The Museum of the Alka of Sinj is one of the most state-of-the-art museums in Croatia. Its permanent exhibition meets the highest museum standards, both when it comes to presentation and technology, and offers a variety of interactive content that stimulates all of the senses of its visitors. Though the museum is dedicated to heritage, its approach is unquestionably modern, presenting the uniforms, equipment and weapons of alkars through multimedia installations, films and other new media. The story that the Museum of the Alka of Sinj tells with its archival materials represents an indispensable part of the history of Sinj and the Cetina region, one that is deeply embedded into the collective memory of all Croatians.
The guiding idea of the Museum is to bring the indelible experience of the Alka of Sinj closer to all visitors, and to familiarise them with this truly exceptional custom – one whose value has also been recognised by UNESCO, who included it in its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. The permanent exhibition begins with the Alka procession, depicting the typical 14 human and 8 equine participants. With the help of modern technology and multimedia, the static figures are brought to life.
In the next room, the visitors are presented with a map of the Cetina region so that they may learn more about who is permitted to run the Alka, and who is not. The participants and rules of the Alka are depicted, as well as the game itself. The entire length of the three walls is covered by an E-shaped showcase that presents elements of the uniform and equipment of alkar’s squires, alkars, Alka horses and the Edek horse.
In order to offer visitors a complete experience of the Alka, a full-scale model of an alkar hitting the alka on horseback is displayed. On the wall to the side of the alkar in gallop, a film on the spectators of the Alka through history and today is shown. The film is accompanied by the characteristic sounds of the Alka: gallop in silence, the sound of the spear and alka clashing, the sighs and applauses of the spectators, cannon fire celebrating hits into the centre of the alka...
In the gallery part of the exhibition, the following units are presented through interactive multimedia: The Battle of Sinj of 1715, the Town of Sinj, archival materials, a comparative overview of spearing games through history and a unit depicting the winner. The first segment of this area thematises the great Battle and presents objects that have remained preserved from it. On a freestanding counter in the middle of this segment are two touch-sensitive screens showing the animated video game Battle of Sinj 1715.
The final segment is dedicated to the winner of the Alka. On the continuation of the wall installation, visitors can discover a "hall of fame" of important people in the history of the Alka. The central position is occupied by a showcase featuring the winner on his horse. Next to the showcase is a control panel linked with a video wall located opposite the winner’s showcase, which features all of the most famous winners presented by year. Visitors are able to select a year of their choice to see who won the Alka that year.
The exhibition ends with an archive that can be browsed on three large touchscreens that are installed on a counter turned towards the room with the procession. The screens function as a large archive of the Alka, i.e. a database that offers a variety of interesting facts about the Alka of Sinj through all of its historical phases to present day.