Muzej Ponišavlja

Ponišavlje Museum - the most important information

The Ponišavlje Museum in Pirot is the best preserved monument of traditional architecture from the middle of the 19th century. It is an old house, which belonged to the merchant Hristo Jovanović. It was built in 1848 and has all the features of the Balkan-Oriental style. The construction of this house took 2 years. The merchant of Christ had a great reputation not only with the Pirot butchers, but also with the Turkish authorities. However, he had to ask permission from the Turks to build the house, because he intended it to be a large building. Thus, one of the most luxurious Christian houses in that period was built on the outskirts of Pirot.

Appearance and characteristics of the Museum
The house of the former merchant Hristo Jovanović consists of a basement, ground floor and first floor. It is characterized by the harmony of the interior and the splendor of the facade and roof. The crown of this famous building is a unique roof solution with a gazebo construction. On the white facade, you will be able to notice the wooden window frames, which make up its main decorative elements. The interior of the house is decorated with carved cupboards, among which the ground floor cupboard stands out, with its highest quality workmanship. From the characteristic features of Serbian houses of old town architecture, here you will see a hideout and a chandelier room, in which a chandeliers burned during the holidays. The spacious hall on the first floor is divided into 3 parts: the central part with outings and a fireplace, the men's sofa room and the women's room. With the installation of the Museum, this house kept the atmosphere of the Serbian patriarchal house. Its interior is filled with items from the collections of the Ponišavlje Museum. Pirot pottery and metal and wooden furniture are on the ground floor, while parts of the clothes and jewelry of Pirot and its surroundings are displayed in display cases. What you will surely especially like are the colorful Pirot carpets, which you can see upstairs.

How to get to the Ponišavlje Museum?

If you start from Belgrade by car, you can reach the Ponišavlje Museum in a little more than 3 hours (highway A1 / E75).
From the center of Pirot you can reach this place on foot. The distance is very short, so you won't need more than 10 minutes of easy walking across Cyril and Methodius Street.

Additional information
The house of Hristo Jovanović was very attractive for film directors and cameramen because of its authenticity and preservation. This building gave a true picture of the house of richer Serbian inhabitants from that time. Precisely because of that, the cult domestic films Zona Zamfirova and Ivkova slava were shot in it, which are still very much watched in this area.

Museum opening hours
You can visit the popular Museum in Pirot on weekdays from 08:00 to 15:00, while on Saturdays it is open from 09:00 to 14:30. If you have additional questions, call the phone number: 010 313-850.