Turkey’s first ‘textile industry museum’ to open in Bursa

BURSA - Anatolia News Agency

The museum, which is the former Merinos Textile factory, would become a cultural hub for the city. The first tectile industry museum will also become an exemplary building for future generations. AA photo.

The Merinos Textile Industry Museum is set to open this week in Bursa to showcase the northwestern province’s rich textile history and it’ cultural heritage. The museum aims to promote the cultural heritage of the northwestern province.

Bursa, which is famous for its large textile companies, will soon be home to Turkey’s first “textile industry museum” at the historic Merinos Park, which is home to the restored Merinos Spinning Factory building.

The Merinos Textile Industry Museum is scheduled to open Oct. 14 and will promote the cultural heritage of the northwestern province, Bursa Mayor Recep Altepe said during a press conference at the Merinos Atatürk Congress Culture Center.

Bursa has a long heritage and is one of the most important industrial areas in the country. “The most significant building in Bursa, the Merinos Factory, was built by [Turkish republican founder Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk in 1935,” Altepe said. “This building is the symbol of industry in Bursa. The factory was made to lead the development of the textile industry in Turkey. It was the center for the production of wool fabric in Turkey. Later on, Bursa continued to be the center of textiles in Turkey.”

Noting that Bursa had also become a world center for silk fabric, Altepe said, “Bursa later applied the same rules when it was selling high-quality wool fabric to the world.”

At first, when the Merinos Factory opened, it was very far from Bursa, said Altepe. “However, later on, with developments in industry, the factory became an important center. In order to emphasize the importance of Merinos, we tried to exhibit the production process in detail. Visitors have the opportunity to see the machines and all the details.”

It is also possible to see the cultural heritage of Bursa in the exhibition, said Altepe, adding that the museum was attempting to show the city’s heritage and collective memory. “The locals will see their memories and people who are not from Bursa will have the chance to discover Bursa,” the mayor said.

Art consultant and city museum coordinator Ahmet Erdönmez said the most important thing about the new venue was that it was Turkey’s first “textile industry museum.”

“There are textile and industry museums in Turkey, but Bursa’s Merinos museum will be the first textile industry museum,” he said, noting that the museum was spread over a site of 7,000 square meters.

“This museum is not made from the things that are collected. There is a history in this museum. It holds the history of 300,000 people,” Erdönmez said.

Erdönmez said the museum would become a cultural hub for the city. “This museum will also become an exemplary building for future generations.”

The museum consists of four parts, Erdönmez said. “Each part of the museum showcases a different part of the production.”

The museum also has a room dedicated to Atatürk featuring an exclusive collection of furniture. “The furniture in this room is from 1935; this is the date when Atatürk opened the factory,” he said