About
The Museum of Ethnography holds the distinction of being the first building in Türkiye constructed specifically to serve as a museum. It was opened to the public on July 18, 1930, with artifacts collected from local communities. Following the passing of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1938, the museum’s inner courtyard served as his temporary resting place for 15 years. The museum is dedicated to exhibiting artifacts from the Turkish-Islamic period of Anatolia. Its halls feature displays on traditional clothing, embroidery, jewelry, and cultural practices such as henna night and the groom’s ceremonial shaving. The museum also showcases elements of hamam (Turkish bath) culture. In addition, visitors can explore regional examples of Anatolian carpets and kilims, metalwork, copperware tools and utensils, exhibits themed around Turkish coffee culture, traditional spoons, a reconstructed Turkish room, and ceremonial items related to circumcision rituals. The museum also houses fine examples of Turkish tiles, ceramics, glassware, weaponry, calligraphic panels, and rare wooden artifacts from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. A special exhibition room is dedicated to the Besim Atalay Collection, presenting selected pieces from his personal archive.