Mostar celebrates tradition with annual bridge diving competition

High divers jumped from the arch of the Old Bridge in the Bosnian city of Mostar on Sunday (July 26) during a traditional diving competition.

The tournament is an annual party that celebrates the bridge's post-war reconstruction.

Originally built more than 450 years ago, when the area was part of the Ottoman Empire, the bridge had grown to become one of the most recognisable symbols of the city before it was destroyed by Bosnian Croat forces during the 1992-95 Bosnian War.

“Mostar is synonymous with diving, so it’s of huge significance. We do have other diving platforms we compete on, but we never get the same buzz as we do in Mostar,” winner in head-first dive, Evald Krnic said.

After the war, the 30-metre UNESCO-listed bridge was rebuilt in a complicated reconstruction effort funded by the international community, and opened again in 2004 as a symbol of reconciliation as it connects the city's two halves inhabited by Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks.

Camera: Amel Emric, editing: Branko Filipovic, production: Laura Urraca- Makuch, writing: Anna Lubowicka/Reuters