Rákóczi Museum, Tekirdağ
Encyclopedia
The Rákóczi Museum aka Rákóczi House (Rakoczi Evi), is a historic house museum in Tekirdağ
, northwestern Turkey
, which is a rebuilt 18th century house devoted to the life and times of the Hungarian
national hero, Francis II Rákóczi
, who lived in this house in exile during his last years between 1720 and 1735. The house was transformed in 1982 into a museum after it was donated to the Hungarian State. Since then, it became a place of national pilgrimage for Hungarians and Székely
, people with Hungarian roots.
, and Prince of Transylvania, who led the first uprising between 1703 and 1711 against Austrian
repression of the Habsburg Monarchy
. After having failed, he was forced into exile. He lived some years in Poland
, then tried to find asylum in Britain
and later in France
without success. Rákóczi and his entourage finally landed in Gallipoli
, Ottoman Empire
in 1717 accepting an offer by Sultan Ahmet III (reigned 1703-1730), who sent a sailing ship to pick up them. After living in Edirne
and Istanbul
, he settled then in 1720 in Tekirdağ moving into a house, which was assigned to him and where he lived until his death on April 8, 1735.
His followers, among them essayist Kelemen Mikes
and many aristocrats, settled also in neighbouring streets of his house, making up a large Hungarian colony in Tekirdağ.
The remains of Rákóczi were transferred in 1906 from Istanbul to Kassa
in Hungary (today Košice in Slovakia
) together with his personal belongings from the house.
. Before the construction of the coastal highway in modern times, the house was closer to the sea.
The building was donated to the State of Hungary in the early 1980s, and was rebuilt after illustrations of the interior made by a Hungarian artist in 1906 as he travelled to Tekirdağ. The items on display are reproductions made precisely after their originals. Only a few items in the museum's inventory are original. The museum was officially opened to public on September 25, 1982. The museum, regarded as a cultural bridge between Turkey and Hungary, was restored again by the Hungarian government and re-opened in 2010.
There is a bronze bust of Rákóczi on the ground floor and of his chamberlain Kelemen at the basement. Oil painted portraits of Rákóczi's mother Jelena Zrinska
, his step father Imre Thököly
and his aides decorate the walls. A banner with his family's coat of arms is also on exhibit. In the building, a kitchen, a pantry
, an oriental toilet and a water well
can be seen.
In the first floor, porcelain and ceramic items from Hungary, a wallet made of silver thread belonging to Rákóczi's mother are on display. Watercolors by the Hungarian painter Aladár Edivi Illés (1870-1958) showing old Tekirdağ landscape hang on the walls at this floor.
The finest room of the house is the reception room
situated on the second floor. It is designed after a room, the prince had seen during his stay in Edirne and had liked much. The wooden ceiling is carved with ornaments of flowers and fruits. The windows of the room are of stained glass
. The walls are painted with Hungarian folk motifs. A wooden chair made and decoratively carved by Rákóczi himself can be seen also in this room. The office of Kelemen is also on this floor. He wrote his Letters from Turkey in this room. His work, a collection of letters written to an unknown aunt describing the daily life of Rákóczi in a lovely way, was translated into Turkish and published by the Governor of Tekirdağ.
In the museum, a banner and examples of the weapons used by the kuruc army
are on exhibit.
In front of the house museum, a wooden gate carved in traditional Szekely style was erected in 2005. Tekirdağ hosts also a fountain built in memorial of Rákóczi.
In 2007, the Rákóczi Museum was visited by 6,500 people, 3,500 of them being Hungarians only. It is open everyday except on Mondays.
There is a Rákóczi memorial house in Košice, Slovakia, which is a replica of the building in Tekirdağ.
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...
, which is a rebuilt 18th century house devoted to the life and times of the Hungarian
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
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...
, who lived in this house in exile during his last years between 1720 and 1735. The house was transformed in 1982 into a museum after it was donated to the Hungarian State. Since then, it became a place of national pilgrimage for Hungarians and Székely
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
, people with Hungarian roots.
