Ancient civilizations on show at Amasra Museum

BARTIN – Anadolu Agency

The Amasra Museum, home to more than 3,000 archaeological and ethnographical artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Genoese, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, reveals the northern province of Bartın’s 5,000-year-old history. 

The Amasra district, where the museum is located, bears the name of Persian queen Amastris, who ruled the city after the Lydians. 

The museum opened in 1969 at a primary school building after many artifacts were consecutively extracted from the region. The museum moved to its new place in 1982 after the building of a navy school was bought by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. 

With four exhibition halls, the museum displays pieces extracted from graves such as tear glasses, golden and bronze jewelries, bronze statuettes, bracelets, hooks, crosses, weapons, candles, as well as copper kitchen tools, writing tools, chandeliers, seals, scales, ceramics, rings and traditional dresses. 

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ancient-civilizations-on-show-at-amasra-museum-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=111887&NewsCatID=375 

Secret tunnel found in historical castle

KONYA - Anadolu Agency

A secret tunnel has been discovered in Konya’s Gevale Castle. Built by the Hittites, the tunnel was also used during the Seljuk era

  AA photos

A secret tunnel has been discovered in Gevale Castle, located on the Takkel Mountain in the Central Anatolian province of Konya’s Selçuklu district, which had been home to many civilizations during the Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Karamanids and Ottoman eras. 

The head of the excavations at the castle, Necmettin Erbakan University History of Arts Prof. Ahmet Çaycı, said the excavation works at the site had been carried out with a team of 30 people. 

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/secret-tunnel-found--in-historical-castle-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=90026&NewsCatID=375 

Documentary film on Anatolian Seljuks

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The Anatolian Seljuk state will be explained in new documentary. The shooting of the documentary began in the Central Anatolian province of Konya and continued in 20 provinces in total

The documentary particularly focuses on the concepts of mosque, caravanserai and madrasah. AA photos

A new documentary film, produced by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish state television TRT, features the settlement of the Seljuk Empire in Anatolia, their artworks and policies they followed.

The making of the documentary started eight months ago in the Central Anatolian province of Konya and continued in about 20 provinces. Highlighting the architectural structures of the Anatolian Seljuk state, the documentary particularly focuses on the concepts of mosque, caravanserai and madrasah.

The Alaaddin Mosque, Karatay Madrasah and İnce Minare Museum in Konya, Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir district and Sultan Han in Aksaray are among the places shown in the documentary.

Proposal by municipality
Hadi Şenol, the director of the documentary “Anadolu’da Selçuklu” (Seljuks in Anatolia), said that his interest in the Anatolian Seljuk state began in 1988 during the shooting of a documentary titled “Anadolu’nun Başkentleri” (Capitals of Anatolia).

“Since then I have wanted to document the settlement of the Seljuk state in Anatolia. When officials from the Konya Metropolitan Municipality proposed I make a documentary, we started preparations,” he said, adding that the shooting of the documentary was about to be completed. “It will be finished after scriptwriting, soundrecording, mounting and composing of special music. We plan to deliver the documentary for broadcasting. It will be first aired on TRT’s HD channel and then on TRT1 and TRT Anatolia channels.” Şenol said the documentary, whose director of photography is Sarper Hokna, would have two episodes, each of which will be 30 minutes. “It is an HD documentary. It is the first documentary shot in HD progressive, which means 1920x1080. We will also have animations. For example, we will animate Alaaddin Hill at the time of the Seljuk period. We will tell what Anatolia is in the first episode, and the policies of the Seljuk state when moving to Anatolia will be told in the second episode.”

Şenol said they had some difficulties during the shooting of the documentary. “For example, Sinop Castle has lost its characteristics because of visual pollution. We have encountered many areas like this. The concept of mosque and madrasah will be highlighted as the Seljuk state constructed these buildings for the education and safety of the people.”