Military Museum
Museums are an important milestone in public awareness of the cultural
legacies of the past. The museums of today may be said to have their
origin in family collections of heirlooms passed down from their
ancestors, and these included weapons. Following the conquest of Istanbul
by Sultan Mehmed II, the church of Haghia Eirene in the outer courtyard of
Topkapi Palace was turned into an armoury cebehane, for the storage of
both old Turkish weapons and those captured from the enemy. In 1726, Ahmed
III had this building repaired and re-named it the Daru'l Esliha, or Place
of Weapons. Unfortunately, the building was plundered during the janissary
uprisings which took place during the reigns of Selim III (1789-1807) and
Mahmud II (1808-1839), and when the Janissaries Corps was abolished in
1826, much of its remaining contents were destroyed in the mistaken belief
that these belonged to the corps. In 1846, during the reign of Sultan
Abdulmecid (1839-1861) commander of the Artillery Barracks Ahmed Fetih
Pasa founded a museum in the Daru'l Esliha building. It consisted of two
sections, the Collection of Ancient Weapons and the Collection of
Antiquities. Subsequently the antiquities collection was rehoused in the
Tiled Pavilion, also in the palace grounds, by Osman Hamdi, forming the
original nucleus of Istanbul Archaeological Museum. The antique weapons
collection, or what was to become the Military Museum, remained in the
original building, but interest in this waned, and the collection lay
virtually forgotten here until 1909, when defence minister Mahmut Sevket
Pasa appointed Divisional General Ahmed Muhtar Pasa director of the
museum, and its revival began. Ahmed Muhtar Pasa set about organising the
existing collection and enlarging it. He established a library, a shooting
range where visitors could practice firing military rifles with blank
shot, and a small cinema where films on military subjects were shown. He
also revived the old janissary mehter band, which had been abolished along
with the Janissary Corps in 1826. Ahmed Muhtar Pasa remained director of
the museum, renamed the Imperial Military Museum, until 1923, transforming
it into one of the most popular and interesting places to visit in the
city.
Following the proclamation of the Republic in 1923,
the Military Museum building was renovated. With the outbreak of the
Second World War the collections were sent to Nigde, a city in central
Turkey, for safety. They were brought back to Istanbul in 1949 and stored
in Arsenal while preparations
were made for reopening the museum in this building. Meanwhile a new
inventory of the collection was made. When Arsenal
building was allocated to Istanbul Technical University in 1955, the
collections were moved again, this time to the gymnasium of the former
Military Academy which was to be the museums new home.
After this building was converted, the museum
reopened in 1959. In time the collection out grew the gymnasium building,
and it was decided to expand into the former Military Academy building.
Modernisation and enlargement of the museum began in
1967 according to designs drawn up by the architect Nezih Eldem. This
project was completed in 1993, and the museum pioneered the introduction
of museology standards and technology as laid down by the International
Council of Museums in Turkish museums. In 1994 a project was launched in
conjunction with the Turkish Institute of Science and Technology to
install computer-aided touch-screen monitor systems in eleven of the
exhibition halls. So far this system is available in the Multi-Media Hall,
the Gallipoli Campaign and War of Independence halls, the First World War
Defence Weapons Hall and the Tents Gallery. The computers in these rooms
provide a wide range of information in the form of photographs, drawings,
text, animation, sound, and video. The museum also has a Cultural Centre,
whose conference, exhibition, and reception rooms are available for a wide
range of cultural events whether military or civilian, Turkish or foreign.
The Centre has simultaneous interpretation facilities for use at
conferences, seminars, symposiums and colloquiums.
The museum has a large collection of arms, including
bows and arrows, axes, swords, and guns, and defensive weapons such as
shields, helmets and armour. The cannon collection consists of over three
hundred pieces, both Islamic and European. In addition there are military
uniforms, medals and decorations, standards and ensigns. The magnificent
collection of tents, all of which are Ottoman, numbers around 350 pieces.
The world's oldest military band, the mehter, gives concerts in the
grounds every day when the museum is open, and is one of the most popular
attractions for both Turkish and foreign visitors.
Source: Sky life 12/2000
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