Ilidža
Encyclopedia
Ilidža is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
. It has a metro population of 157,654, making it the 7th largest city in the country. Ilidža is the chief suburb
of Sarajevo
. It is famous for the natural beauty of its surroundings and historical tradition dating back to neolithic
times. Sarajevo International Airport
is located nearby, as is the famous Vrelo Bosne
spring.
"One of the prettiest places on the Earth ", as E.B.Lanin wrote in The Contemporary Review in 1894 in London
.
, whose 1502 m (4,928 ft) peak towers above the city. On the mountain grows the Lillium Bosniacum, a branch of the Lily family of flowers that is a historical symbol of Bosnia. The area is rich in flint
especially in the Butmir
neighborhood.
The Željeznica river, a tributary of the Bosna, passes through the center of the city. The Bosna itself passes through Ilidžas outskirts. Its spring, Vrelo Bosne
, is found a few kilometers to the west of city center and is a popular national park
. A number of smaller streams also pass through the city's area.
A number of horticulture projects have been undertaken in the history of Ilidža. The city is today very rich in trees. The total area of the city's parks is about 50% of that of Sarajevo, which has six times its population. In 1894, an article in a London
newspaper called Ilidža "One of the most beautiful places in the world".
neighborhood, dating from Neolithic
times. The so called Butmir culture
, is one of the best documented Neolithic cultures in Europe of the 26th
and 25th
centuries BC.
During Roman
times, the Ilidža area was the location of the town Aquae Sulphurae. This was a Roman colony, and the main settlement in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time. Today numerous traces of Roman civilization have been found, such as mosaic
s, ceramic
s, jewelry, coin
s, and even structural remains.
During medieval times, the Ilidža area was part of the Bosnian
province of Vrhbosna. Katera, one of the two original Bosnian
towns mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio
, was found on the ground of today's Ilidža municipality. The disciples of Saint Cyril
and Saint Methodius considered the area important enough to stop by Vrelo Bosne
and build a church in the area.
The modern town of Ilidža as we know was founded during the Ottoman
rule of Bosnia
. Its name derives from the Turkish
word Ilıca, meaning "warm thermal springs". (Ilıca
is also the name of a district of Erzurum
, a southeast city of Turkey
. There are also Ilıca named municipalities in the following provinces of Turkey: Samsun,
Kahramanmaraş,
Antalya,
Malatya,
Ordu.) Numerous elements of Turkish culture found their way into Ilidža, such as a number of oriental homes from the 15th and 16th centuries that have survived to this day. Numerous mosques and bridges were also built at this time.
Ilidža, like the rest of Bosnia, experienced industrialization and westernization
with the coming of Austria-Hungary
. A railroad station and tracks, hotels, and various other structures made Ilidža the most important town after Sarajevo in the region. This continued into the 1900s as Ilidža continued to grow and develop.
Before 1990, Ilidža was populated mainly by the Serbs
47,21% and Bosnian Muslims 31,58% . When war started in 1992 until the 1995 Dayton Peace Accord the municipality was divided between Bosnian Muslims (Hrasnica, Sokolovic Kolonija, Butmir) and Serb (Ilidža, Kotorac, Vojokovici, Grlica) parts. When, under the terms of the Accord, Ilidža was placed within the territory of the Bosnian Federation, the vast majority of Serbs fled the city to live in the Republika Srpska
, destroying some buildings as they did so. Some of those who remained were harassed and otherwise intimidated by an influx of Bosniaks
, many of whom had lost their homes in Sarajevo or been evicted from Serb-held territory elsewhere. From 1996, Ilidža was home to the headquarters of the NATO peacekeeping force IFOR
(later SFOR
and EUFOR) before its move to nearby Butmir
in the year 2000. During this period, the hotels Terme, Srbija (Serbia
), Bosna (Bosnia) and Jadran were barricaded and the area used as NATO HQ. Today Ilidža remains a bustling, largely Bosniak
-dominated town. Vojkovici and Grlica formed Eastern Ilidza Municipality which is dominated by Serbs.
census
of 1991, Ilidža had a pre-war population of 67,197. Of these, 28,836 were Bosniaks
(43%), 24,982 were Serbs (37.2%), 6,901 were Croats (10.2%), and 5,126 identified themselves as Yugoslavs
(7.6%), and 1,352 were classified as others (2%).
