Turkic Culture & Heritage Foundation marks Turkiye's centenary

By Azernews

Laman Ismayilova

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has organized an exhibition "XIX century Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World through the Yildiz Palace Photograph Collection" in Istanbul, Azernews reports.

The exhibition opened on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye.

Around 75 photographs from the Yildiz collection, which were taken during the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II period and contain the cultural heritage of the Turkic world, have been chosen for the exhibition.

Notably, the Yildiz collection is one of the richest photo archives in the world. Nearly 918 albums and 36,585 photographs are included in the collection.

Among the photographs depicting centuries-old architectural samples in the geographies stretching from Samarkand to Edirne, there are material and cultural monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage List from Samarkand, Bukhara, Hokand, Khiva, Shirvanshahs Palace in Baku, Kars Abu Manuchohr Mosque, the first mosque built in Anatolia, Khoja Ahmed Yasavi Tomb in Turkestan, monuments belonging to Istanbul, Konya, Ashgabat, and other cities.

A letter addressed to the opening of the exhibition by President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan was read out in the official part of the event.

The letter highlights the large-scale activity of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation in the direction of protecting the cultural and spiritual values of the Turkic people, introducing them to the world, and passing them on to future generations. In the message, it was underlined that the exhibition will contribute to the strengthening of fraternal ties between the Turkic states.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva touched upon the admirable development and rapid progress in all areas of life over the past century in Turkiye.

She noted that Turkiye's numerous achievements, and steadfast position, constantly demonstrated in the face of difficulties and obstacles, led to its recognition as an influential and strong country in the international arena.

The foundation president hailed the fraternal relations between Turkiye and the sovereign Turkic republics. She drew attention to the fact that the country enjoys great authority in the Turkic World.

"Turkiye's success, from the independent Turkic states to the minority Turkic peoples, which have historically been separated from the Turkic geography for various reasons, make them happy, proud, and united, inspiring a bright future in solidarity," said Afandiyeva.

"This photo collection is a sign of the gentle spirit of Sultan Abdulhamid II, who wholeheartedly believed in the saving power of culture and art, and whose 105th death anniversary was commemorated this year. This collection is the meeting of the 623-year-old prominent Ottoman Empire with the rapidly rising Turkish Republic in the modern era. It is the reception of the blessings of the past as we enter a new century," she added.

In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva outlined that the photo collection is a graceful look at the mysterious cities of the member and observer states of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Hungary are clear proof of the culture of urban planning developed since ancient times, a noble indicator. It is the discovery of the different characteristics of the architectural examples belonging to the Turkic world and at the same time the return of the cultural heritage to life.

In his remarks, Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz pointed out that the foundation has been implementing major projects in priority areas since its inception.

He drew attention to the golden age of photography during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II.

"Yildiz Palace has a large collection of photographs reflecting the cultural heritage of different countries of the world. We, as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, support the work carried out in the direction of the promotion and research of this archive," he said.

He stressed that awareness of the common cultural heritage of the Turkic states is extremely important and emphasized

"We highly appreciate the organization of events that showcase the culture and art of the Turkic peoples," he concluded.

Deputy Chairman of the National Palaces Administration Adnan Gayhan said that the Yildiz photo collection is a source of knowledge about the ancient Ottoman Empire and the world as a whole, as well as a valuable treasure for the Turkic people and a cultural heritage of humanity

He emphasized the exhibition's importance in a broader study of the Turkic Islamic civilization, which has been preserved through a common history, language, religion, cultural values, and traditions.

The book "Turkic cultural heritage in Ottoman archives" published by the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation was presented to the guests among whom were Chief Advisor to the President of the Republic of T?rkiye Fecir Alptekin, Secretary General of TURKPA Mehmet Süreyya Er, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Omer Kocaman, Deputy Secretary General of TURKSOY Bilal Çak?c?, Rector of Memar Sinan University Handan Inci El?hi, Kazakh Ambassador to Turkiye Yerkebulan Sapiyev, Consul General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul Narmina Mustafayeva, Consul General of Kyrgyzstan in Istanbul Lira Sydykova, Head of the National Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan Bahod?r Abdykarimov, Director of the Hungarian Cultural Center Gabor Fodor, diaspora and media representatives.