Bosnia and Herzegovina: religion and churches

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state exists quite a bit. However, the unusual history of the religion of Bosnia and Herzegovina began to take shape as early as the fifteenth century, when most of Bosnia was part of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. In the article we will talk in more detail about the religious specifics of this state.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Recall what state we are talking about. Now Bosnia and Herzegovina is located partly on the Balkan Peninsula, partly in Europe. Its western and northern part borders with Croatia, and in the southeast - with countries such as Montenegro and Serbia. The capital of the state is the city of Sarajevo. Throughout its history, it was part of various associations and kingdoms. The basis of the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Slavic, but with the course of history, the features of Islamic culture were layered on it, forming a unique combination of its kind. The influence of the East, in particular, Turkey, is especially noticeable in everyday life. Why did this happen and what is the religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina, welearn from the rest of the article. This is indeed an unusual occurrence.

The history of the formation of the religion of Bosnia and Herzegovina

So, until the ninth century, the vast majority of Bosnians were pagans, although Christianity was adopted a little earlier in Herzegovina. Beginning in the 930s, Christian missions began to arrive in Bosnia both from Constantinople and from Rome. The country is constantly in the composition of different states, as a result, part of it becomes Catholic, and part - Orthodox. Historically, it was distributed as follows: the northern lands were subordinated to Rome, while the southern ones - to the Diocese of Constantinople.

By the end of the fourteenth century, the Turks began to appear on the territory of the country. Attempts to send a crusade to reclaim the land came to nothing. Massive conquests continued in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, accompanied by the conversion of the local population to Islam. The Turks proposed the actual equation of the Slavic nobility with the Muslim one if the former converted to Islam. They were offered tax exemptions and other benefits. As a result, many nobles are forced to take this step in order to maintain their privileges and position of power. However, no fewer people remained Christians. Thousands of them became slaves or were driven into Janissaries - units of the Turkish troops, where Christian soldiers served. So, the religion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the churches began to change radically. Sufis played an important role in the development of Islam in the country.

As a result, at the turnIn the 16th and 17th centuries, the number of Muslims in the country was about forty percent. In the future, the pace of Islamization of the population slowed down. In the 19-20th century, the number of Orthodox and Muslims was approximately the same - the same forty percent, and twenty percent were Catholics.

What is the religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina now?

Currently, the religion of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina is determined in most cases by their nationality. Serbs mostly remain Orthodox, Croats - Catholics. Those Serbs and Catholics who profess Islam call themselves Muslims. They are Sunni Muslims, but there is also a Shia community in the country.

So, Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the few countries where Slavs profess Islam. Most of them can hardly be called pious - most often they visit the mosque occasionally, from time to time, or for important religious rites. This was definitely influenced by the country's communist past. However, there is such a trend: religious norms are beginning to be fulfilled by young people with more enthusiasm than before. Religion becomes for them a way of self-identification. A significant proportion of women, especially in rural areas, adopted the Muslim norms of wearing clothes. The local Muslims, as is customary in Islam, are very tolerant. However, in fact, it was the religion of Bosnia and Herzegovina that became the main factor that unleashed the tragic war of 1993-1995.

Religion status

According to the Constitution of the country, each of herA resident can practice any religion. Thus, there is freedom of religion. There is religious education in schools and colleges, in some cases it may be compulsory for everyone, but this is quite rare.