According to Sarajevo Canton
statistics, the municipality of Ilidža has a total population of 47,654. According to Ilidža Municipality statistics, the population is slightly smaller, at about 44,454. Either way it is safe to assume that Ilidža has a population of about 46,000, give or take 1,500. Since the Sarajevo Canton statistics are far more detailed, and perhaps more recent, Wikipedia will take the 47,654 number as the official population.
Of these 47,654 residents, around 90% are Bosniaks, 7% Serbs and 3% Croats. Ilidža population accounts for a little under 12% of the population of Sarajevo Canton, and 2.1% of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
In 2005, 84% of population of the municipality were ethnic Bosniaks.
Ilidžas population density is 332.3 inhabitants per km², which is incredibly low compared to the city of Sarajevo where the population density is 2470.1 inhabitants per km². This is largely due to the layout of Ilidža, described in the first paragraph above. Ilidžas population growth rate is 3.19%. If this rate continues, Ilidža should surpass the 100,000 mark in less than 25 years.
of Sarajevo. As far as its own government goes, cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina typically do not have a normal "city government". Instead, the municipalities (Such as Ilidža Municipality) are based on major settlements and their surroundings. Thus the Ilidža Municipality government is the de facto government of Ilidža.
The current mayor of Ilidža was Amer Ćenanović. He died of natural causes on 02.04.2011. and now they are waiting for new mayor to be elected. Through the municipality government, Ilidža also has its own legislative bodies.
, and manufacturing
.
One of the most important parts of Ilidža economy is its tourism. The natural beauty of the area is used to the city's advantage, attracting many tourists from both abroad and as near as neighboring Sarajevo. There are plans for future development to enhance tourism, including hotels and a cable railway line to Mt. Igman.
is located just a few kilometers from the city. The region's natural beauty and historical sites are draws for tourists. Igman
mountain is a popular destination for skiing
and hiking
, and Vrelo Bosne
is one of the country's most popular parks. The Rimski Most ("Roman Bridge") over the Bosna river was built in the 16th century using actual Roman stones.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. It has a metro population of 157,654, making it the 7th largest city in the country. Ilidža is the chief suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. It is famous for the natural beauty of its surroundings and historical tradition dating back to neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times. Sarajevo International Airport
Sarajevo International Airport
Sarajevo International Airport , also known as Butmir Airport, is the main international airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southwest of the railway station in the capital city of Sarajevo in the suburb of Butmir....
is located nearby, as is the famous Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne is the spring of the River Bosna located in the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, southwest of Sarajevo. It is one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region....
spring.
"One of the prettiest places on the Earth ", as E.B.Lanin wrote in The Contemporary Review in 1894 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Geography
Ilidža is known to have a pleasant and attractive geography. The city itself is built on fairly level ground, although it is surrounded by mountains. The biggest and most famous is mount IgmanIgman
Igman is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is found directly to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Bjelašnica mountain and the city of Ilidža. Igman's highest point, Vlahinja Ridge, is 1502 meters , making it the shortest of the Sarajevo mountains.Igman is a popular destination...
, whose 1502 m (4,928 ft) peak towers above the city. On the mountain grows the Lillium Bosniacum, a branch of the Lily family of flowers that is a historical symbol of Bosnia. The area is rich in flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
especially in the Butmir
Butmir
Butmir is a neighborhood of Ilidža in the Sarajevo Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small but fairly important and well-known neighborhood of several thousand people.Geographically, the Butmir region is very rich in flint...
neighborhood.
The Željeznica river, a tributary of the Bosna, passes through the center of the city. The Bosna itself passes through Ilidžas outskirts. Its spring, Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne is the spring of the River Bosna located in the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, southwest of Sarajevo. It is one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region....
, is found a few kilometers to the west of city center and is a popular national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. A number of smaller streams also pass through the city's area.
