Kajtaz House — Attraction in Mostar

Beware - possible SCAM. I have been to Bosnia twice and this was by far the worst thing we have visited here. I had planned ages ago to bring my mother to Mostar specifically to visit this old Ottoman house, and we even hired a car for this trip. I had checked the opening times and I saw it would be open on Friday when we arrived at 11am. However, when we got there, the door was completely shut. We knocked and rang the doorbell but no one answered. I even spent quite a bit of money calling from my UK phone and sending a message, with no response. Very disappointed, we came back 3 hours later at 2pm, but yet again, no one answered and the door was shut. After waiting a few minutes with another tourist near us, an old woman abruptly emerged and showed us a key. Not only was she very cold and unwelcoming, she completely overcharged us. The price was supposed to be 6km (12km for 2 people) but she gave us the wrong change, and when I gently explained this to her, she was very rude and told me ‘it’s fine’. After telling her again, I decided to just leave it, as she was not understanding the basic maths for the change. The house itself was beautiful, but there was zero information around. The woman sat in the garden, while we had no clue where to go or what we were looking at. So not only had we been overcharged, we had to pay an extortionate price for basically seeing an old building we had absolutely no information about! I can see from other reviews there is usually a guide here, but in this case, we should have not been charged at all or the site should have remained closed with a notice in front. Alternatively, signs in English could have been left out for visitors, explaining some historical overview. For a site under UNESCO protection, this is absolutely shocking! You have to realise that not all tourists are rich; the wasted money we spent on this was very disappointing. You should really have some...

A visit to Kajtaz House is essential in your exploration of the early Ottoman development of Mostar. It is an oasis of quiet and calm outside the energy, crowds, and activity of Old Town.

The family history, the traditional architecture, and the insight into Ottoman residential life is unmatched. The renovation process (and challenges that accompany it) is also of interest to anyone who appreciates cultural heritage and its preservation.

Sadina, my guide, had a lovely demeanor - perfectly matching the peaceful welcome of this beautiful site. She was available for all my questions and so patient of my slow exploration of the house. Even though I was only one person, it was no problem and gave me a complete tour. This is not always the case when exploring solo.

Highly recommend visited Kajtaz House. Its located just outside of Old Town, but along the way, you can visit the statue of Santic and Emina, check out the view of Old Town from Lucki Most, and eat some delicious pita at the pekara just on the corner where you turn on the alley leading to the house. Worth the short walk.

Helpful hint: although hot, if you go in the middle of the day, you might have the site...

Authentic 1500s Ottoman residence hidden up a side street directly east of the bridge south of the historic mostar bridge. Barely signposted... Just walk up the neighborhood alley about 70m ( it's just after the point you think you've missed it). UNESCO listed but privately owned makes it somewhat awkward... You ring a doorbell and wait (& wait) for a neighbour to come with a key. Token entry fee couple of euros but you're free to roam... shoeless for the upstairs. Amazingly cool inside and hard to believe the vintage. Very much an eye opener of ottoman family life. An essential detour while...