Zvornik (here after referred to as MIZ Zvornik) and their fate before and after the war. This work can be of use to those who are interested in what the religious life of the returnees is like on the territory of the smaller Bosnian and Herzegovinian entity following the war.