Kazandziluk (Coppersmiths street): the street which preserves tradition

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Kazandžiluk (Coppersmiths street), one of the oldest and most beautiful streets in Sarajevo, was once part of a much larger Kazandžiluk bazaar and dates back to the 16th century, at a time when the craft and trading center was beginning to form in Sarajevo. You can enter Kazandžiluk from Baščaršija Square or from the southern end, where it meets Bravadžiluk Street.

First mentions of this crafts in Sarajevo are dating from 1489 and until today is one of the most preserved guild crafts in Sarajevo. Coppersmith is part of guild that still gathers and tinsmiths as well. Coppersmiths would create items made of copper and tinsmiths would use tin tin-platting.

Items are mainly made of copper, especially tableware, and products would not only be tin-plated, but also decorated with ornaments and engravings, what would give them an artistic dimension. The craft came to Bosnia and Herzegovina with the arrival of Ottoman Turks, and the Coppersmiths’ Bazaar in Sarajevo can be found at the same place where it was founded in the 16th century.

This colorful street was named after Sarajevo’s master coppersmiths who made items out of copper, producing several hundred different items for daily use, most of which were copper dishes. Sarajevo’s coppersmiths have adapted their work to meet modern needs and, these days, Kazandžiluk Street is buzzing with tourists who are on the lookout for authentic Sarajevo souvenirs.