The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the oldest museum institution in our country, preserves three million exhibits, a good part of which is exhibited in permanent exhibition settings in the departments of archaeology, natural sciences and ethnology. Among the valuable exhibits are four fragments of the burial shroud of the first Bosnian king Tvrtko I Kotromanić, exhibited in the room with the Sarajevo Haggadah.
International Museum Day, May 18, has been celebrated since 1977 on the recommendation of the International Council of Museums. On this day, efforts are made to present achievements from the previous period to the public, and to affirm museums and their values. International Museum Day and European Night of Museums are the biggest museum events that have been celebrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2006. Even today, it will be commemorated in the National Museum with various activities.
Ana Marić, deputy director of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the current situation in that institution is not bad, but it is much better than in previous years, when the National Museum, founded way back in 1888, was in a very difficult financial situation.
“We are working on several fronts. We are continuing with the renovation of the museum buildings, which has been our main focus in recent years, and we are also trying to maintain, improve and introduce a new program for different ages and for all visitors to the National Museum,” explained Marić.
A large number of citizens, domestic and foreign tourists, as well as students visit the rich exhibits of the National Museum.
“Last year we ended with almost 50,000 tickets sold, and that figure did not include the days when we had free entry for citizens. We have been keeping records since the beginning of this year, and I know that for the birthday, which was on February 1, 2,134 people visited the museum. In the winter months, there are not too many visits, which is expected, but the visits intensify from April. Through May and June, we expect greater interest because we have organized school visits,” said Marić.
Rich and valuable collections
She emphasized that the number of children’s visits, more specifically organized school visits, is increasing year by year.
“The most important thing is that children come from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Marić.
Interest in exhibits in the National Museum depends on whether they are domestic or foreign tourists, as well as the age of the visitors.
“If it is about foreign tourists, who come to learn about the history of this country, then it is the Department of Archeology where it is possible to learn everything about this country, from the first appearance of man. After that, there is mainly interest in the Department of Ethnology where showed the appearance of a Bosnian house from the 19th century, which is the second segment that complements the basic representation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Marić.
The botanical garden is also very popular among Museum visitors.
The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina preserves three million exhibits, a good part of which is exhibited in permanent exhibition settings that include three departments – the Department of Archaeology, the Department of Natural Sciences and the Department of Ethnology.
“The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina has about three million objects, in all departments. In the Department of Archeology, where the material remains of all the cultures that lived there, starting from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages, are preserved, about 60,000 objects have been inventoried, while the real the figure is significantly higher. The largest number of objects is in the Department of Natural Sciences, more than a million. These are impressive figures and we often like to compare ourselves to the Louvre in Paris,” said Marić.
At permanent exhibitions in the National Museum, only the smallest part of the most important objects, three to four percent, is exhibited, and the rest is stored and preserved in depots and occasionally taken out for some exhibitions.
The most famous subjects
The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina has developed all these years to the status of the most important modern scientific, educational and cultural institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is often called the birth certificate and DNA of all Bosnians and Herzegovina.
“The National Museum may represent what has been disappearing without a trace in recent years. Our task is to collect, preserve and present everything that this country is. So, all the material remains of previous cultures, the cultural heritage as a whole. We are all aware of that unfortunate past that, I hope, we will to leave behind us and that we will step into a better future”, said Marić.
The Sarajevo Haggadah is one of the most famous items kept in the museum.
“I would also like to single out four fragments of the burial mantle of the first Bosnian king, Tvrtko I Kotromanić, which are exhibited in the room with the Sarajevo Haggadah. The Sarajevo Haggadah is popular and attracts a lot of attention, and we definitely consider it an extremely valuable exhibit. So, in the same room, the remains of medieval textiles are exhibited, which is very important in itself because these are extremely rare finds, especially since they are the remains of the cloak of the first Bosnian king,” said Marić.
The building of the National Museum is the only museum building in Southeast Europe that was built for this purpose. Architect Karlo Paržik did
is a project of a Museum building consisting of four pavilions, interconnected by terraces, with an inner atrium with a botanical garden, where numerous exotic species can be seen. The building was built in the neo-Renaissance style.
On the occasion of International Museum Day and European Night of Museums, the doors of this Sarajevo museum will be open today until 10:00 p.m., and entry is free for all visitors, AA writes.
