A pair of palaces, joined in photos
Güncelleme Tarihi:
ISTANBUL - An exhibition featuring photographs and artifacts related to the Alhambra and Topkapı palaces in Spain and Turkey opened Sunday as part of the second Alliance of Civilizations forum.
Turkish Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay delivered the opening speech for the exhibition, "The Palaces of Alhambra and Topkapı in the Photography of the Journey to the East, on the Boundaries of the Same Sea." He said the exhibition was one of the most meaningful dialogues created by the forum, which began yesterday, adding that the words "Alhambra" and "Andalusia" (the region of Spain where that palace is located) have come to symbolize aesthetics, tolerance and a high level of civilization.
Spanish Equality Minister Bibiana Aido said the exhibition would draw Turkish and Spanish societies closer to each other from their respective sides of the Mediterranean. Aido noted that the two palaces had been photographed by the world’s most respected photographers of the period and that both buildings were highly admired by poets and artists.
Bringing cultures together
Topkapı Palace Museum Director Prof. İlber Ortaylı said Andalusia was a civilization founded by the members of three religions Ğ Islam, Christianity and Judaism Ğ and a monument mentioned in Turkish literature. "In this palace, Topkapı, built by Fatih Sultan the Conqueror, we host Alhambra, which is regarded as the center of Andalusia," Ortaylı said. "The photos in the exhibition will bring the two cultures closer."
A total of 126 works, including photographs, maps and plans, lithographs, travel books, scale models, plaster reproductions and original artifacts from the Ottoman period have been brought together for the exhibition. Selected panoramic views of Granada, by James Robertson, and Istanbul, by Abdullah Biraderler, are also included.
The pieces in the exhibition have been collected from the archives of the Alhambra and Generalife Council, the Istanbul University library, the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation’s Istanbul Research Institute, the Topkapı Museum, the Washington Congress Library and the Granada Rodriguez-Acosta Foundation.
The exhibition was curated by Javier Pinar and Carlos Sanchez and will be on view through May 31.