Muzej Ras Novi Pazar

Through its work, longevity, and many significant projects, it beautifully tells the history of Novi Pazar and the wider region. The museum showcases all cultures and historical periods that have left their mark on the broader area of Novi Pazar and its surroundings, from prehistoric cultures, through Rome, Byzantium, the Middle Ages, and the Ottoman period, up to the present day.

In 1952, a group of enthusiastic, conscious, and responsible citizens gathered around the idea of establishing a museum. A council, museum management, and a committee for appraising artifacts were formed. These three bodies consisted of our respected citizens. Sadly, they are no longer with us, but I would like to mention their names: Osman Dervišnurović, Omer ef. Koniđanin, Dušan Buletić, Miodrag Radović, Hivzo Škrijelj, hafiz Abdullah Kačapor, Pantelija Gajić, Rizo Melić, Hajrija Imamović, Medo Koniđanin, Nikola Vuletić, Zuhdo Abdurahmanović, Abdulah Hadžićahirović, Jusuf Đudžević, Mehmed Bejtić, Obren Popović, Stanko Nikolić, Arif Mustafić, Petar Antonijević, and Šućo Čarovac.

Initially, the museum was located in the Mekteb building in the courtyard of Altun Alem Džemija. This small building laid the foundations for today's permanent museum exhibit. In 1969, the museum moved to a new building, which it still uses today. The building was in poor condition, so it was reconstructed and adapted for museum needs in 1972. After reconstruction, the museum officially opened to the public on November 28, 1973.

The building has been renovated multiple times. With funds from the Novi Pazar Municipality, a donation from the Municipality, and support from the Serbian Ministry of Culture, an extensive reconstruction was carried out in 2003 and 2004, including a new permanent exhibit. Another renovation in 2019, funded by the City of Novi Pazar, improved the interior space.

This building has a history almost as long as the city itself. It was once a hamam, believed to be from the founding period of the city. Between 1860 and 1865, a low Ottoman gymnasium called Rušdija was built on the ruins of the hamam. This is the current museum building. It has changed its function several times but primarily served education, culture, science, and knowledge acquisition. It housed the Girls' Textile School and the Vocational School, which later became the Technical High School.

The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Kraljevo declared the building a cultural asset on February 10, 1972, a status later confirmed by the Government of Serbia on July 17, 2001. According to the decision of the Government on April 30, 2013, the "Ras" Museum in Novi Pazar was declared an institution of national importance. Additionally, the Bosniak National Council designated it as an institution of special significance for preserving, enhancing, and developing the identity of the Bosniak community in Serbia.

In 1955, the honorary director of the museum was history teacher Vukman Čulafić, followed by history professor Ejup Mušović in 1959, who became the first full-time director in 1971.

Dr. Ejup Mušović laid a solid foundation for the museum, working there for 24 years. He built the institution, preserved important heritage, and published valuable scientific works both locally and in scientific journals across former Yugoslavia. He established the organization of scientific and professional conferences, archaeological and other research in the Novi Pazar area, and laid the groundwork for the museum's publishing activities, including the Novi Pazar collection of scientific and scholarly articles.

Throughout its century-long operation, the "Ras" Museum in Novi Pazar has become one of the most important institutions in Serbia’s interior, developing all forms of museological work. It grew from a modest collection into a complex museum with collections in archaeology, ethnology, history, applied arts, numismatics, and fine arts. In 2018, the museum also established a manuscript (oriental) collection and created a library, which was the first specialized library outside Belgrade to join the COBISS library system.

The museum collaborates with similar institutions nationwide and internationally, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and beyond. It maintains the closest partnerships with the Archaeological, Ethnographic, Historical, and Balkanology Institutes, the National, Ethnographic, and Historical Museums of Serbia, the Sarajevo Museum, Bijelo Polje Museum, Svetozar Marković University Library, Gazi Husrev Beg Library in Sarajevo, the Kraljevo Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, and many other organizations.

Most projects are funded by the Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information and the City of Novi Pazar. Recently, significant financial support has also come from the Turkish Agency for Development and Cooperation TIKA and the Bosniak National Council.

Over the years, the "Ras" Museum has collected a substantial number of artifacts, professionally cataloged and organized into collections. Its first inventory was completed in 2020.

This journey over seven decades, through various phases of social, cultural, and economic development, proves that the museum is a vital institution that significantly contributes to the preservation and valorization of the cultural heritage of its community.

The "Ras" Museum in Novi Pazar is the first institution in the city to establish its publishing activity, which it proudly continues today. Its most notable publication is the scientific journal "Novopazarski zbornik," published continuously since 1977. The museum has also published nine issues of "Sopočanska viđenja," which has since ceased publication, and by 2021, it had issued 61 scientific and professional monographs across various museum disciplines.

Today, with a small staff, the "Ras" Museum in Novi Pazar carries out numerous projects and achieves great results. It works in all areas of museology, researches and showcases the city's history through archaeological excavations, and promotes local culture, collective memory, and identity. It also cares for intangible cultural heritage, organizes exhibitions, supports young artists, keeps up with scientific trends, leads in digitalizing museum collections and manuscripts, and acts as a cultural catalyst for the city’s spirit and policies.

In recent years, the museum has received multiple awards, and its work is recognized by the country’s leading cultural institutions. It welcomes visitors from around the world and collaborates with various partners, understanding that it exists because of the community and its heritage.

The museum’s mission to preserve, protect, present, and interpret the local cultural heritage continues to be fulfilled, bringing joy to residents of Novi Pazar. It will remain committed to this mission in the future.