Turkey’s first cuisine museum in Gaziantep

by Müge Akgün - Referans

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There is no doubt that the southeastern city of Gaziantep is known for its cuisine and food culture and it is now the site of Turkey’s first cuisine museum.

In 1992, Turkey’s first tourism minister, Ali Göğüş, during one of his visits to Gaziantep visited the house where he was born. The desperate situation of the house that he lived until he was 3-years-old and moved out after his father’s death made him very sorry. He bought the house and donated it to the public on the condition it would be turned into a cuisine museum. His wish did not come true for 15 years because of a lack of official allocation, but finally, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism handed the building to the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and restoration work was completed in a very short time, 18 months.

The museum in the stone house, built in 1904 by Kethüdazade Göğüş İbrahim Efendi, was named after Göğüş’s mother, the Emine Göğüş Cuisine Museum.

The museum opened as part of the celebrations for the 87th anniversary of Gaziantep’s liberation from French occupation. Gaziantep Mayor Asım Güzelbey also plans to turn an old building next to the museum into a complex that will include a cooking school. The school will train new chefs and serve as a restaurant at the same time.

Gaziantep becomes a member of European Union
Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality has benefited from European Union funds for the restoration of historical buildings in the city. The city was given 700,000 euros for the restoration of the Naip Turkish bathhouse. Gaziantep has made peace with its past and is establishing a bridge to the future. The Glass Arts Museum is one of the museums that also opened recently. There is also a city museum under construction. The most important project is the Zeugma Archeology Museum and Congress Center on an area of 40,000 square meters. By the end of 2009, the city will have six additional museums.

Güzelbey wants Gaziantep to become a city known for tourism and its museums. So far, 17 khans have been restored. The Bakırcılar (Coppersmith) Bazaar has also been restored and copper work has begun again. Güzelbey also plans to turn a church, the restoration of which is about to finish, into an arts center where conservatory students will be able to perform concerts at night. The final stage of the project is the construction of an 80-room boutique hotel. "Some people have tried to prevent my candidacy again, but I have done all these things. It is very important for me that people raise their standards of life. Gaziantep now has an identity," said Güzelbey.

A huge event was held this year for the city’s liberation celebrations. Its relations with Syria are closer and warmer than previous years. The mayor of the Syrian city of Al-Raqqah, the Al-Raqqah folk dance team, the Syrian Consul General to Gaziantep, officials from neighboring city Aleppo and Baku University’s rector were among the guests at a Güzelbey’s reception Dec. 25.

Magnet of the region
The Gaziantep municipality’s culture and foreign relations director, Sema Marangoz, is also Güzelbey’s sister. She organizes concerts and festivals, supports art galleries and sends students abroad as part of a student exchange program. The Web site, gaziantepkultursanat.org, announces the launch of these activities. They also have an email list with 3,500 members.

Gaziantep has the potential to become a magnet among neighboring cities and countries. "Everyone used to go to Aleppo to shop and have fun in my childhood. Now they are coming to Gaziantep," said Göğüş.