Namık Kemal House Museum, Tekirdağ
Encyclopedia
The Namık Kemal House Museum is a historic house museum in Tekirdağ
, northwestern Turkey
devoted to the life and works of Namık Kemal
(1840–1888), Turkish nationalist
poet. It is a rebuilt 19th century house, which was transformed 1993 into a museum.
The house, situated on a hill, is encircled by a large garden with walls. A big garden gate opens to the street in front of the house, named after him, Namık Kemal Caddesi. In the garden, there is a small open air theater with stage and audience space.
The exterior of the building is covered with wood to give appearance of an old wooden house. The house can also be entered over a few steps at the basement level. The ground floor is paved with marble. Six rooms of the house are made of wood.
items collected from the region are on exhibit in addition to the items relating to Namık Kemal.
The basement, outfitted with big boards, is allocated for exhibitions.
The entrance hall at the ground floor is decorated with portraits of the poet. There are also oil paintings depicting the grave of Namık Kemal in Bolayır on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and portrait of the Hungarian national hero Francis II Rákóczi
(1676–1735), who spent his last years in exile in Tekirdağ. On two boards in the living room, a list of places that were named in memoriam of Namık Kemal, news in the media about him, documents, photos of his famiy members, as well as of old Tekirdağ are posted. 19th century traditional handicraft works, lighting devices, utensils to prepare and serve Turkish coffee
and Turkish tea
are additional items of interest that are on display.
Next to the living room is the kitchen, were almost every kitchenware
used in and around Tekirdağ are on exhibit, like food grinding and preparation tools, cooking utensils and diverse food storage container
s.
The building's original pantry is arranged as an exhibition room devoed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
's military career during the Battle of Gallipoli (1915–1916). Additionally, documents and photos are here on display, related to Atatürk and Tekirdağ together following the foundation of the Turkish Republic.
The wall of the staircase leading to the first floor is decorated with a photo of Namık Kemal with his grandson, and oil paintings depicting Alp Arslan
(1029–1072), the third sultan of the Seljuk dynasty, as well as the conqueror of Anatolia
, Süleyman Pasha
(1316–1357), the conqueror of Rumelia
, during his crossing the Dardanelles
by raft, and the Ottoman Sultan Selim I
(1465–1520), who died at Çorlu
, Tekirdağ Province
underway to a military campaign in Europe.
The second floor is arranged as a drawing room
of a typical Tekirdağ house. The chamber is furnished with divan
, corner pillows, kilim
s, a Salonica brazier
, a cabinet
made of walnut timber and its big mirror, and closets. In addition, items like wedding dress
es specific to Tekirdağ, censer
s, oilcans, dowry
bundles, money bag
s etc. are on display.
Another room is devoted to notable people, musicians and artists, who were born or worked in Tekirdağ.
In the hall, oil paintings showing Namık Kemal, an old Tekirdağ mansion and a street in Uzunköprü
are hanging on the walls. In a glass cabinet, photos taken in 1883 are on display, of places like Gallipoli
, Lesbos, Rhodes
and Chios
, where Namık Kemal served as governor and died in 1888. In another big cabinet, a copy of the first issue of the newspaper "Hürriyet" (Turkish for "Liberty"), he published in London
, is shown together with his letters, translations and a prayer mat
.
The room devoted to Namık Kemal himself consists of a picture of his grandfather Abdüllatif Bey, a district governor, with him as he was six years old, a charcoal drawing of Tokatlı Ali Rıza Hafız, who gave him his personal name
, his pedigree chart
and his life story. A piano and prayer rugs are found also in this room.
Namık Kemal House Museum is open to public on weekdays.
Tekirdag
Tekirdağ , the ancient Bisanthi , is a city in Eastern Thrace, in the European part of Turkey. Tekirdağ is the capital of Tekirdağ Province, felt by the local people to be a quieter and more pleasant town than the industrial centre of Çorlu, which it administers. The city population as of 2009 was...
, northwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
devoted to the life and works of Namık Kemal
Namık Kemal
Namık Kemal, born as Mehmed Kemal was a Turkish nationalist poet, translator, journalist, and social reformer.-Biography:...
(1840–1888), Turkish nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
poet. It is a rebuilt 19th century house, which was transformed 1993 into a museum.
Building
The house was rebuilt in 1992 with donations made by local official and charitable organizations. It is a three level house in Ottoman architectural style designed after the still standing, old houses in the direct neighborhood.The house, situated on a hill, is encircled by a large garden with walls. A big garden gate opens to the street in front of the house, named after him, Namık Kemal Caddesi. In the garden, there is a small open air theater with stage and audience space.
The exterior of the building is covered with wood to give appearance of an old wooden house. The house can also be entered over a few steps at the basement level. The ground floor is paved with marble. Six rooms of the house are made of wood.
Museum
In the museum, which was officially opened on December 21, 1993, also ethnographicalEthnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
items collected from the region are on exhibit in addition to the items relating to Namık Kemal.
The basement, outfitted with big boards, is allocated for exhibitions.
