Around World War II, an Austro-Hungarian military fortress was built on Mount Trebević. The mountaintop provided views of the entire city, and was a key point in military observation. After the war this lookout point proved useful again, when the fortress was converted into an astronomical observatory.
The Orion Astronomical Society that established the Čolina Kapa Observatory worked hard to bring it up to state-of-the-art technological standards. By 1972, it was the only facility of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three domes sat atop the building for astronomers to observe the night sky, and the fortress below contained all that visiting scholars might need for several days' stay, including a reference library and a photo lab. Books and papers were published out of research done at the observatory. A photographic atlas of the North sky was compiled out of images taken here too.
Unfortunately, two decades later much of Sarajevo was devastated by shelling during the Bosnian War, and the astronomical observatory was no exception. The Čolina Kapa Observatory and all its instruments were completely destroyed between 1992 and 1995. The area was absolutely shattered by the conflict, and without adequate funding, the observatory was abandoned.
Today it remains an important symbol of Sarajevo, as its white building still looks over the city from Mount Trebević, though today the walls are crumbling and decrepit. Though the abandoned building is a popular attraction for urban exploring hikers, most Sarajevans would prefer that the observatory be restored. Without Čolina Kapa, astronomy is virtually nonexistant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the fact that the study of the stars reaches back to the 15th century in the region. A fundraising campaign has been launched with the intention of "bringing astronomy back to Sarajevo."