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Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 9 2014
Exhibition documents 600 years of dialogue between Turkey and Poland
9 March 2014 /HATÄ°CE KÃ`BRA KULA, Ä°STANBUL
To arrange a meeting with a close friend of your
great-great-grandfather in order to learn about his life is one of the
opportunities which is nearly impossible to seize in your lifetime,
even though many of us have a deep thirst to obtain knowledge about
the past experiences of our relatives.
But now, a similar experience awaits both Turkish and Polish citizens
in İstanbul's Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) which is presenting its most
recent historical exhibition, `Distant Neighbor, Close Memories: 600
Years of Turkish-Polish Relations,' from March 7 to June 15.
As its title suggests, the show is held as part of the celebratory
events marking the 600th anniversary of Turkish-Polish diplomatic
relations, which started in 1414 when King Ladislaus Jagiello of
Poland sent two envoys, Jakub Skarbek of Gora and Gregory the
Armenian, to the court of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed I Çelebi in Bursa.
The exhibition showcases a total of 348 items, including sultans'
clothes, carpets, armor and paintings, to shed light on the results of
the cultural, political and economic connection between the two
distant countries during the wars, conflicts and peace up to the end
of the 17th century.
These pieces are on loan from the collections of 35 Polish museums,
churches, archives, libraries and monasteries and Ä°stanbul-based
institutions such as the Topkapı Palace Museum, the Museum of Turkish
and Islamic Art and the Sadberk Hanım Museum.
The displayed items are placed in the three floors of the exhibition
venue in such a way that they reflect the dialogue between Poland and
Turkey, SSM director-curator Nazan Ã-lçer pointed out during the show's
press preview on Thursday morning.
Lives of Ottoman and Polish rulers explored
`We would like to explore the personalities and families of both the
Ottoman sultan Mehmed IV, [who played a part in the 1672-76
Polish-Ottoman War] and Polish King John III Sobieski, [who played a
major role in the Siege of Vienna which resulted in the defeat of the
Ottomans],' Ã-lçer said.
The museum director also referred to the peaceful relations between
the two countries, giving the example of the Ottomans' refusal to
recognize the 1795 partition of Poland by Austria, Russia and Prussia.
`The Ottomans preserved the protocol place reserved for the Polish
ambassador in the palace. On formal state occasions, it was always
declared that the Polish ambassador was delayed in his journey and
unable to attend,' according to the press release for the exhibition.
Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski
said the countries' mutual respect is based on information and the
organizers of the exhibition have tried to provide an opportunity to
witness history. `Art events can bring us together and we have to
respect differences while doing so,' the minister said. Zdrojewski
thinks the exhibition title perfectly reflects the character of the
relations between the two countries which have many similarities
despite geographical and cultural distances.
The travels of Polish ambassadors to the Ottoman lands, the Ottomans'
export of commercial products to Poland and the spoils of war
remaining from a defeated Ottoman army are among the main sources of
the similarities between the two countries.
As a demonstration of this, Ã-lçer drew the press members' attention to
the design used on the materials of the Polish clergy's clothes and
the carpets that adorned the homes of the rich Polish people of the
time. Beata Biedronska-Slota from the National Museum of Cracow wrote
an article about the same subject for a book about the exhibition.
`The best examples of Turkish handcraft, including carpets ¦ silk
fabrics with designs and clothes, had been unceasingly brought to the
lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since the Middle Ages
thanks to the trade initiated by the Armenians,' the article says.
Polish kings, nobleman and upper class citizens ordered works of art
from the Ottoman lands, according to Biedronska-Slota.
Ottoman taste influences Polish fashion
The exhibition also reveals the impact of Ottoman taste on Polish
fashion. Visitors can see the portraits of Polish people who dressed
the way Ottomans did. `Commercial and cultural relations between
Poland and Ottoman Turkey, which began in the 15th century and reached
their peak in the 17th and 18th centuries, made major contributions to
the arts in both countries, in particular influencing the manners and
dress of the Polish elite,' Ã-lçer was quoted as saying in the press
release.
