Mujaga Komadina
Among many people that did a lot for Mostar city during Austria-Hungary
decorate and decorated it with monuments of permanent value, the most worthy is
Mujaga Komadina. Under his initiative many stately buildings were made, that
were pride of Mostar till 1992, hut then, almost all of them were totally
destroyed or burned down by chetniks and ustashas.
Among few saved wooden tombstones (basluk) in cemetery (harem) of Lakisica
mosque, in a district (mahala) Ricina, there is a memory wooden tombstone (basluk),
made of white stone from Arandelovac (very precious marble), where is a figure
on the top, shaped as a fcz, with engraved words: "He (means Allah-God), is
eternal.
Mostar mayor Komadina Mustafa-aga, son of Omer. Study Fatih (kind of prayer
in Islamic religion) for his soul. Birth year 12S6, by Hidzra (namely 1839, by
new calendar), year of death the 11th of sevala 1344, H (that is the 5th of May,
192S).
Beyond these unassuming information is hidden furore life of a man that had
left indelible trace in a chronicle of Mostar. Nor one mayor of the city on
Neretva river has left so deep memory on time and work made in that city as did
Mujaga Komadina.
His desire to make Mostar closer to Europe especially was shown in intensive
changing of the city sight. He was building splendid buildings alike to these he
could see in Pest and Vienna where he used to go very often. He was accepting
all pulsing in the architecture of that time, and consigned them to his birth
place. By the end of Turkish directorate there are two public Turkish baths (hamam)
but he is impressed with purple public bath in Pest, that results with building
very similar ones in Mostar. He was a businessman with the inborn sense for
work. He reacted fast when it was necessary to make a decision about new
buildings' investments. Where community could not invest, he offered his own
money.
Once, while having a session, Mujaga took a seat on the sideboard of the
table, even his place, as a mayor, was in the forehead of the table. One
councillor noticed that and asked him to take his place in the forehead of the
table according to his rank. Mujaga replied: "It is not forehead where you
say, forehead is where I am seating."
Apeiron de Art 5/10/1999