Bosnian Muslims help keep Balkan Ramadan traditions alive

(17 Jul 2014) It's one of the busiest times of year for Sarajevo's bakers, preparing the city's favourite food - a yeasty bread known as somun - to break a long day of fasting.
While somun is baked all year round, there's one special ingredient added just for Ramadan.
Cumin seeds are sprinkled on top and when they are baked in a wood burning oven they release an aromatic smell.
The owner of Vrbanjusa bakery in Sarajevo Jasmin Aljovic explains: "It is specific for Ramadan that we put black cumin seeds on somun. We do it for the smell; it is the traditional smell of Ramadan that permeates most of the city."
As dusk approaches, queues form in front of the city's many bakeries. People prefer to get their somun bread for iftar while it is still hot from the oven.
In Sarajevo, an old fortress overlooking the city has become a favourite iftar destination.
Large crowds, including tourists and non-muslims, gather there to watch Smajo Krivic shoot a firework rocket from a cannon-like launcher to signal the end of fasting.
Nearly two decades ago, Krivic and a group of friends reinitiated the cannon tradition which had been established during more than four centuries of Ottoman rule in Bosnia from the 15th to the 19th century.
Krivic says: "During the communist rule after World War II, the (cannon firing) tradition had been banned,"
"But now, after the latest unfortunate war (between 1992 and 1995), myself and a group of my friends wanted to re-launch it and we succeeded in that," he says.
Krivic consults his watch before firing the cannon into the sky. Soon after, Sarajevo's many minarets light up and the call to prayer starts echoing through the city.
Many young Muslims like to break their fast with friends on top of the fortress, replacing traditional meals with a simple slice of pizza.
For those who stay home or go to restaurants, the fast is typically broken by dates and strong sugary lemonade. It is then followed by small servings of traditional Bosnian meals such as onions or stuffed peppers and soups and stews.
All meals are accompanied by somun.


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