Abstract
<jats:p>The book The Seven Bridges of Banja Luka is an interdisciplinary study of representative sacred buildings belonging to different religious communities in Banja Luka — symbolic “spiritual bridges” that have shaped the city’s identity throughout history. The study analyzes the principal buildings of seven religious denominations: the Ferhadija Mosque of the Islamic Community, the Cathedral of St. Bonaventure of the Roman Catholic Church, the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Church of Christ the King of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the German Evangelical Protestant Church, the Adventist Church, and the synagogues, as expressions of spirituality and markers of the city’s development in different historical periods. Through a thorough analysis of the historical context, construction, and architectural features of these buildings, as well as the processes of their destruction and reconstruction, the book explores how they became spaces of collective memory, religious expression, and socio-political symbolism. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamics between religious communities and the authorities — Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslav, socialist, and contemporary — as well as on architectural adaptations that testify to both the continuity and discontinuity of heritage. The book points out that the removal, damage, or repurposing of these buildings, whether during wars, political upheavals, or natural disasters, was never entirely neutral, but rather represented an attempt to erase the identity of a particular community. By the same token, reconstruction is not merely a technical act, but a powerful symbolic process of reaffirming collective identity, spiritual resilience, and hope for more peaceful and stable relations among communities. The research presented in this book contributes to an understanding of Banja Luka not only as a city of diverse architectural styles, but also as a complex, multi-confessional urban entity in which sacred buildings have become bearers of historical memory, as well as active builders of contemporary dialogue and mutual respect.</jats:p>