The entrance hall at the ground floor is decorated with portraits of the poet. There are also oil paintings depicting the grave of Namık Kemal in Bolayır on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and portrait of the Hungarian national hero Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
(1676–1735), who spent his last years in exile in Tekirdağ. On two boards in the living room, a list of places that were named in memoriam of Namık Kemal, news in the media about him, documents, photos of his famiy members, as well as of old Tekirdağ are posted. 19th century traditional handicraft works, lighting devices, utensils to prepare and serve Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee is a method of preparing coffee where finely powdered roast coffee beans are boiled in a pot , with sugar according to taste, before being served into a cup where the dregs settle...
and Turkish tea
Turkish tea
Turkish tea is a type of tea that is popular mainly in the Turkish-speaking countries. In Turkey, Turkish tea tends to be more popular than Turkish coffee among the younger generation.-Introduction:...
are additional items of interest that are on display.
Next to the living room is the kitchen, were almost every kitchenware
Kitchenware
Kitchenware include utensils, appliances, dishes, cookware, and so on for use in the kitchen.-See also:*Cookware and bakeware*Dishware*Drinkware*List of eating utensils*List of food preparation utensils*List of Japanese cooking utensils...
used in and around Tekirdağ are on exhibit, like food grinding and preparation tools, cooking utensils and diverse food storage container
Food storage container
Food storage containers are widespread in use throughout the world and have probably been in use since the first human civilisations.-Early civilizations:...
s.
The building's original pantry is arranged as an exhibition room devoed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
's military career during the Battle of Gallipoli (1915–1916). Additionally, documents and photos are here on display, related to Atatürk and Tekirdağ together following the foundation of the Turkish Republic.
The wall of the staircase leading to the first floor is decorated with a photo of Namık Kemal with his grandson, and oil paintings depicting Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan was the third sultan of the Seljuq dynasty and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty...
(1029–1072), the third sultan of the Seljuk dynasty, as well as the conqueror of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Süleyman Pasha
Suleyman Pasha (son of Orhan)
Suleyman Pasha was the eldest son of Orhan I, the second bey of the newly established Ottoman Empire.-Assault on Byzantium:Suleyman Pasha struck a bold blow to the weakened Byzantine Empire on behalf of his race, which gave the Turks a permanent establishment on the European side of the Hellespont...
(1316–1357), the conqueror of Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
, during his crossing the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
by raft, and the Ottoman Sultan Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
(1465–1520), who died at Çorlu
Çorlu
Çorlu is a northwestern Turkish city in inland Eastern Thrace that falls under the administration of the Province of Tekirdağ. It is a rapidly developing industrial center built on flatland located off the E80 highway between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria. As of the 2000...
, Tekirdağ Province
Tekirdag Province
The Tekirdağ Province is in Trakya , the northwestern part of Turkey. The capital city is Tekirdağ. It is famous for its meatball called "Tekirdağ köfte" and the Turkish alcoholic drink called Tekirdağ rakısı.-Districts:...
underway to a military campaign in Europe.
The second floor is arranged as a drawing room
Drawing room
A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained. The name is derived from the sixteenth-century terms "withdrawing room" and "withdrawing chamber", which remained in use through the seventeenth century, and made its first written appearance in 1642...
of a typical Tekirdağ house. The chamber is furnished with divan
Divan (furniture)
A divan is a piece of couch-like sitting furniture; or in the UK, a box-spring based bed....
, corner pillows, kilim
Kilim
Kilims are flat tapestry-woven carpets or rugs produced from the Balkans to Pakistan. Kilims can be purely decorative or can function as prayer rugs. Recently-made kilims are popular floor-coverings in Western households.-Etymology:...
s, a Salonica brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
, a cabinet
Cabinet (furniture)
A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
made of walnut timber and its big mirror, and closets. In addition, items like wedding dress
Wedding dress
A wedding dress or wedding gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
es specific to Tekirdağ, censer
Censer
Censers are any type of vessels made for burning incense. These vessels vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as...
s, oilcans, dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
bundles, money bag
Money bag
A money bag is a bag of money used to hold and transport coins and banknotes from/to a mint, bank, ATM, milled, business, or other institution...
s etc. are on display.
Another room is devoted to notable people, musicians and artists, who were born or worked in Tekirdağ.
In the hall, oil paintings showing Namık Kemal, an old Tekirdağ mansion and a street in Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü is a small town and a district of Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey.It is on the railway line from Istanbul towards Sofia, Belgrade and western Europe, and a frontier post on the Greek border.- Long Bridge :...
are hanging on the walls. In a glass cabinet, photos taken in 1883 are on display, of places like Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
, Lesbos, Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, where Namık Kemal served as governor and died in 1888. In another big cabinet, a copy of the first issue of the newspaper "Hürriyet" (Turkish for "Liberty"), he published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, is shown together with his letters, translations and a prayer mat
Prayer mat
A prayer rug or prayer mat, , is a piece of fabric to keep the worshipper clean and comfortable during the sajda of salat...
.
The room devoted to Namık Kemal himself consists of a picture of his grandfather Abdüllatif Bey, a district governor, with him as he was six years old, a charcoal drawing of Tokatlı Ali Rıza Hafız, who gave him his personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
, his pedigree chart
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
and his life story. A piano and prayer rugs are found also in this room.
Namık Kemal House Museum is open to public on weekdays.