The Stari Most, or Old Bridge, spanned the Neretva River, which flows through Mostar,in Bosnia Herzegovina, for 427 years. It was built in the 16th century by the Ottomans and was destroyed on November 9, 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War (which took place during the larger Bosnian War). After the war, several international organisations, including UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund, formed a coalition to rebuild the bridge and the surrounding area. In 2001, reconstruction began with the aim to use similar technology and the same local materials as the original. The rebuilt bridge was inaugurated on 23 July 2004.