SECRET Sarajevo

Some of the most beautiful songs are born from the simplest moments. The story of ‘Selma’, one of the most iconic songs from the former Yugoslavia, began not with a grand romance, but with a quiet encounter on a train platform—one that would forever connect Sarajevo to music history. Who Was Selma? Selma Borić was a young woman from Zenica who attended the All Girls’ High School in Sarajevo. Like many students at the time, she would travel home by train on weekends, moving between two cities and two rhythms of life. On one such journey, she met the poet…

Imagine Sarajevo in the 1970s—a city that didn’t just follow global trends but actively created them. At a time when much of the world was only beginning to understand the potential of personal computers, Sarajevo was already developing its own. This is the story of how Energoinvest helped place the city on the global map of technological innovation. During the 1970s, engineers at Energoinvest took on an ambitious challenge: to understand, deconstruct, and rebuild computer technology. By studying systems like IBM, they began developing their own solutions—without relying on foreign licenses. The result was the IRIS PC, the first computer…

Did you know that Sarajevo has a deep and vibrant jazz tradition that dates back decades before the creation of modern festivals? Today, Jazz Fest Sarajevo is recognized as one of the most important music festivals in the region, but its roots lie in a much older story—one of rhythm, improvisation, and a city that has always embraced music as part of its identity. The Beginnings of Jazz in Sarajevo As early as the 1950s, while much of the world was still recovering from the aftermath of war, Sarajevo was already alive with music. Jazz could be heard across the…

Did you know that Sarajevo played a key role in the creation of the barcode? Long before the digital age transformed global commerce, this city was already part of a technological breakthrough that would change the way the world buys and sells. In 1975, the Sarajevo-based company UPI Sarajevo became part of a pioneering international project that laid the foundation for the barcode system as we know it today. This innovation introduced a faster, more efficient way to track products, transforming retail and logistics on a global scale. At the center of this story was Muhamed Ćatić, a visionary who…

On October 4th, MESS Festival Sarajevo officially opened its 65th edition, once again placing Sarajevo at the center of the international theatre scene. For decades, MESS has been one of the most important cultural events in Sarajevo, known for bringing avant-garde performances, experimental theatre, and global artistic voices to local audiences. A Festival That Shaped Theatre in Sarajevo The MESS Festival Sarajevo is more than just a theatre festival—it is a space where bold ideas, artistic freedom, and innovation meet. Throughout its history, the festival has hosted some of the most influential theatre companies in the world, including the legendary…

In the years following the Second World War, Sarajevo began shaping a new identity—one that moved beyond rigid socialist realism and embraced a unique blend of modernism, international influence, and deep respect for tradition. This transformation gave rise to the Sarajevo School of Architecture, also known as the Sarajevo Architectural Circle, placing the city among the most important architectural movements in Yugoslavia and beyond. The Rise of Modern Architecture in Sarajevo The foundations of modern architecture in Sarajevo were laid by the first generation of architects as early as the 1930s, who introduced avant-garde ideas and progressive design thinking. This…

When we look at modern athletic tracks today, it is hard to imagine that as early as 1950, Sarajevo already had what was then considered a true luxury—a tartan track. Koševo Stadium, today known as Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, was built in 1947, and just three years later it was equipped with an athletic track made from the most advanced plastic materials available at the time. This innovation positioned Sarajevo at the forefront of sports infrastructure development in the region. Koševo Stadium quickly became one of the most important athletics venues in Yugoslavia. Its track was reconstructed in 1966 for…

At the Planet Sarajevo, one extraordinary artifact captures the elegance, discipline, and emotional power of ballet—the pointe shoes worn by renowned artist Edina Papo during her preparation for the 1981 production of Swan Lake at the National Theater Sarajevo.  For Papo, pointe shoes represent far more than performance equipment. ‘What I lived through as a ballerina—putting on those shoes, rising onto the tips of my toes, and dancing in them—are moments I will never forget. Each one was, for me, the most beautiful thing in the world. That’s why I donated them to Planet Sarajevo—to remain as a memory.’ Her…