The current National Museum building was the previous Pristina Government Office built between 1885-1886 in a Neo-Baroque style reflecting the modernization wave in the late periods of the Ottoman Empire. The rectangular-shaped building was constructed of stones, bricks, wood and marble and has a symmetrical semicircular stairs in front leading to the first floor. The building was gravely damaged by a fire in 1898, but was subsequently repaired in a very short time. After the establishment of the Yugoslav Kingdom and later the Socialist Federative State of Yugoslavia, the building served as the army headquarters until 1975. Today, it serves as a museum open to visitors.