Jahorina

Jahorina
Jahorina peaks seen from Trebević
Highest point
Elevation1,916 m (6,286 ft)
Coordinates43°41′35″N 18°36′51″E / 43.6931919444°N 18.6141508333°E / 43.6931919444; 18.6141508333
Geography
Jahorina is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jahorina
Jahorina
Location in Bosnia and Herzegovina
LocationBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
Parent rangeDinaric Alps

Jahorina (Serbian Cyrillic: Јахорина, pronounced [jâxɔrina]) is a mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located at the tripoint of the municipalities of Pale, Trnovo, Republika Srpska and Trnovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Part of the Dinaric Alps, it borders Mount Trebević and its highest peak Ogorjelica, has a summit elevation of 1,916 metres (6,286 ft), making it the second-highest of Sarajevo's mountains, after Bjelašnica at 2,067 m (6,781 ft).[1]

The Jahorina ski resort located on the mountain hosted the women's alpine skiing events of the 1984 Winter Olympics.[2]

History

Bosnian War

During the Bosnian War, the Republika Srpska used Jahorina as a military base during their 3-year long siege of Sarajevo.[3][4] The Special Police Brigade established a "special police training centre" on the area's grounds. Many of the Jahorina Centre's officers were later arrested for their involvement in the Srebrenica massacre,[5][6] especially during one of the massacre's last phases, the Kravica massacre.[7]

21st century

In 2021, Bosnian Serb political leader, Milorad Dodik, was reported to have carried out "anti-terrorism" drills in the area on behalf of the Republika Srpska, sparking controversy.[3] Critics accused Dodik of threatening Bosnia's stability, while his supporters argued it was legal. The operation occurred during a political crisis in Bosnia, leading to Dodik responding that the blueprint for the drills had begun years earlier, claiming it had nothing to do with Bosnia's political tensions.[4]

Ski resort

The Jahorina ski resort is situated on the slopes of Jahorina. It is the largest and the most popular ski resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina, being a popular destination for alpine skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and sledding.[8]

Landmine risk

Jahorina was an area of major strategic importance during the Bosnian war. Some areas of the mountain, including areas near the resort, still contain land mines.[9] However, most of the mine fields are located at the southern side of the mountain, while resort is on the north side. Extensive de-mining activities have taken place after the war.[citation needed] Skiing in borders of Jahorina ski resort is safe from mines[10] and out-of-bounds areas are marked by skull-and-crossbones signs.[11] Some off-course slopes were mined during the war and many remain risky.[12] On October 30, 2011, a Slovenian paraglider was critically injured on Mount Jahorina when he landed in a minefield by mistake.[13][14][15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Planinska kuća Ogorjelica". Planinska kuća Ogorjelica (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  2. ^ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 24–27, 107.
  3. ^ a b "Bosnia is in danger of breaking up, warns top international official". the Guardian. 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  4. ^ a b "Bosnian Serb police drill seen as separatist 'provocation'". AP News. 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  5. ^ "Bosnia police arrests Srebrenica genocide suspect". Reuters. 2010-11-15. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  6. ^ "Bosnian Serbs jailed for Srebrenica warehouse killings". Reuters. 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  7. ^ "Srebrenica – Center from Jahorina: Bullets and Dust Left All in Darkness". Detektor. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  8. ^ "Olympic Mountains: Jahorina". Sarajevska sehara (in Croatian). 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  9. ^ Vorhees, Mara. 2009. Eastern Europe. Footscray, Victoria: Lonely Planet, p. 119.
  10. ^ Dydyński, Krzysztof, & Steve Fallon. 1999. Eastern Europe. Footscray, Victoria: Lonely Planet, p. 130.
  11. ^ Frick-Wright, Peter (14 December 2008). "Bosnia's Back in the Snow Biz". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ "Olympics-Sarajevo Winter Games Venues Crumble into Oblivion". Chicago Tribune. 28 October 2013.
  13. ^ Slovenian paragliders land in mine field Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine (in Slovene)
  14. ^ "EUFOR rescued four Slovenian paragliders from mine field". Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
  15. ^ Lambergar, Vesna (4 April 2015). "Simon Vogrinec, ki je zaradi mine izgubil obe nogi: Živim celostno in kakovostno življenje". 24ur.com (in Slovenian). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  • Media related to Jahorina at Wikimedia Commons