`Since a relationship going back to 600 years could not be represented
by material from Poland alone, we were obliged to find a contemporary
equivalent for every object brought from that country,' the museum
director comments. While one wall of the exhibition space presents the
portraits of the family members of a Polish king, on the opposite wall
can be seen the family of an Ottoman sultan.
A section of the show displays objects -- such as weapons, armor, a
gunpowder flask and a tent -- the Ottoman army had to leave behind
following their defeat at the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. These
items were shared by the noble families of Poland, Ã-lçer noted, and
twice expressed her gratitude to Polish institutions that have
preserved these items with the utmost care for long years.
Shedding light on diplomatic relations
A series of gravures, personal items, medals, oil-on canvas paintings
and letters along with other written documents such the 1699 Treaty of
Karlowitz -- which marks of the end of the Ottoman control in a large
part of Central Europe -- are among the items the exhibition uses to
inform viewers about diplomatic relations and the results of the wars
between Poland and Turkey.
`In the 17th century, changing power balances and alliances in Europe
and the policy pursued by the Habsburgs in Eastern Europe resulted in
the confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of
Poland. This culminated in the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. The
developments that led up to this climax ¦ the First and the Second
Battle of Khotyn,' are all revealed thanks to these series of items,
according to the press release.
The historical developments in the Ottoman Empire and Poland after the
Second Siege of Vienna are also investigated in the show. The
post-1699 period covers the partitioning of Poland, some Polish
patriots and soldiers seeking refuge in the Ottoman lands and the
Polish battalion led by Sadık PaÅ?a that fought with the Ottoman army
during the Crimean War. Some series of maps, paintings and personal
items from the exhibition also shed light on such these events.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events, including
screenings of Polish films, discussions attended by Polish directors,
concerts by Polish musicians and educational workshops for children.
Warsaw National Museum Director Agnieszka Morowinska, who was also
present at the press review, said she hopes this exhibition will
provide further encouragement to attract more Polish people to Turkey
as Polish people are already interested in the cultural heritage of
Ä°stanbul.
For visiting hours and ticket prices, go to muze.sabanciuniv.edu.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-341527-exhibition-documents-600-years-of-dialogue-between-turkey-and-poland.html
March 9 2014
Exhibition documents 600 years of dialogue between Turkey and Poland
9 March 2014 /HATÄ°CE KÃ`BRA KULA, Ä°STANBUL
To arrange a meeting with a close friend of your
great-great-grandfather in order to learn about his life is one of the
opportunities which is nearly impossible to seize in your lifetime,
even though many of us have a deep thirst to obtain knowledge about
the past experiences of our relatives.
But now, a similar experience awaits both Turkish and Polish citizens
in İstanbul's Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) which is presenting its most
recent historical exhibition, `Distant Neighbor, Close Memories: 600
Years of Turkish-Polish Relations,' from March 7 to June 15.
As its title suggests, the show is held as part of the celebratory
events marking the 600th anniversary of Turkish-Polish diplomatic
relations, which started in 1414 when King Ladislaus Jagiello of
Poland sent two envoys, Jakub Skarbek of Gora and Gregory the
Armenian, to the court of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed I Çelebi in Bursa.
The exhibition showcases a total of 348 items, including sultans'
clothes, carpets, armor and paintings, to shed light on the results of
the cultural, political and economic connection between the two
distant countries during the wars, conflicts and peace up to the end
of the 17th century.
These pieces are on loan from the collections of 35 Polish museums,
churches, archives, libraries and monasteries and Ä°stanbul-based
institutions such as the Topkapı Palace Museum, the Museum of Turkish
and Islamic Art and the Sadberk Hanım Museum.
The displayed items are placed in the three floors of the exhibition
venue in such a way that they reflect the dialogue between Poland and
Turkey, SSM director-curator Nazan Ã-lçer pointed out during the show's
press preview on Thursday morning.
Lives of Ottoman and Polish rulers explored
`We would like to explore the personalities and families of both the
Ottoman sultan Mehmed IV, [who played a part in the 1672-76
Polish-Ottoman War] and Polish King John III Sobieski, [who played a
major role in the Siege of Vienna which resulted in the defeat of the
Ottomans],' Ã-lçer said.
