‘100+2 Temporary Museum Exhibitions Project’ launched

ANKARA

Inspired by the 102nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that they initiated the "100+2 Temporary Museum Exhibitions Project" to combine traditional values with a contemporary approach and show Anatolia's unique cultural richness to visitors.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "100+2 Temporary Museum Exhibitions Project" at the Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum, Ersoy said that steps have been taken to make the Republic, which has surpassed a century, original, pioneering, independent and leading in all areas.

As Türkiye builds its "Century of Türkiye," Ersoy highlighted the importance of children and young people knowing their essence, identity and past in all aspects and values and expressed his belief that the "100+2 Temporary Museum Exhibitions Project" will make a significant contribution to this goal by showcasing Turkish culture and the civilizational heritage of Anatolian lands.

"With this valuable project, named in inspiration from our Republic’s 102nd anniversary, we will bring together our traditional values with a modern approach and introduce visitors to Anatolia's unique cultural wealth. Through 102 different exhibitions and themes, we will offer a unique experience by showcasing artifacts displayed for the first time, revealing the hidden stories of our history. By carrying our cultural heritage from the past to the present, we will pave a new path for its journey into the future."

First exhibition venue: The Ethnography Museum

Ersoy announced that the first exhibition will be held at Ankara’s Ethnography Museum, designed by the late architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu. He noted that since 1930, this museum has introduced Anatolia’s rich cultural heritage through artworks representing Turkish-Islamic art.

He noted that this building, the first in the Republic of Türkiye designed as a museum, also served as the resting place of the Republic’s founder, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, for 15 years.

Providing details about the exhibition inaugurated at the Ethnography Museum, he said, "As part of the project, the Ethnography Museum will host the exhibition 'From Nature to Art: Wood.' Unique Ottoman-era wooden artifacts, representing our ancestors' artistic bond with nature, are now on display. In addition to artifacts from the museum’s own collection, we have brought together 181 exquisite wooden pieces selected from collections of museums in former Ottoman capital cities, including the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Tombs Museum, the Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and the Edirne Museum. One hundred two of these high-art-value artifacts, dating from the 16th to the late 19th century, are being exhibited for the first time."

Among the exhibited items at the museum are the bookstand donated to Sultan Mahmud II’s tomb by his sister Esma Sultan, the staff and prayer beads belonging to the sheikhs of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Lodge, turban holders from Karaca Ahmet Shrine, storage boxes for Qurans and their sections, as well as drawers used to preserve sacred relics such as the hair of the Prophet Muhammad. Ersoy noted that the exhibition, which will continue until April 30, will offer culture and history enthusiasts a unique experience.

"The '100+2 Temporary Museum Exhibitions' project will continue throughout the year with the participation of 85 state museums and 17 private museums across 44 cities. These exhibitions will introduce our unique heritage, where Turkish culture and Anatolian history intertwine, to wider audiences. Additionally, they will contribute to the Türkiye’s Cultural Road Festival and facilitate the exhibition of artifacts under the 'Legacy for the Future' initiative. Visitors will also enjoy educational and interactive experiences through talks, workshops, guided tours, thematic music performances, documentary screenings and various other events.

A few examples from the exhibition calendar are as follow:

The 'Civilizations Meeting from Zeugma to Antakya' exhibition will open on April 2 at the Necmi Asfuroğlu Archaeology Museum in Hatay.

The 'Being a Child in Every Era' exhibition will open on April 23 at the Samsun Museum.

The 'Anatolia: Abundance and Compassion' exhibition will open on May 11 at the Ankara Ethnography Museum.

The 'Story of Sports in Anatolia' exhibition will open on May 19 at the Antalya Necropolis Museum.

The 'Ancient Culture on the Eastern Anatolian Plateau: Karaz' exhibition will open on Aug. 17 at the Erzurum Archaeology Museum.