SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Thousands of Bosnians have signed a petition urging authorities to erect a monument to Sarajevo's last shoe shiner, who died at 83 after charming generations.
As if waiting to be cleaned, a pair of old shoes stood Thursday in front of the wooden chair on which Husein Hasani — known as Uncle Misho — usually sat. Citizens laid flowers and lit candles around a portrait of him on the chair. Many passers-by stopped and prayed.
Even during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 war that killed over 100,000 people, Uncle Misho offered his services on the main street while dodging sniper fire.
Sarajevo Mayor Ivo Komsic said Uncle Misho was a city symbol and his death Monday has left the Bosnian capital "emptier."
The petition got around 5,000 signatures in just one day.
Sarajevo pays tribute to its last shoe shiner
Flowers and candles decorate a wooden chair with photo of late Husein Hasani, in downtown Sarajevo. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)