History
Ferenc (Francis) II Rákóczi (1676-1735) was a Hungarian noble, the wealthiest landlord in the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, and Prince of Transylvania, who led the first uprising between 1703 and 1711 against Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
repression of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. After having failed, he was forced into exile. He lived some years in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, then tried to find asylum in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and later in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
without success. Rákóczi and his entourage finally landed in 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"...
, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1717 accepting an offer by Sultan Ahmet III (reigned 1703-1730), who sent a sailing ship to pick up them. After living in Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, he settled then in 1720 in Tekirdağ moving into a house, which was assigned to him and where he lived until his death on April 8, 1735.
His followers, among them essayist Kelemen Mikes
Kelemen Mikes
Kelemen Mikes was a Transylvanian-born Hungarian political figure and essayist, noted for his rebellious activities against the Habsburg Monarchy. Mikes is referred to as the "Hungarian Goethe", made famous by his Letters from Turkey...
and many aristocrats, settled also in neighbouring streets of his house, making up a large Hungarian colony in Tekirdağ.
The remains of Rákóczi were transferred in 1906 from Istanbul to Kassa
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
in Hungary (today Košice in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) together with his personal belongings from the house.
Museum
The building is an 18th century wooden house in typical Ottoman architectural style having ten rooms on three levels. It is situated on a small hill overlooking the Sea of MarmaraSea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
. Before the construction of the coastal highway in modern times, the house was closer to the sea.
The building was donated to the State of Hungary in the early 1980s, and was rebuilt after illustrations of the interior made by a Hungarian artist in 1906 as he travelled to Tekirdağ. The items on display are reproductions made precisely after their originals. Only a few items in the museum's inventory are original. The museum was officially opened to public on September 25, 1982. The museum, regarded as a cultural bridge between Turkey and Hungary, was restored again by the Hungarian government and re-opened in 2010.
There is a bronze bust of Rákóczi on the ground floor and of his chamberlain Kelemen at the basement. Oil painted portraits of Rákóczi's mother Jelena Zrinska
Ilona Zrínyi
Countess Ilona Zrínyi was one of the last surviving members of the Croatian Zrinski/Zrínyi noble family and one of the greatest heroines of Croatian and Hungarian history...
, his step father Imre Thököly
Imre Thököly
Count Imre Thököly de Késmárk was a Hungarian statesman, leader of an anti-Habsburg uprising, Prince of Transylvania, and vassal king of Upper Hungary.- Early life :Imre Thököly was born at Késmárk, Royal Hungary Count Imre Thököly de Késmárk (Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian, Mirko...
and his aides decorate the walls. A banner with his family's coat of arms is also on exhibit. In the building, a kitchen, a pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
, an oriental toilet and a water well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
can be seen.
In the first floor, porcelain and ceramic items from Hungary, a wallet made of silver thread belonging to Rákóczi's mother are on display. Watercolors by the Hungarian painter Aladár Edivi Illés (1870-1958) showing old Tekirdağ landscape hang on the walls at this floor.
The finest room of the house is the reception 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...
situated on the second floor. It is designed after a room, the prince had seen during his stay in Edirne and had liked much. The wooden ceiling is carved with ornaments of flowers and fruits. The windows of the room are of stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. The walls are painted with Hungarian folk motifs. A wooden chair made and decoratively carved by Rákóczi himself can be seen also in this room. The office of Kelemen is also on this floor. He wrote his Letters from Turkey in this room. His work, a collection of letters written to an unknown aunt describing the daily life of Rákóczi in a lovely way, was translated into Turkish and published by the Governor of Tekirdağ.
In the museum, a banner and examples of the weapons used by the kuruc army
Kuruc
The kuruc was a term used to denote the armed anti-Habsburg rebels in Royal Hungary between 1671 and 1711....
are on exhibit.
In front of the house museum, a wooden gate carved in traditional Szekely style was erected in 2005. Tekirdağ hosts also a fountain built in memorial of Rákóczi.
In 2007, the Rákóczi Museum was visited by 6,500 people, 3,500 of them being Hungarians only. It is open everyday except on Mondays.
Replica of the house