Antique Firearms from the Ottoman Period on Balkans

On the occasion of the national holiday of Bosnia and Herzegovina the exhibition of the antique firearms titled 'Kubure' is on view at the Sarajevo City Museum.

The antique firearms from the 17th to the 19th century are exhibited at the historic building of the Rustem Pasha Bezistan in Sarajevo, in which the Sarajevo City Museum is located. The exhibition presents firearms from the Sarajevo City Museum's collection of antique firearms.

The main focus of the exhibition is on the antique pistols (kuburas), with cartridge firing. The weaponry craft was highly developed in many cities in this part of Europe. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most beautiful specimens of weapons were made in Sarajevo and FoÄa. The firearms were richly decorated, so the final product, in the end, involved the participation of several different craftsmen. Particularly interesting is the work of filigree-goldsmiths who decorated the weapons as true masterpieces. Most of these specially decorated specimens were made for parade, not for combat purposes. The Sarajevo City Museum has one of the largest collections of the antique firearms from the Ottoman period in Europe.

Several types of antique firearms have been exhibited, such as 'PeÄanke', 'Ledenice', 'Å ilje', 'Skadarke', 'Zlatke' and others. The names derived from their shape and type of decoration. Some of them were obtained by acquisition, while most of them were obtained through gifts.

The opening of the exhibition / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine