The region covered by the activities of the 'Ras' Museum is a high mountainous area open to the northeast. A large number of settlements are located at the absolute height above sea level of over 1,000 metres. Based on long-term meteorological indicators we can say that this area, especially the territory of Sjeničko-Pešterska highlands the coldest and snowiest area in Serbia. This territory has moderately continental and continental climate, despite the closeness of the Adriatic Sea (138 km air distance) and the Aegean Sea (375 km). The barrier of penetration of the Mediterranean influences are presenting the high mountains surrounding this area, as well as local factors, primarily specific relief characteristics and the height above sea level.

The climate used to be much more severe, which is reflected in the folk legend still told in almost all of the villages: 'Here lived the Greeks and then, on St. George''s Day, they stuck a plough into hard snow and left for good.' Many data have been preserved referring to the periods of the harsh cold popularly named the 'Little Ice Age'. These climate changes affecting most parts of Europe, started at the beginning of 14th and lasted until the end of 17th century.

Climate conditions had a significant impact on the activities of the local population. Therefore, the population of the vast Sjeničko-Pešterska highlands, including quite a large part of the territory of Tutin as well, mostly raised livestock, while farming was much less present, which is the situation today as well. Farming is mostly present in Novopazarska basin and the river valleys of the river Raška tributaries. The first inhabitants of the Raška valley were also the first farmers in the Neolithic. Part of the population started mining as early as the antiquity, especially in the mountains of Rogozna and Golija, in the area between the towns Ras and modern Tutin, or mediaeval Gluhavica.

The data recorded in travel journals include the data on the activities of the population and their way of life. An Italian, Katarin Zeno, recorded that Novi Pazar is a large trading place where goods from all parts of the world arrived, and where merchants from Dubrovnik, as well as Serb, Turkish and Venetian merchants traded. He recorded that living in the town was cheap, that there were a lot of mosques, several hans (inns) and caravansaries. Venetian travel writer Pavle Kontarino, reached Novi Pazar in 1580, having passed through the village of Dubnica, south of Sjenica. Unlike his predecessor, he recorded that the town had 6,000 houses, 16 mosques and a very long bazaar street with many various shops, but also that 'there were especially craftsmen making iron morning star maces, Turkish locks of every kind and valued sheep bells, and they mined for iron in Gluhavica'.

During 17th century, like many Turkish towns, Novi Pazar also prospered rapidly, mostly due to the development of trade. In those times, regardless of uprisings, unrests, hajduks (outlaws) and hardships, trade developed in the Balkans and the towns flourished. In 17th century the merchants from Dubrovnik strengthened their positions in Novi Pazar, which, in addition to Prokuplje, became their most important trade centre in south Serbia, as well as the principal export centre for wool. The quantities of wool exported are best illustrated by the fact that 3,500 horses loaded with merchandise left Novi Pazar for Dubrovnik in September of 1613.

Novi Pazar had commercial relations with Skadar and Dubrovnik where it exported wool, wax and skins. Novi Pazar was also in the midst of trade in colonial goods between Thessalonica and Sarajevo, and it traded in livestock with Serbia. The merchants imported luxurious fabrics, oriental carpets, jewels, spices, salt, and they exported wool, wax, skins, ores and other raw materials.

The mentioned specific characteristics of the area, the style of life and ethnic diversity influenced also the features of the articles in the Ethnography Department. Various different tools used by numerous craftsmen living and working in Novi Pazar can be seen in the Museum. Most interesting is the collection of tools used by a Novi Pazar barber, Usta Hadzi Rušo, who pulled out teeth and performed smaller surgical interventions. Besides him almost all barbers extracted teeth. A large number of shoemakers’ tools are also in the Museum, but unfortunately they have not been conserved, so that they are not represented in the permanent Museum exhibition.

In addition to barbers many other craftsmen worked in Novi Pazar as well: terzije (tailors), curcije (furriers), blacksmiths, tinkers, silversmiths and coppersmiths, farriers, slipper makers, quilt makers, leather crafters, potters, goat hair weavers, saddlers, masons, fullers, clog makers, razor makers, knife makers, rifle makers, tobacconists, but also bakers (ekmedzije), sweets makers, kebab makers, chefs (ascije), coffee house keepers, inn keepers. The products made by most of these craftsmen are part of our collection as well.

The most attractive for sure are the products of the terzije (tailors), who made various traditional garments for poorer and middle classes, while the well-off bought their clothes from the master tailors from Prizren, Skadar and Sarajevo. The Novi Pazar craftsmen made clothes from various fabrics: baize, velvet, silk, silk brocade, velour, atlas silk, and the clothes were decorated with srma – silver or gold plated cord embroidery, metal and silk bikma (bućma), as well as with silk threads and cords. The exhibits of misiraba, or a type of jelek (short jacket) with 'čepken' sleeves (slit, hanging sleeves) with rich gold embroidery and motifs, are particularly attractive due to excellent craftsmanship. Especially beautiful are also examples of miltan, whose name comes from the Persian word 'nimten', which short robes were reaching waist with long and tight sleeves, open in the lower part. They were made from baize of various colours and richly decorated by gold embroidery. The jelek was worn by females regardless of age and national or ethnic origin; it too was made of velour or baize and richly decorated by gold embroidery. The jelek of other materials, like satin or brocade was worn by the poorer classes.

The misiraba, miltan and jelek with gold embroidery were parts of urban Moslem costume. Serb women wore a miltan of a more specific look, the miltan-saltu, which was made after the urban attire of Belgrade and central Serbia. The džube was also part of the Serbian population costume. It was worn over the shirt and made of baize in different colours and richly decorated by gold embroidery, with the 'dragon' (ala) motif in the skirts. It was made in the shape of a bell and reached the knees.

Integral part of the urban women’s attire were also dimije (pantaloons), made of baize (for the richer ones), silk and brocade, 12 m in length. The upper part featured the učkur (belt band), whose narrower parts were embroidered in gold. The lower part had openings for legs decorated by embroidered 'pačaluci' (tapered legs). Since the poorer classes could not afford such luxury garments, the dimije made for them were of more common fabrics and 6 m in length. Such dimije were called 'tumajlije’. Both types of dimije were worn by all the women in town, regardless of their religious or national background. The dimije were complemented by košulje – svilenice (silk shifts) worn by ladies of both confessions on special occasions. Košulje (shifts) which were worn every day were made of cotton fabrics and less decorated. Women’s urban costume included also the following: šamije (scarves), paralante (bridal scarves), trabolos (belt), kolan (strap), and the tepeluk were the headdress. Moslem women used to wear čaršav (sheet scarf) with peč (veil), and when leaving home they also put on the terluk, upper garment quite similar to the džube, but with sleeves.

Men’s urban attire included the čakšire (Jodhpur type trousers) made of baize, dark blue or dark red in colour. Around the pockets, seat and leg openings were amply decorated by cotton or wool cords, the so-called 'bikma' or 'bućma'. Woven belts or sashes held the trousers. The shirts had long wide sleeves, but were without a collar and made of cotton material, or of material made from cotton and linen or hemp. The male jelek or džamadan, made of baize and richly decorated with bikma or gold embroidery, was worn over the shirt. Richer merchants wore the red or dark blue baize misiraba, richly decorated by motifs of stitched cords and with 'čepken' sleeves. Their headwear was called the Fes (fez). This type of clothes was worn by men of both confessions in Novi Pazar.

As for the rural area, the following should be mentioned. During 18th and 19th centuries, the region covered by the 'Ras' Museum, i.e. the area between the Mokra Gora in the South and the Golija in the north, were abandoned by large numbers of Serbian population who moved to northern parts, and the deserted areas were populated by emigrants from the Kosovo and Metohija area and from Montenegro. This was reflected by the costume as well, which now had the characteristics of both the remaining inhabitants’ and the emigrants’ costumes. In both cases the garments were made at homes, especially in rural areas.

Analyzing the costume in the second half of 19th and first half of 20th centuries, Jasna Bjeladinović concluded that the costume in a wider Novi Pazar area was 'typically uniform with the costume in Kosovo and Metohija – in the south, and through the Kopaonik it belongs to the Central Balkans region of Kosovo and Resava costumes.' Characteristics garments are zubun (ćurdija) – sleeveless dress, cloth 'aljina (robe), embroidered 'oplećak' (upper garment) over women's and men's shirts made of hemp. The džamadan (waistcoat), miltan, džube, dolama (type of caftan), talagan (raincoat) and 'ćulav' (type of hat) were made from white cloth and decorated with black cords, and they were worn by people of both confessions.

In the period from 1912 and the First and Second World Wars, there were changes in the manner of clothing, but also in other aspects of life. Certain clothes from Serbia were adopted: šajkača hat, male clothes made of brown cloth and soldiers’ pants with 'guša'.
Economic and social changes during the Second World War and immediately after the liberation resulted in different customs when it comes to wearing national costume, and urban clothes of modern fashion became predominant. Therefore, craftsmen like valjavičari (baize-makers), terzije, opančari (makers of traditional shoes opanci) were no longer present.

Weaving was an important factor in the economy of rural and to a certain extent urban population in this area as well, and the Museum collection includes articles used for treating wool and hemp: combs, hemps, spindles, spinning wheels, distaffs, but also finished products: ćilimi (rugs), sheets, hay mattresses, pillowcases, harnesses, belts. Serbian women worked mostly on horizontal looms, while Moslem women weaved on vertical looms. Rural population both made and wore various garments: long socks, ankle socks, gloves, knitted of wool and decorated by embroidery of colourful wool or cotton.

The Ethnography Department of the Museum boasts a rich collection of towels, towel-scarves, kerchiefs, pillow-cases, čevra (fine kerchief with gold or silver embroidered branches in the corners), and učkuri (part of a belt). All the mentioned items were made of bought materials which were then decorated by hand in gold embroidery or embroidery in silk and cotton threads. In rural areas the towels were woven also from hemp or linen, and embroidered with colourful threads as well. Most of the mentioned items were part of the trousseau kept in special chests, 'sehari', which were decorated on the outside with leather and metal fittings.

A consisting part of the Department is also the room 'laturka', decorated in Oriental style, similar to the room which could be found in all Moslem houses. The interior of such a room included the following: minderluk (long wood bench) with cushions, šiljte (woollen mat), mangal (ash-pan holding embers), dušekluk (quilt cupboard), ćilim, and various copperwares: ibrici (ewers), sahani (plates), tablje (trays), dishes for various purposes, tepsije (baking pans), leđeni (wash basins), etc. Serbian urban room is represented by pieces of furniture: cupboard-cabinet, table and chairs, cast iron stove, chest for clothes, icons.

The Ethnology Department boasts also the collection of objects from a dervish tekija (house, seminary). The collection also includes part of weapons: džide – spears and teberi – axes similar to medieval halberds. According to the order members, the arms were once used for defence, and they kept them in the teki as sacred objects. Sacred objects were also wooden clubs – ASE, with one end spirally curved, which represent a sacred tree from Arabic countries and which are of various sizes. Amongst the objects used in religious ceremonies were the following: kudumi – drums, large wooden prayer beads, wooden stick in the shape of a baton, and needles for piercing the body. Some are thin and their ends differ, while others are quite thick and end with wooden balls with metal chains attached to them. Dervish headgear is also highly interesting, usually very large and some look like čalme (turbans).