The museum director also referred to the peaceful relations between
the two countries, giving the example of the Ottomans' refusal to
recognize the 1795 partition of Poland by Austria, Russia and Prussia.
`The Ottomans preserved the protocol place reserved for the Polish
ambassador in the palace. On formal state occasions, it was always
declared that the Polish ambassador was delayed in his journey and
unable to attend,' according to the press release for the exhibition.
Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski
said the countries' mutual respect is based on information and the
organizers of the exhibition have tried to provide an opportunity to
witness history. `Art events can bring us together and we have to
respect differences while doing so,' the minister said. Zdrojewski
thinks the exhibition title perfectly reflects the character of the
relations between the two countries which have many similarities
despite geographical and cultural distances.
The travels of Polish ambassadors to the Ottoman lands, the Ottomans'
export of commercial products to Poland and the spoils of war
remaining from a defeated Ottoman army are among the main sources of
the similarities between the two countries.
As a demonstration of this, Ã-lçer drew the press members' attention to
the design used on the materials of the Polish clergy's clothes and
the carpets that adorned the homes of the rich Polish people of the
time. Beata Biedronska-Slota from the National Museum of Cracow wrote
an article about the same subject for a book about the exhibition.
`The best examples of Turkish handcraft, including carpets ¦ silk
fabrics with designs and clothes, had been unceasingly brought to the
lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since the Middle Ages
thanks to the trade initiated by the Armenians,' the article says.
Polish kings, nobleman and upper class citizens ordered works of art
from the Ottoman lands, according to Biedronska-Slota.
Ottoman taste influences Polish fashion
The exhibition also reveals the impact of Ottoman taste on Polish
fashion. Visitors can see the portraits of Polish people who dressed
the way Ottomans did. `Commercial and cultural relations between
Poland and Ottoman Turkey, which began in the 15th century and reached
their peak in the 17th and 18th centuries, made major contributions to
the arts in both countries, in particular influencing the manners and
dress of the Polish elite,' Ã-lçer was quoted as saying in the press
release.
`Since a relationship going back to 600 years could not be represented
by material from Poland alone, we were obliged to find a contemporary
equivalent for every object brought from that country,' the museum
director comments. While one wall of the exhibition space presents the
portraits of the family members of a Polish king, on the opposite wall
can be seen the family of an Ottoman sultan.
A section of the show displays objects -- such as weapons, armor, a
gunpowder flask and a tent -- the Ottoman army had to leave behind
following their defeat at the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. These
items were shared by the noble families of Poland, Ã-lçer noted, and
twice expressed her gratitude to Polish institutions that have
preserved these items with the utmost care for long years.
Shedding light on diplomatic relations
A series of gravures, personal items, medals, oil-on canvas paintings
and letters along with other written documents such the 1699 Treaty of
Karlowitz -- which marks of the end of the Ottoman control in a large
part of Central Europe -- are among the items the exhibition uses to
inform viewers about diplomatic relations and the results of the wars
between Poland and Turkey.
`In the 17th century, changing power balances and alliances in Europe
and the policy pursued by the Habsburgs in Eastern Europe resulted in
the confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of
Poland. This culminated in the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. The
developments that led up to this climax ¦ the First and the Second
Battle of Khotyn,' are all revealed thanks to these series of items,
according to the press release.
The historical developments in the Ottoman Empire and Poland after the
Second Siege of Vienna are also investigated in the show. The
post-1699 period covers the partitioning of Poland, some Polish
patriots and soldiers seeking refuge in the Ottoman lands and the
Polish battalion led by Sadık PaÅ?a that fought with the Ottoman army
during the Crimean War. Some series of maps, paintings and personal
items from the exhibition also shed light on such these events.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events, including
screenings of Polish films, discussions attended by Polish directors,
concerts by Polish musicians and educational workshops for children.
Warsaw National Museum Director Agnieszka Morowinska, who was also
present at the press review, said she hopes this exhibition will
provide further encouragement to attract more Polish people to Turkey
as Polish people are already interested in the cultural heritage of
Ä°stanbul.
For visiting hours and ticket prices, go to muze.sabanciuniv.edu.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-341527-exhibition-documents-600-years-of-dialogue-between-turkey-and-poland.html