A number of horticulture projects have been undertaken in the history of Ilidža. The city is today very rich in trees. The total area of the city's parks is about 50% of that of Sarajevo, which has six times its population. In 1894, an article in a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
newspaper called Ilidža "One of the most beautiful places in the world".
History
Ilidža is one of the longest continuously inhabited regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the 19th century, numerous archeological finds have been made in the ButmirButmir
Butmir is a neighborhood of Ilidža in the Sarajevo Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small but fairly important and well-known neighborhood of several thousand people.Geographically, the Butmir region is very rich in flint...
neighborhood, dating from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times. The so called Butmir culture
Butmir Culture
Butmir culture existed in Butmir, near Ilidža, Bosnia and Herzegovina, dating from the Neolithic period. It is characterized by its unique pottery, and is one of the best researched European cultures from 2600-2400 BC.-History:...
, is one of the best documented Neolithic cultures in Europe of the 26th
26th century BC
The 26th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501 BC .-Events:*c. 2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period continue....
and 25th
25th century BC
The 25th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2500 BCE to 2401 BCE.-Events:*c. 2900 BCE – 2334 BCE: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period.*c. 2500 BCE: Rice was first introduced to Malaysia...
centuries BC.
During Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times, the Ilidža area was the location of the town Aquae Sulphurae. This was a Roman colony, and the main settlement in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time. Today numerous traces of Roman civilization have been found, such as mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s, ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s, jewelry, coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s, and even structural remains.
During medieval times, the Ilidža area was part of the Bosnian
Bosnia Province, Ottoman Empire
The Bosnia Vilayet was an Ottoman vilayet, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as most of Slavonia, Lika and Dalmatia in present-day Croatia. It bordered Kosovo Vilayet to the south. Before the administrative reform in 1864, it was called the...
province of Vrhbosna. Katera, one of the two original Bosnian
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
towns mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio is the Latin title of a Greek work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is...
, was found on the ground of today's Ilidža municipality. The disciples of Saint Cyril
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
and Saint Methodius considered the area important enough to stop by Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne is the spring of the River Bosna located in the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, southwest of Sarajevo. It is one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region....
and build a church in the area.
The modern town of Ilidža as we know was founded during the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
. Its name derives from the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word Ilıca, meaning "warm thermal springs". (Ilıca
Ilica
Ilıca is Turkish for spa, spa town or hot springs. It may refer to:* Ilıca, Erzurum, Turkey* Ilıca, Çeşme, Turkey* Ilıca, Manavgat, Turkey...
is also the name of a district of Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, a southeast city of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. There are also Ilıca named municipalities in the following provinces of Turkey: Samsun,
Kahramanmaraş,
Antalya,
Malatya,
Ordu.) Numerous elements of Turkish culture found their way into Ilidža, such as a number of oriental homes from the 15th and 16th centuries that have survived to this day. Numerous mosques and bridges were also built at this time.
Ilidža, like the rest of Bosnia, experienced industrialization and westernization
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
with the coming of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. A railroad station and tracks, hotels, and various other structures made Ilidža the most important town after Sarajevo in the region. This continued into the 1900s as Ilidža continued to grow and develop.
Before 1990, Ilidža was populated mainly by the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
47,21% and Bosnian Muslims 31,58% . When war started in 1992 until the 1995 Dayton Peace Accord the municipality was divided between Bosnian Muslims (Hrasnica, Sokolovic Kolonija, Butmir) and Serb (Ilidža, Kotorac, Vojokovici, Grlica) parts. When, under the terms of the Accord, Ilidža was placed within the territory of the Bosnian Federation, the vast majority of Serbs fled the city to live in the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, destroying some buildings as they did so. Some of those who remained were harassed and otherwise intimidated by an influx of Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
, many of whom had lost their homes in Sarajevo or been evicted from Serb-held territory elsewhere. From 1996, Ilidža was home to the headquarters of the NATO peacekeeping force IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
(later SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
and EUFOR) before its move to nearby Butmir
Butmir
Butmir is a neighborhood of Ilidža in the Sarajevo Canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small but fairly important and well-known neighborhood of several thousand people.Geographically, the Butmir region is very rich in flint...
in the year 2000. During this period, the hotels Terme, Srbija (Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
), Bosna (Bosnia) and Jadran were barricaded and the area used as NATO HQ. Today Ilidža remains a bustling, largely Bosniak
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
-dominated town. Vojkovici and Grlica formed Eastern Ilidza Municipality which is dominated by Serbs.
