Located in an old Ottoman building from 19th century, in the vicinity of
Municipal Building and main town square, the Museum of Prijepolje is
one of the smallest and youngest, and according to world's experts, the
best museum in Serbia. It is situated in former Ottoman school and it
attracts attention with interesting scientific projects that are
important for the Serbian culture.
The museum has recently become
interesting for the international public after receiving special award
by the European Museum Forum in Portugal.
The Museum of Prijepolje is very significant sight in cultural life of
Prijepolje. It gathering most famous artists all over, to visit
Prijepolje, and making the most largest projects to improve culture in
this town. There is also amateurs of dramatic scene of Home of culture
(main cultural building after Museum in Prijepolje), led by Mesa
Sendelj, and they are very active in refreshing the cultural life in
Prijepolje.
The structure of museum was built in the period from 1839 to 1845. It was built for the needs of Rushdia – a lower three-year secondary school for studying both religious and secular subjects. This first secondary school started work in 1914. The building itself has been adapted for museum purposes and from 1991 on there has been established a constant museum exhibition. Saving its historical values and unchanged architectural appearance the Museum, by its stamp and memorandum, emphasizes the fact that it is placed within the building where the first secondary school in Prijepolje started work.
The museum in Prijepolje was officially opened on June 15, 1991 with a constant museum exhibition called "Prijepolje in the Past". This very rich and complex museum exhibition includes archeology, history and ethnology sections the framework of which is represented by exhibits from important ancient locality of Kolovrat such as: golden earrings, fibulas, glass and medieval ceramics as well as the stone plastics of Mileseva and Davidovica monasteries.
The traditional folk culture is shown in specimens of costumes, dishes, carpets, gadgets and helping devices from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. All significant historical dates, rebellions, wars and migrations as shown in various exhibits talk about turbulent history of this region.
The museum in Prijepolje has a status of the regional museum and by the projects accomplished in the field of protection and by great artistic projects organized within the gallery it gained reputation of the most important cultural institution in the southwest of Serbia.
For that reason a visit to Prijepolje enables all target groups to experience an unforgettable walk through the past and to get acquainted with civilizations of Rome, Byzantium, Orthodoxy and Islam that in these territories lived for centuries and live today too.
Within the newly built part of the museum there is a constant exhibition devoted to the most famous citizen of Prijepolje the world known basket ball player Mr. Vlade Divac. His sports medals won, sports equipment and photos from basketball matches remind of an unforgettable sports career for one of the greatest world athletes. The museum is located in the center of the town next to the town market and municipality building of Prijepolje.