The Olympic flame will be lit in a torch that has been handmade by Sarajevo coppersmith, Nermina Alić. The official opening of the European Youth Olympic Festival will take place on February 10 at Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo.

It was Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka who wanted the torch to reflect something from our traditions, so Nermina used traditional copper working tools and techniques to create two copper torches that are based on designs by Samina Tanović.

Sarajevo sculptor Nermina Alić inherited the coppersmith workshop at Kovači 19 from her father, Hadžan Alić. She is the only woman in Sarajevo who forges her copper pieces by hand, by shaping them over an open flame and creating modern pieces that have adapted this traditional craft to modern times.

Her products bear the Original Sarajevo Quality (OSQ) seal, a sign of authentic Sarajevo quality. This labeling system was first started with the aim of distinguishing authentic Sarajevo products (which have undergone a strict process of verifying geographical indications, as carried out by the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina) from those that that do not meet the necessary criteria to receive the seal.

Realized by ZUP Baščaršija (Zone of Improved Business), the Original Sarajevo Quality project brought together the best artisans, so if you would like to purchase an authentic gift, you can search for one on the list of products that have the OSQ seal.