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  • Ćulhan is a short and narrow street that lies parallel to the much wider and longer Sarači, and runs west-east, from Prote Bakovića St. to Baščaršija St. (Baščaršija Square).

    The part where Ćulhan comes out onto Baščaršija Square isn’t a street, as such, but more like a narrow pedestrian passage.

    This street dates back to the beginning of the 16th century and people started calling it Ćulhan, after the furnaces (ćulhani) that heated Firuz Bey’s Hamam (Turkish bath).

    The hamam was built here between 1505 and 1512 by the Bosnian Sanjak Bey, Firuz Bey, who included it as part of his vakuf (endowment) so as to provide funds for his medresa. The bath remained in operation all the way up to the 19th century.

    During the Ottoman period, the street now known as Ćulhan was home to a bazaar for saddle makers (sarači or sedlari). Since, at that time, this bazaar was located next to the much larger Sarači Čaršija, the area used by the former was called Mali (little) Sarači.

    During the Austro-Hungarian period, Ćulhan did not enjoy the status of a proper street, except for a brief period between 1900 and 1901.

    Such a status came only after 1918, with the end of Austro-Hungarian rule, and it has borne the name Ćulhan, as used by Sarajevans, ever since.