Kütahya: Archaeology, Tile Art, and Kossuth … An Afternoon at the Museums

(catch-up Post)

Thursday, 11 October (Part V)

After lunch, we set out to visit three museums that were on our list.  Two of them turned out to be just steps away from Ulu Camii (post here); the third, we had given up on finding when we came upon it by happenstance.

Arkeolojİ Müzesİ (Museum of Archaeology)

This small museum is housed in a 14th century medrese (school of theology).  The pieces on display range from the Copper Age, to the Roman and Hellenistic Periods, to the Ottoman Period.  The majority of the artifacts are exhibited in glass cabinets, making photography difficult.  (Admission: 3TL [$1.60]; free with the MüzeKart.)

Left: Hecate, goddess of spells and the moon; Roman Period.
Right: Stele; unidentified.

The centerpiece of the artifacts on display is a 2nd century AD Roman Period sarcophagus belonging to Claudius Severinus and his wife.  Found during excavations in Çavdarhisar-Aizanoi, it is known as the Tomb of the Amazons. The exterior reflects bas-relief scenes of the war between the Greeks and the Amazons.  It never ceases to amaze me that so many of the artifacts of antiquity have survived relatively intact.

Çİnİ Müzesİ (Tile Museum)

A city that is renowned for its glazed tile and pottery work would, of course, have a museum dedicated to it.  This small museum is located in a 14th century külliye (mosque complex).  In one of the rooms off the central courtyard are information panels that outline the tile making process from the biscuit (raw) form to the final glazed form after the design is completed.  Also on display are beautiful urns and decorative wall plates, and in one corner is the tile-covered tomb of Germiyan Sultan Yakup Çelebi, on whose orders the mosque complex was built.  The tile work is displayed in glass cases, thus making photography difficult.  (Admission: Free)

The Kütahya Citadel serves as a backdrop to the tile museum.

The tile work is displayed in glass cabinets in vaulted rooms that branch off this courtyard.

Top right: Fatİh Sultan Mehmet (Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror)
Bottom Right: The Virgin Mary with baby Jesus

One of the most interesting pieces on exhibit is a decorative wall plate that features an image of Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.  What makes the plate special is that the words of his “Address to the Youth” were used to create the head.  We’re not talking a short speech here, so someone spent considerable time and energy inscribing those words to form the image.

Kossuth Museum

This museum is commonly referred to as the Macar Müzesi (Hungarian Museum).  It is housed in the 18th century house in which Lajos Kossuth lived in exile from 1850 to 1851.  (Admission: Free)

Quite honestly, I didn’t know anything about Lajos Kossuth when mom suggested that we visit this museum.  She had seen it featured on a TV program promoting tourism in Turkey and thought it might be interesting, especially since Mui’s father had studied at the University of Budapest during the early years of World War II.  The plaque at the top of the stairs leading to the first floor explained that Kossuth was the leader of the 1848-49 Hungarian War of Independence.  (More info here.)  For me, the more interesting aspect of the museum was the house, which is furnished as a typical Turkish house of the period.

Glimpse of the grounds from the first floor porch.

From the garden, stairs lead up to a porch onto which several rooms open.

The Selamlık is the first room at the head of the stairs … sort of the men's smoking
room of Victorian times … where men gathered to converse.

The dining room: the cabinets on either side of the fireplace and the closet that runs the length
of the wall on the left would have been used to store pots and pans, and other kitchen utensils.

The dining room: Sitting on floor pillows, The household would eat at the
“yer sofrasi” (Literally, the floor table),

The second floor porch onto which the rooms on this level open.

The bedroom of Lajos Kossuth and his wife, Teresa.  It is furnished in the style of a typical
Turkish bedroom of the times.  The mannequin is dressed in period attire known as a "bİndallı."

The private study of Lajos Kossuth.  He is said to have worked on the Hungarian constitution
in this room.  The furnishings for the room were provided by the Hungarian Government.

One of three rooms that open onto the second floor porch.  Furnished as a "memorial room,"
it contains clothing worn in 19th century Hungary and THE uniform of a regent's guard.

The Kossuth family room.

The Kossuth Family Room: Lajos Kossuth is said to have played the piano pictured here.

"Baṣ Oda," literally the "Head Room," was where guests were entertained.
As such it was the most important room in the house. The photos above the fireplace
are of Kossuth and his wife; the closet was used to store bedding for guests.

Completing our self-guided tour of the house/museum, we began the long walk back to the hotel.  Both Mom and I have been pleasantly surprised by Kütahya and all that the city has to offer.  We will continue to explore it tomorrow.