Taking advantage of Spring Break, the Modafen students and their parents visited the Balkan countries where the Islamic and Christian worlds come together. The trip, which took five days, was full of laughter, the magic of exploring new places, and the joy of meeting new cultures.

Our trip started when we met at the Modafen stand at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport. After checking-in for our flight and finishing the customs check, we boarded our plane and landed in Podgorica, Montenegro at 9.00. We visited Kotor and the other historical places of Montenegro – one of the youngest states of the world and we finished that wonderful day in Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel, which is located in Dubrovnik known as “The pearl of the Adriatic Sea and Croatia”.

On the second day of our Traditional Modafen Balkans Trip we set off to see Dubrovnik panoramically.  It was impossible not to perceive the amazement in the eyes of our students and parents, while we were traveling around the Old Town of Dubrovnik, which is well known with the saying of the worldwide famous Nobel and Oscar awarded Irish author George Bernard Shaw (“This place is the Paradise in the World”) and which is taken into the World Heritage list of UNESCO. Seeing many different monuments bearing the characteristics of Italian architecture reminded us of the history of Roman Empire.  We saw many different buildings such as The Francis Monastery of the14^th century, which includes a complete collection of the inventory of the old pharmacy, a unique collection. We also visited Rector Palace, State Archive Building, etc.

On the third day of our trip, we left our hotel to visit the 3 islands: Kolocep, Sipan and Lopud. At the end of the day, when we discovered the most famous touristic spots of Croatia with their beaches, forests and clear sea, our captain invited us to his home for dinner. Enjoying the local music, we finished that day eating the delicious food the captain had prepared for us.

On the 4^th day, after breakfast we set off for Bosnia Herzegovina and visited Poçitel, a village known as “Turkish village” which has not lost at all from its historical ambiance.  After our visit to Poçitel, we stopped at the Blagaj Tekke and enjoyed the natural beauties. Then, it was time to visit the Stari Most, which is one of the world cultural heritages of UNESCO and which has a special importance for the Turkish world. Learning about the history of Stari Most was amazing. The bridge destroyed by Croatian tanks in 1993, was reconstructed with the financial help of the Turkish Republic.  The bridge is of great importance not only with its contributions to the Bosnian culture but also with its amazing beauty. We also learnt if a man who wants to get married with a girl does not jump over the bridge, he cannot get the girl. After climbing the stairs of Stari Most, we saw the village Mostar and enjoyed its fabulous cultural environment. We also saw Koski Mehmet Paşa Mosque and then went to our hotel in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia Herzegovina. Sarajevo is famous for its Baščaršija.

On our fifth and last day we saw Sarajevo panoramically. Then we visited the gate where Sultan Mehmet II entered the city and the fountain he drank water from. After seeing the Latin Bridge which caused the 1^st World War to start, we went to The Martyr’s Memorial Cemetery Kovacı and visited the grave of the great leader Aliya Izetbegovic.

One of the most interesting destinations of our trip was right after The Martyr’s Memorial Cemetery Kovacı: The Sarajevo Tunnel, which has a special place in Bosnia Herzegovinian history. The stories about their construction phases, their histories, their uses, their bombing, and finally their sealing enchanted our students and parents. After the tunnel, we had free time in Baščaršija and bought lots of souvenirs. After buying the souvenirs, which are the greatest means to show our friends our love, we set off for Sarajevo  International Airport and we came back to our homes feeling the happiness of  having lived invaluable moments during this memorable visit.

We would like to thank to our guides and teachers who accompanied us during the trip for their dedicated work.