The Sarajevo Haggadah | From Medieval Spain to Bosnia and Herzegovina

An Englishman in the Balkans is a weekly podcast about the people, places and everyday life of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told by David Bailey, who has lived here for more than 25 years. New episodes arrive every Tuesday.

In this episode I’m joined by art historian and scholar Aleksandra Bunčić to explore one of the most remarkable cultural treasures housed in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Sarajevo Haggadah.

Created in medieval Catalonia, most likely around the middle of the 14th century, this beautifully illuminated Jewish manuscript has travelled across time, borders, religions, empires, wars, and human uncertainty before finding its home in Sarajevo.

Aleksandra helps me understand what a Haggadah actually is, why this particular manuscript is so rare, and why its illustrations are considered so extraordinary. We talk about its journey from Spain, its possible time in Italy, its arrival in Sarajevo, and the Sephardic Jewish community whose story is woven into the wider history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What fascinated me most is that the Sarajevo Haggadah is not just an old book behind glass. It is a storyteller. It speaks of exile, survival, faith, art, craft, coexistence, and the fragile but powerful act of preserving memory.

We also touch on Ladino, the language once spoken by Sephardic Jews across the Balkans, and why Bosnia and Herzegovina still has so many layers of history that many visitors never quite get to see.

For anyone visiting Sarajevo, this is a reminder that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s story is far deeper, richer, and more complex than the headlines. Sometimes, one manuscript can open the door to centuries.

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