Over the course of the story, time becomes a mediating force, roughing out the bumps and crinkles in the cultural landscape that is the town of Višegrad. When large and seemingly epochal changes occur, it is the passage of time that reduces their importance and brings forth once again the status quo. Time heals and time helps people to forget, whether they are forgetting great tragedies, healing their wounds, or simply preserving old traditions whose history they cannot trace.

The most important thematic quality of time is its ability to preserve a characteristic inherent to the town of Višegrad. This character is described frequently: a love of relaxing on the kapia, a love of plum brandy, a love of spending (rather than saving) money, and the intermingling between both east and west, Turk and Serb. Though much changes in the town (including the occupying force, the bureaucrats, the technology, and the people), this local character remains in place. As much as time passes and as much as everything changes, everything also stays the same. In effect, this is because the local character is somewhat immortal though is prone to small changes. It updates and evolves, but the slow passage of time ensures that this is not noticed.