About Archive BiH

Archive BiH started as a nerdy passion project — the kind you'd stay up until 3 AM working on because you just had to find one more old photograph of Sarajevo in the 1890s. What began as a personal folder on a hard drive has evolved into a growing digital archive housing 6,049 photographs from 81 cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We're obsessed with the details — the cobblestone streets of Baščaršija, the minarets rising over Mostar, the bridges, the markets, the faces of people who lived in a Bosnia we can only experience through these images. Every photo in this archive was hunted down, collected, organized, and published with one goal: to make sure these moments aren't forgotten.

The Collection

The archive spans from the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian periods through the 20th century, organized into 127 thematic collections. We're always digging for more — scouring old bookshops, digitizing family albums, and following leads from historians and fellow photo nerds. The collection grows every month, and we have no plans to stop.

Contributing

Got a dusty box of your grandparents' photos from Travnik? Found a rare postcard from Banja Luka at a flea market? We want to hear from you. This archive grows because people contribute — and every single photo matters. Head over to our contact page to send us what you have. We'll handle the rest.

Historical Source Note

We strive for accuracy and context in every caption and description, but archival data can be incomplete or disputed. Ako primijetite gresku u datumu, lokaciji, opisu ili atribuciji, kontaktirajte nas kako bismo provjerili i ispravili zapis.

Free & Open Access

Everything here is free. No paywalls, no premium tiers. We believe historical images belong to everyone — researchers, students, journalists, diaspora looking for a connection to home, or anyone who simply loves Bosnian history. If you use images from the archive, a link back to archive-bih.com is always appreciated.