- Address: Zmaja od Bosne 3, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Opening hours: Mon.-closed, Tues-t. - from 10:00 to 19:00, Sat, Sun-10:00 to 14:00;
- Phone: +387 33 668-027;
- Ticket price: adult - 6.00 KM, children's (6-18 years) - 3.00 KM.
If you want to not only wander around the city, but also get acquainted with one of the richest collections of the national heritage of the country, you can be advised to visit the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina .
Briefly about the history
The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the oldest museum in the country. It was founded on February 1, 1888, although the very idea of creating the museum appeared in the middle of the 19th century, when Bosnia was still part of the Ottoman Empire. And in 1909 the construction of a new museum complex began, in which museum collections are still located.
What is the National Museum?
Firstly, speaking directly about the building, it should be noted that this is a whole complex, built specifically for the museum. It represents four pavilions connected by terraces and a botanical garden in the center. The project was developed by Karel Parik, an architect who built about 70 buildings in Sarajevo, but the building of the National Museum, which was opened in 1913, is considered one of his most significant works. All pavilions are symmetrical, but in general the building is built taking into account the specificity of the exposures in it. And at the entrance to the building you will see stochaki - carved tombstones - another historical landmark of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Across the country there are about 60 of them.
| | |
Secondly, if we talk about the museum as a collection of exhibits, the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina unites 4 departments: archeology, ethnology, natural sciences and the library.
In many sources, it is undeservedly forgotten to mention the library, although the work on its creation began simultaneously with the creation of the museum in 1888. Today it numbers about 300 thousand volumes of various publications dealing with archeology, history, ethnology, folklore, botany, zoology and many other spheres scientific and social life.
In the department of archeology there are exhibits that in chronological order will acquaint you with various aspects of life in the territory of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina - from the Stone Age to the late Middle Ages.
Visiting the department of ethnology, you will get an idea of the culture of this people. Here you can touch the material (costumes, furniture, ceramics, weapons, jewelry, etc.) and spiritual (religious artifacts, customs, folklore archives, folk medicine and much more) culture. In the same department on the first floor are very interesting layouts of settlements.
If you are interested in the natural heritage, then visit the Department of Natural Sciences. There you will be introduced to the flora and fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to the gifts of its bowels - a collection of minerals and rocks, minerals, petrified insects.
The newest history of the museum
The newest history of the museum is marked by its closure in October 2012 due to financial difficulties. Already at that time, the museum workers did not receive wages for more than a year. The closure of the National Museum caused a negative assessment and protest from the local population. Some activists even chained themselves to the column of the museum.
The next three years, workers of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina performed their duties for free, but did not leave the museum exposition unattended.
In the end, under public pressure, the authorities nevertheless reached an agreement on the sources of financing. And on September 15, 2015 the National Museum was opened, but how long it will work is not clear, because the museum was financed only until 2018.
Where is?
The museum is located at the address: Sarajevo , ul. The Dragon of Bosnia (Zmaya od Bosna), 3.
To learn the changes in the timetable, actual prices, and also pre-book the excursion (though only in Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and English), you can call +387 33 668027.
