Historical art experts bring 86,000 works to life

ISTANBUL

Nearly 86,000 historical artifacts registered in the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums have been maintained and repaired in order to bring them to life and display them in museums.

Some 2,600 historical artifacts were restored in the first three months of the year, although implementation activities were minimized within the scope of the new type of coronavirus measures.

The restoration and conservation works of historical artifacts in Turkey are carried out meticulously by the restorers and conservators, known as “historical art doctors,” working in regional laboratories.

The laboratories, which closely follow the developments in the world in the field of restoration and conservation, serve as an effective institution in the field of conservation of cultural assets as well as application works.

The laboratories which make material analyses for the restoration and conservation of cultural assets create the “Material Data Bank” by archiving the results of the analysis.

Restorers, who have touched the works of different civilizations very carefully and transferred them to future generations, completed the maintenance and repair of 86,000 works registered in the inventory of museums in the last seven years.

Officials carry out detailed work after removing an artifact under the ground that was used in the natural flow of life thousands of years ago.

The restoration and conservation process of a work can continue for years depending on preliminary examinations, analyses, decision making processes, the method to be used and the selection of materials, the application stage, the nature and condition of the work.

The experts of historical artifacts keep track of the developments in their condition after the conservation of the completed works is delivered to the museum to which they belong.

They also inspect display and warehouses in museums at least twice a year.

Restorers first diagnose their condition to extend the life of historical artifacts, then make conservation practices that can be considered as treatment.

Restoration and conservation practices in Turkey have a history of 84 years.

The Chemistry Center, known as Kimyahane in Turkey, was established in 1936 within the Istanbul Archeology Museums and has undertaken important works with the service of successful experts in its field with its photography house, model house, ceramic furnace, sculpture workshop and fumigation room.

The Istanbul Restoration and Conservation Center Laboratory, which was established in 1985 as a continuation of the Chemistry Center, is currently carrying out successful studies.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has established the Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory Directorates in Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Gaziantep, İzmir, Nevşehir and Trabzon in 2012.