Representing ?Turkishness:? The Ethnographic Museum:

One of the first museum founded during the 1920s was the Ethnographic Museum (Etnografya Müzesi), established in the new capital, Ankara.  Regarding the aim of the museum, there are several opinions: Arık and other authors stated that the museum was initially created for hosting an exhibition of ?universal? collection of ethnographic materials (Arık, 1953); on the other hand Yavuz, Ötkan and other authors relate the origin of the museum to the will of exhibiting objects of the ?Turkish people? (Yavuz and Ötkan, 1984).[20]  The first museum, opened to the public its doors on July 18, 1930, and was arranged in a new buildings, appositely created.[21] 

The architectural style chosen for the museum could be seen as one of the first element that link the museum to the national discourse for promoting a Turkish identity.  In fact, the rectangular building, with a domed ceiling was designed by the eminent architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu, representative of the National Style, diffused in the early year of the Republic as expression of the national ideology. Among the main features of this museum, there is a collection which includes objects used by Turkish people, showing their habits and daily life.[22]  Therefore, in different rooms there are exposed examples of Turkish artifacts and crafts, like examples of embroidery, tapestry, calligraphic works, and wood carving exemplars (Önder, 1999).

The choices made for displaying objects are quite relevant, especially the glass boxes which include mannequins. They recreate ?rooms,? such as the ?Ankara house,? which reconstructed the environment of a classic house of the 18^th century.  A similar display?s strategy has been used in the new display that followed the recent restoration (2000-2002). This new display shows, on the right side of the museum, scenes of daily life ceremonies of Anatolian people, also staged in glass boxes. In particular, the recreation shows elements of Turkish culture quite popular in the common imagination of the Turks, like scenes addressing to the habits of drinking coffee or ceremony of circumcision (sunnet).[23]

Another aspect of the museum that deserves some speculation/consideration is the inclusion of religious objects in museum collection, in a section entitled ?Hall of objects from Tekkes ? dervish retreats.? In particular, this collection includes objects which belonged to Sufi orders, collected soon after the banishment of Sufi tarikats. The display of religious items recalls discourses about the creation of Islamic Art collections, during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Religious objects possessed a special value, connected to their practical daily use of those objects; therefore, they were invested with a meaning that surpassed the merely aesthetic or historical value (Shaw, 2000: 59).[24]   Thus, the inclusion of Sufi objects in an Ethnographical museum shifted their symbolic meaning from religious items to elements of cultural identification.

It is worth nothing that several objects were later returned to their lodges, also transformed into museums, like items hold by the Bektaşi brotherhood, later turned into the lodge of Hacı Bektaş (near Nevşehir), opened as a museum in the year 1964.

As it was said before, although the focus of the museum should be on the Turkish people portrayed in the museum, nevertheless, the place is widely known for having been transformed in the burial place of Atatürk, from 21.11.1938 until 10.11.1953, when the Anıtkabir, the Mausoleum was opened.[25]

[20]According to public information given by the Ministry for Culture and Tourism, the establishment of the museum served for showing ?material and spiritual cult inheritance.? Worth nothing that for creating this museum, it was asked the opinion of an Hungarian Turkologist, J. Meszarow, chief of the Budapest Ethnography Museum.

[21]A first commission was established in Istanbul for defining the collection and purchase items. This commission was chaired by two of the most eminent art historian of the time, Celal Esad Arseven and, then, Halil Erdem.

[22]?On commença par y installer les collections d?ethnographie nationale auss? bien que du monde entier. Mais on a vite constaté, un buit s? universel, cette petite construction reste insuffisante, meme insignifiante? (Arik, 1953:17).

[23]Halls located in the other side of the museum host exhibitions of porcelain, glasses, examples of calligraphy art dating from Ottoman Time.

[24]According to Shaw, during the Young Turks regime (1908-1910), the concern over Islamic antiquities began to enter in public discourse, in large part because of the Young Turk?s interest in increased communication between the State and the population? (Shaw, 2002: 63). Therefore, the use of religious heritage became a tool in political discourses over Ottoman identity (Shaw, 2000: 67).

[25]The bronze sculpture, in front of the Museum, portraying Atatürk on horse was realized by Italian artist Conanica.