The Taskinpasa Altar Niche In Ankara Ethnographic Museum – Chapter 1

The Taskinpasa Altar Niche In Ankara Ethnographic Museum – Chapter 1,

The creation of the Republic marked the start of an exciting period for Turkish museums. New museums were being opened in the large cities of Anatolia which were rich in historical works. Ataturk wanted to establish a national museum in the new capital of Ankara, and with this aim, the foundations of the present Ankara Ethnographic Museum were laid on September 25, 1925. The museum building which was completed in 1927 was organized by the Ethnographic Museum on the advice of the Hungarian Turcologist Professor Merzarus. All the historical and ethnographical objects and works of art which were found in the tekkes when their closure was ordered shortly after the announcement of the Republic were brought either here or to provincial museums. Old Turkish carpets, kilims, inscriptions, iron and wooden objects, local costumes, and ornaments began to fill the new Ethnographic Museum. Ataturk who followed the work closely decided to open the museum on April 15, 1928, to coincide with the visit to Turkey of the King of Afghanistan Emanullah Han.
Ankara Ethnographic Museum opened filled with Seljuk, Beylik, and Ottoman period works of culture and art, Among them, were Turkish masterpieces never before known or heard of. This museum became one of Turkey’s finest ethnographic museums. Those who visit the museum today can see the works which were made with painstaking craftsmanship. Among the sections of the museum is that containing wooden objects, brought from historical buildings in Anatolia in order to protect them from damage, for future generations to enjoy. They include altar niches and pulpits, doors and windows, ceilings, lecterns, and platforms. Among them is an unequaled work of art, carved like lace, which is known as the Taskinpasa Altar Niche. Even if you had not heard of it as being a masterpiece, you would stop, nailed to the spot, as you gazed at it in wonder.

You can find more details about The Taskinpasa Altar Niche In Ankara Ethnographic Museum in Chapter 2.