The Museum in Prijepolje
The Museum in Prijepolje was founded in 1990, originating from the Prijepolje Local Heritage Collection, which had been managed for decades earlier by art teacher Muhamed Čelebić. It gained the status of a regional museum in 1995. The museum includes the Museum of Pioneers and Youth of Yugoslavia on Jabuka, the Jusufagić House, protected as a cultural monument from the 19th century, and the Veseličić House. The museum consists of archaeological, historical, ethnological, and historical-art collections. The archaeological collection represents a set of finds from the Prijepolje municipality, chronologically divided into prehistoric, ancient, and medieval periods.
The museum has carried out numerous archaeological projects that have significantly contributed to understanding the region’s past. Notable among these is the excavation of the Savin Lakat site in 1990, conducted in cooperation with the Center for Archaeological Research at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Dragoslav Srejović. One of the three discovered prehistoric burial mounds was systematically explored, revealing eight graves containing bronze items, amber, ceramics, and chipped stone artifacts from the Bronze Age.Another significant project was the excavation of the Dvorine site in the settlement of Kolovrat, which included a Roman necropolis dating from the late 2nd to the 4th century CE and a late antique necropolis from the 4th to 6th century CE. Research at this site was conducted from 1976 to 2009 under the supervision of Aleksandrina Cermanović-Kuzmanović, yielding a substantial collection of tombstones and grave goods made of silver and gold. Additionally, archaeological investigations of the Mileševa Monastery, carried out between 1974 and 2004, enriched the museum’s collection with a wealth of valuable findings.
All mentioned sites and investigations represent just a portion of the many projects the museum conducts within archaeology and other departments. Since 1995, the museum has published Mileševski Zapisi (Mileševa Records) to advance scientific research of the Prijepolje region. One prominent achievement is the reconstruction of the museum building, declared a cultural priority project in Serbia by NIP. In 2009, the museum was responsible for the central events of the European Heritage Days, and in 2012, it received the prestigious Special Award in Portugal for its authorial projects in the protection of cultural heritage and its overall social role in a complex, multi-ethnic environment.
Over the course of its 35 years of work, the museum has implemented numerous projects of national significance, reconstructed destroyed medieval monasteries, conducted scientific research and field reconnaissance, organized scientific conferences, lectures, exhibitions, and the protection of Islamic monuments. Through its activities, the Museum in Prijepolje preserves the history of its region, educates the public on the importance of Prijepolje, and represents a vital cultural institution of this area.
