THE PERMANENT EXHIBITS IN THE BRUSA BEZISTAN

Abstract

In 1992 the Museum of Sarajevo tost the building in which it had been housed for many years, when the property was restored to its original legat owner. During the war of aggression and the siege of Sarajevo, the exhibits were stored in one of the Museum's annexes, the farmer synagogue known as Il Kal Grandi, which had been converted into the Jewish Museum of BiH. A few years after the war ended the Cantonal authorities allocated the Brusa bezistan in Baščaršija to the Museum for its permanent exhibits. The bezistan is a historic monument dating from 1551, originally a covered market where silk from Bursa was sold. The displays were designed by a team of experts overseen by a Council composed of prominent figures from the world of culture, history and politics. The exhibits provide a chronological overview of the history of Sarajevo from prehistoric times to 1914. Later times are portrayed in the Sarajevo 1878-1918 Museum. This paper describes the work on the exhibits, the advantages and shortcomings of the premises, a description of each display, and the names of all those who took part in the project.