Bosniak Institute, Library and cultural foundation in Bascarsija district, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Bosniak Institute is a library and cultural center in Sarajevo's old town, housing a large collection of around 250,000 books, journals, maps, and documents. Holdings span from the 14th century to the present and are organized in subject sections such as Bosnica, Croatica, Serbica, Turcica, and Islamica.
The foundation was originally established in Zurich and returned to Sarajevo after the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It opened in 2001 in a restored historic building in the old town.
The institute holds manuscripts in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, along with artworks by Bosnian artists that reflect the region's diverse cultural influences. Visitors can explore artistic and literary traditions that shaped this society over many centuries.
Visitors can search the electronic catalog through the institute's website or on-site, with staff providing support in multiple languages. The old town location is easy to reach on foot and within walking distance of other cultural sites.
The collection includes about 8,000 archival documents dating back to the 15th century that preserve rare records of regional history. These early documents offer insights into the complex past of the Balkans from sources rarely found elsewhere.
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