1971
39.452 total- Serbs - 18.627 (47,21%)
- Bosniaks - 12.462 (31,58%)
- Croats - 6.446 (16,33%)
- Yugoslavs - 954 (2,41%)
- Others - 963 (2,47%)
1991
According to the YugoslavianSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 1991, Ilidža had a pre-war population of 67,197. Of these, 28,836 were Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
(43%), 24,982 were Serbs (37.2%), 6,901 were Croats (10.2%), and 5,126 identified themselves as Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
(7.6%), and 1,352 were classified as others (2%).
Current
The Ilidža Municipality consists of the core of the city of Ilidža, as well as the outlying small neighborhoods (by size Hrasnica, Sokolovic Kolonija, Butmir, Kotorac), which although somewhat separated from the city center are still considered part of the city.According to Sarajevo Canton
Sarajevo Canton
The Sarajevo Canton is a canton of the Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The capital is Sarajevo.The Canton is basically the metro area of the city it is named after that is inside the Federation...
statistics, the municipality of Ilidža has a total population of 47,654. According to Ilidža Municipality statistics, the population is slightly smaller, at about 44,454. Either way it is safe to assume that Ilidža has a population of about 46,000, give or take 1,500. Since the Sarajevo Canton statistics are far more detailed, and perhaps more recent, Wikipedia will take the 47,654 number as the official population.
Of these 47,654 residents, around 90% are Bosniaks, 7% Serbs and 3% Croats. Ilidža population accounts for a little under 12% of the population of Sarajevo Canton, and 2.1% of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
.
In 2005, 84% of population of the municipality were ethnic Bosniaks.
Ilidžas population density is 332.3 inhabitants per km², which is incredibly low compared to the city of Sarajevo where the population density is 2470.1 inhabitants per km². This is largely due to the layout of Ilidža, described in the first paragraph above. Ilidžas population growth rate is 3.19%. If this rate continues, Ilidža should surpass the 100,000 mark in less than 25 years.
Government
Ilidža is widely considered a unique city, but is also thought of as an almost fully incorporated suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sarajevo. As far as its own government goes, cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina typically do not have a normal "city government". Instead, the municipalities (Such as Ilidža Municipality) are based on major settlements and their surroundings. Thus the Ilidža Municipality government is the de facto government of Ilidža.
The current mayor of Ilidža was Amer Ćenanović. He died of natural causes on 02.04.2011. and now they are waiting for new mayor to be elected. Through the municipality government, Ilidža also has its own legislative bodies.
Economy
Prior to the war, Ilidža municipality was one of the five strongest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one of the ten strongest in the whole of Yugoslavia. The war had a devastating effect on the city's economy, but today it is slowly starting to recover. Several important local companies are based in Ilidža. The city's economy is based on food processing, electronicsElectronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
.
One of the most important parts of Ilidža economy is its tourism. The natural beauty of the area is used to the city's advantage, attracting many tourists from both abroad and as near as neighboring Sarajevo. There are plans for future development to enhance tourism, including hotels and a cable railway line to Mt. Igman.
Tourism
Sarajevo International AirportSarajevo International Airport
Sarajevo International Airport , also known as Butmir Airport, is the main international airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southwest of the railway station in the capital city of Sarajevo in the suburb of Butmir....
is located just a few kilometers from the city. The region's natural beauty and historical sites are draws for tourists. Igman
Igman
Igman is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is found directly to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Bjelašnica mountain and the city of Ilidža. Igman's highest point, Vlahinja Ridge, is 1502 meters , making it the shortest of the Sarajevo mountains.Igman is a popular destination...
mountain is a popular destination for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, and Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne
Vrelo Bosne is the spring of the River Bosna located in the central region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, southwest of Sarajevo. It is one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region....
is one of the country's most popular parks. The Rimski Most ("Roman Bridge") over the Bosna river was built in the 16th century using actual Roman stones.