Description of the attraction
The National Museum, the building of which adorns the center of Sarajevo, was founded in 1888 and is considered the oldest museum in the country.
The idea of its creation arose in 1850, after three decades it came true. The funds of the created museum grew so quickly that it became necessary to increase its premises. At the beginning of the last century, the Sarajevo architect of Czech origin Karel Parik developed a project to expand the museum. It consisted of four pavilions in the Italian Renaissance style. In 1913 the museum was housed in new symmetrical pavilions. They were designed taking into account the specifics of each of the departments - archeology, natural history, ethnography and the museum library.
Over time, the museum has become the most complete collection of artifacts. The jewels of his collection are Illyrian and Roman inscriptions from ancient times, as well as the spiritual book of the Jews of the 14th century.
The recent history of the museum is not easy. During the Balkan War, it received quite serious damage, due to which it had to be closed for some time to recover. But the museum fund was preserved. In the newly created country, there were many problems with the state structure and the division of areas of responsibility, especially in the field of culture. At the height of the political crisis, in October 2012, the museum was closed due to lack of funding.
However, the collective decided to preserve the museum, which survived two world and civil wars. For three years, these enthusiasts went to work for free - to save the priceless fund and the building itself from destruction. Finally, the legal status of the museum was determined, funds were allocated, and in September 2015, the national museum reopened its doors to visitors. In 2016, the museum's activists were awarded the prestigious European Commission award for the preservation of a cultural site.
