‘Antiquities doctors’ restore over 1,000 artifacts in country’s east
DIYARBAKIR
A regional laboratory in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, home of many different civilizations spanning thousands of years, has performed maintenance and repair works on approximately 1,252 artifacts in 2023 to shed light on cultural history and exhibit them in museums.
These artifacts, bearing great value as they provide a glimpse into the lifestyle and customs of different civilizations in the past, are meticulously maintained and repaired by restorers and conservators, known as "antiquities doctors," and then sent to the provinces where they are located and exhibited again in museums.
Osman Fadıl Üner, the director of Diyarbakır Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory, said that the regional laboratory has been serving 12 provinces since 2012.
"Since 2012, our laboratory has been supporting 12 provinces in the easy: Tunceli, Van, Siirt, Bingöl, Batman, Hakkari, Muş, Elazığ, Bitlis, Mardin, Şırnak and Diyarbakır. Various movable cultural assets come to our regional laboratory from these provinces. Some of these are metal, wood, glass and ceramic artifacts with different properties," he said.
Stating that restorers in the laboratory touch the artifacts bearing the traces of different civilizations with the precision of a doctor and ensure that they are passed on to future generations, Üner added, "In 2023, we restored and conserved approximately 1,252 artifacts. We carried out these operations with 12 of our restorer friends who are actively working.”
Providing information about the restoration of an artifact and the conservation process, restorer Umut Baran stated that they check the museums in the region for the condition of cultural assets at least twice a year.
"We carry out the restoration and conservation of artifacts in museums responsible for all movable cultural assets in these 12 provinces. We check the museums at least twice a year, report the problems and make necessary interventions," Baran concluded.