Tuesday — April 20: Part II
“Travel back into history has begun.” That’s the promotional slogan for the MüzeKart (“Museum Card” — technically, two separate words, but someone took some artistic license here). For an annual fee of 20 Lira (~$13 at the time of this writing; discounted 50% for students and teachers), Turkish citizens can get into over 300 museums and ruins of antiquity across Turkey without paying entrance fees. I understand that foreigners were once eligible for this card, but that’s no more; you need proof of Turkish citizenship to get a non-transferable card that carries the photograph of the person to whom it’s been issued.
We bought our cards a few days ago at Efes — thank you, Murat. Hence my quest to visit several museums today. As it turns out, two of the three I went to were free. Not to worry; if I go to just one of the museums I plan to visit in İstanbul later this week, the card will have paid for itself. If I visit all of the museums on my list, that will be a savings of nearly 60 Lira (~ $40). Times that by 5, and that’s how much we’ll save amongst us. Fear not that the Turkish economy will suffer; I’m sure we’ll find other ways to spend our savings.
As a kid, the castle-like building at the bottom of “Varyant” in Konak brought to mind ghosts and goblins. In reality, the 19th century neoclassical style building housed the administrative services for the health department. Before that, the French Community used it as a hospital (St Roch, 1831), and for a while after that the building served as a nursing home for poor and elderly Christians. In 1984, the building became the İzmir Ethnography Museum (free to the public).
The museum houses a collection of artifacts documenting the 19th century social and folk culture of the region. Particular emphasis has been placed on some of the disappearing trades and handcrafts, such as tin punching; wooden clog, pottery, blue bead (evil eye), rope, and felt making; woodblock printing; leather tanning; and carpet weaving.
I took my time roaming the exhibits on the first two floors (the third floor is used for storage), including those representative of 19th century Ottoman rooms. Although I enjoyed the interesting displays, most were in glass cases, which wasn't conducive to photography (the lighting wasn’t great either). I must add that the museum could sure use a good feather duster or two. Seems to me that a small entrance fee would do wonders for the maintenance of the exhibits.
Left: a “nazar boncuk” (evil eye) maker.
Right: a “nalın” (wooden bath clogs) maker.
As a word, “nazar” means “look; glance.” For most people, especially the superstitious, the word brings to mind the “evil eye,” — a covetous look that is believed by many cultures to cause injury or bad luck. Along with the belief, comes the need to protect oneself from such nazar. The most common form of protection is the blue bead known as “nazarlık,” preferably shaped like an eye and made of glass, a material that is said to reflect the look back at the coveter. (Note the inset example of a nazarlık.)
A “nalın” is a wooden bath clog. In the Aegean region, they are often made of poplar, a soft wood that is easy to carve by hand. Once the clog is carved and painted, and the leather strap is attached, it is ready to be decorated. Decorations range from the simple to the very elaborate. During the 19th century, it was customary for teenage girls to wear the former, whereas engaged girls were allowed to wear the more elaborately decorated ones. The most ornate “nalın” designs were reserved for brides-to-be (see the inset image). Simple, wooden clogs with no decoration whatsoever are still used in “hamams” (Turkish baths), or so I’m told.
Left: “Şerbetçi.”
Right: Woodblock Printer.
A “şerbetçi” was a roaming street vendor who sold şerbet, a traditional cold drink prepared with rose hips, cornelian cherries, rose or licorice and a variety of spices. These days, you might see an elaborately costumed şerbetçi in hotels and restaurants frequented by tourists, but that's about it. These tradesmen are amongst those that have vanished into the pages of history.
Woodblocking (or woodcutting) is a form of folk art that had its origins in 7th Century BC when clay molds were used to decorate paper and fabric. The woodblock, often made of linden or pine, was prepared in relief matrix by chiseling away the areas that were supposed to show white. The block was then inked with a roller and pressed firmly to form a pattern on paper or fabric. The simplest designs were one color — black. I remember having lots of fun doing something similar in grade school, except that we used potatoes to create our molds; definitely easier to carve than wood and eco-friendly as well!
“Deve Güreşi” (camel wrestling) dates back to when camel caravans traveled through Asia Minor
on their way from the eastern markets to Europe.
Left: Mannequin dressed in clothing typically worn by a “Zeybek.”
Right: Photograph of an “Efe” — the headman of the Zeybek society.
You might say that the “Zeybek” were militiamen. They lived in the Aegean region during the late 17th to early 20th centuries. Led by a man who carried the title of “Efe,” they served as protectors of their villages. The zeybek society fought against the Greeks during the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, joining the Turkish national army to continue their fight in defense of the country.
“Bindallı” — bridal garments embroidered with silver and gold thread.
A “bindallı” was a garment made for a special occasion, such as a wedding. The word means “a thousand branches” — a reference to the elaborate floral embroidery with which they were decorated. These garments were worn not just by brides, but their female family members and friends as well. The embroidery in the pictures above is “dival,” a technique whereby the silver and gold thread was stitched down on the fabric (velvet mostly) rather than sewn into it. Most bindallıs were ankle-length, and often had matching jackets and slippers. To say that a bindallı was heavy would be an understatement.
Embroidered Coin Purses
19th Century Ottoman Sitting Room
19th Century Ottoman Bridal Chamber
19th Century Ottoman “Sünnet Odası” (Circumcision Room)
Traditional Carpet Loom
Carpet weaving is a traditional Turkish art that dates back to the 3rd century. Ottoman carpet weaving had its origins in the Seljuk Turks, who introduced the double-knotted weaving technique to Anatolia during the 13th century. Their geometric designs were replaced with animal motifs and floral designs, and large-scale medallions. The dominant colors of Ottoman carpets were red, blue, green, and yellow. The most important carpet-weaving centers were Uşak and Hereke, the latter considered to be one of the most important centers in the production of silk rugs for the palace. Below is a sampling of some of the hand-weaved items I found on display.
Sacks made from kilim (flat weave/no pile rug).
Satchels from Bergama, made of kilim or carpet.
Hand-knotted rug from Milas (19th Century).
The arrival of a school group was my signal to leave the 19th century and travel further back in time ...
Next Up: İzmir Archaeology Museum
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