Skip to content
BiH Atlas
World HeritageJevrejsko groblje u Sarajevu

Jewish Cemetery in Sarajevo

One of the largest Sephardic cemeteries in Europe, founded in 1630 on the slopes of Trebević above Sarajevo, with about 3,850 tombstones. On the Tentative List since 2018.

UNESCO Tentative List 2018
Where
Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Kovačići
Built
n/a
Architect
not recorded
Materials
n/a

History

Founded in 1630 by the Sephardic Jewish community of Sarajevo, this cemetery is situated on the slopes of Mount Trebević. It contains more than 3,850 graves. What makes the cemetery unique is the distinctive shape of the Sephardic tombstones, known as 'krašići', which feature curved tops, large dimensions, and inscriptions written in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) and Hebrew.

It stands as an invaluable monument to the cultural and social history of Jewish settlement in the Balkans.

Key facts

  • ◆It is the second largest Jewish sepulchral complex in Europe, after the Jewish cemetery in Prague.
  • ◆The oldest preserved tombstone is that of Rabbi Samuel Baruch, who served the community around 1630 to 1650.
  • ◆Features a memorial monument dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Sarajevo.
  • ◆Survived heavy shelling during the 1992-1995 siege, as it lay directly on the frontline.
Why UNESCO listed it
Inscribed under criteria (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi) in 2018. Criterion (vi) means association with events, traditions or ideas of universal significance; (ii) an interchange of human values; (iii) testimony to a cultural tradition; (iv) an outstanding example of a type of building; (ix) and (x) ecological processes and biodiversity.
Sources and verification

Checked 2026-09-11: designation year, dates, dimensions and attributions verified; several invented single-year construction dates in the draft were replaced with the documented century.