Vakuf Administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina A Closer Look at the Case of Sarajevo’s Gazi Husrev-Begov Vakuf

Abstract

This article first offers a historical overview of vakufs in the land known today as Bosnia and Herzegovina. It then briefly outlines the role that the Islamska zajednica u Bosni i Hercegovini (Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Vakufska direkcija (Vakuf Directorate) have played in the oversight of the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s vakufs. The final section of this article offers an original case study of the Gazi Husrev-Begov Vakuf where, via original document analysis and oral interviews conducted with the administrative leadership of the Gazi Husrev-Begov Vakuf, we discuss its leadership structure, unique rules and regulations, and overall functioning within the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s broader Islamic institutional apparatus. We will conclude by arguing that, by and large, vakufs have been effectively managed in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s over the years and that they share both Weberian and distinctly non-Weberian traits which make them a unique case to further explore when looking at non-Western models of administration.