The semiosis of the Turkish language in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Tracing the cityscapes of Sarajevo
DOI: 10.23951/2312-7899-2026-2-124-158
In this article, we examine the semiosis of Turkish in the landscapes of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the framework of linguistic landscapes theory and interpretive semiosis. Our study begins by tracing the changing status of Turkish in the historical process within the region. While Turkish held a decisive position as the language of administration and culture during the Ottoman period, it largely withdrew from the administrative sphere after 1878 during the Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav periods. Despite this, it maintained its presence, at least to a limited extent, in the fields of education and religion. Nowadays, although Turkish is not an official administrative language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and despite the fact that the Turkish population in Sarajevo is relatively small, it appears as a striking visual text in certain public spaces. This research was conducted using samples selected from 326 visual data collected in Sarajevo city centre. Considering this data, the visibility of Turkish in the public sphere was evaluated under three main functional categories. These are the preservation of cultural heritage, education and information, and tourism. Firstly, Turkish inscriptions in historical buildings restored by institutions such as TİKA were found to be producing a ‘semiotics of the past’ that refers to a shared history and the reconstruction process. Secondly, the use of Turkish in schools established or renovated with the support of the Republic of Türkiye and in the media (e.g. TRT Balkan) is considered a ‘semiotics of the future’ that prioritises knowledge transfer and long-term investment in younger generations. Thirdly, Turkish seen on maps and in hotels in tourist areas serves as a ‘semiotics of guidance’ and ‘semiotics of familiarity,’ particularly for visitors from Türkiye, making the space feel more familiar. In conclusion, this research reveals that despite Turkish being a minority language spoken by a few native speakers in Sarajevo, it functions as a symbolic and strategic ‘second-order semiotic process’ in the public sphere thanks to the historical, cultural and economic ties established with Türkiye. This situation demonstrates that Turkish is positioned not only as a communicative tool but also as an indicator that contributes to cultural diplomacy and peace-building.
Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkish language, languages, semiosis, Sarajevo, public space, linguistic landscapes, cityscapes
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Issue: 2, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 2
Rubric: ARTICLES
Pages: 124 — 158
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