The Ethnography Museum in Ankara was the first museum in the Republic of Turkey to be constructed under the instructions of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The building was designed by Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu, one of the most important architects of the Republic Period. It incorporates characteristics from various eras, ranging from the first age to the period of the Republic, as well as bearing traces of Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. The statue of Atatürk, which was built in 1927 and placed in front of the building, is the first statue ever built in Turkey. The Plate Portraying A Bird The calligraphic plate on which the statement “Ya bazü’l-eşheb kuddisesırruh şey’en lillah.” (O sheikh Abdülkadir Geylanî! May Allah clean and purify his soul, a charity for the sake of Allah) written in the shape of a bird. The Giyaseddin Keyhüsrev Throne The 13th-century Seljuk throne, made of walnut wood, is a superb example of woodcarving art. The inscription on the throne indicates that it belonged to Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev, the Seljuk ruler who reigned in Anatolia from 1264 to 1283. The Holy Qoran The Holy Qoran that is estimated to date back to the 16th century, was written using talik script with ornaments. The last page of the work indicates that the Rodoscuk Mosque was an endowment of Rustem Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent.
THE MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY
