The "Tunnel of Hope", the only gateway to the world, opened 30 years ago in Sarajevo, the capital city, which was besieged by the brutal Serbian army in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whose people were subjected to genocide.
The Tunnel of Hope had saved 300,000 Muslims from the genocide committed under the protection of Europe.
After Bosnia and Herzegovina became an independent state in the referendum on March 1, 1992, Sarajevo was besieged by terrorist Serb troops on April 5, 1992, and witnessed a bloody war that lasted for 3.5 years, leaving great pain and bad memories behind.
The "Tunnel of Hope", one of the symbols of the Bosnian War, where the biggest massacres in Europe took place after the Second World War, was completed on 30 July 1993, after 4 months and 4 days of intense efforts.
Edis Kolar, one of the former owners of the house above the tunnel, which has become the "gateway to the free world" for the people of Sarajevo, and Velid Softic, who worked on the excavation of the tunnel, talked about the "Tunnel of Hope".
Kolar stated that his grandfather had the house they owned built after the Second World War and that they lived there since then, adding that their house was burned at the beginning of the war.
Stating that they moved to another house in the same neighborhood after the fire, Kolar noted that they spent a lot of effort not to completely demolish their house.
"They came here in 1993 and asked my father to give our house to the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBIH) for something to be built. We knew at that time that a tunnel would be built here. Among those who demanded that we give our house and land were Nedzad Brankovic, the engineer of the tunnel project, and Bakir Izetbegovic, son of Aliya Izetbegovic (the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina)," Kolar said.
Noting that his father gave his houses and lands to ARBİH, Kolar stated that the construction of the tunnel had started, his father was also involved in the excavation works, the process took 4 months and 4 days, and he was at the front during this time.
WITHOUT THE TUNNEL, SARAJEVO WOULD NOT SURVIVE
Stating that the "Tunnel of Hope" was of great importance for the Bosnian War and that it allowed hundreds of thousands of people to survive, Kolar said, "The tunnel connected Sarajevo with the safe zone, allowing people to access weapons to defend Sarajevo and to meet their food and medicine needs. Thousands of people passed through the tunnel every day. Without this tunnel Sarajevo would certainly not be what it is today, our story would certainly be different from what it is now. Without the tunnel, Sarajevo would not have survived."
Kolar stated that the house today belongs to the 'Sarajevo Canton Memorial Fund'.
"My father and I opened a small museum here in 1996, there was not much interest at that time. My father and I did everything we could to preserve that priceless piece of history. I am still here today and I think that I should convey what I have experienced and seen to those who come to visit the museum," Kolar added.
THE TUNNEL WAS A HOPE FOR 300 THOUSAND PEOPLE
The "Tunnel of Hope", which is said to have provided Sarajevo's connection with the world during the Bosnian War and saved the lives of approximately 300,000 people, is one of the places that became a symbol during the war.
The 800 meters long, 1 meter wide and 160 centimeters high tunnel that passes under the Sarajevo Airport was completed on 30 July 1993 after 4 months and 4 days of excavation work.
During the war, the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aliya Izetbegovic, supported by wooden blocks and logs, and through this tunnel, on which a rail was laid, food, fuel, medicine and the wounded were transported to Sarajevo, along with military equipment and weapons.