The museum dates back to 1888, when Bosnia-Hercegovina was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Museum staff has not been paid for about a year. They and hundreds of students protested over the closure on Thursday.
Bosnia’s divided ethnic groups have failed to agree on cultural funding since the war ended in 1995.
The National Museum’s exhibits include the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated manuscript brought to Bosnia by a Jewish family expelled from Spain during the Inquisition and saved from Hitler’s forces during World War II.
For years the museum and six other cultural institutions – guardians of Bosnia’s national heritage – have struggled to survive with ad hoc grants from different branches of government.
“Such a complex institution cannot function by improvisations. The authorities must provide the funds for employees’ salaries and functioning costs,” said National Museum manager Adnan Busuladzic.
Adnan Bursuladzic said the museum needed about 60,000 euros a month ($78,000) for its regular activities and events.
Bosnia-Hercegovina has no central culture ministry. The country is divided into the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska).
e7EfNH9ai8AQuincy Jones, the celebrated musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray…
Misleading allegations, rumours and outright lies about voting and fraud are flooding online spaces in…
At least 158 people have died in Spain's worst flooding disaster in generations. On October…
Google has been fined two undecillion (a two followed by 36 zeroes) roubles by a…
Embarking on a home remodel is an exciting journey, promising enhanced comfort, increased property value,…
The US presidential candidates continued to campaign across key swing states on October 20. Footage…