Composed of artifacts from various Turkish museums, as well as the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and the N.P. Goulandris Foundation Museum of Cycladic Art, the exhibition will run until Aug. 28, examining the relations between the Cyclades in the Aegean and Anatolia, which gave rise to two cultures that, while similar in many respects, nonetheless maintained distinctive regional characteristics.
The exhibition has caused a stir on both sides of the Aegean as it marks the first official cooperation between museums from Turkey and Greece. Speaking at the official press conference held yesterday at the museum, SSM director Dr. Nazan Ölçer expressed her pleasure that such an exhibition had finally come to pass, stating, “In presenting the traces of our shared past we want this to be an event that will overcome the residual prejudices of past years and be an invitation to share our pride in this past.”
Nicholas Stampolidis, director of the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, who has been working closely with Ölçer for the past few years, commented that “the exhibition refers to a trip, a voyage in time and space. The best of what scientific archaeological research has produced in the last hundred years will be exhibited together for the first time,” before adding, “This attempt to bring our peoples together in higher cultural activities is a great moment for Turkey and Greece, as cooperation on such a scale between our ministries has previously been impossible.”
The exhibition displays interactions between the civilizations in Western Anatolia and Greece dating back to the third millennium B.C. and hosts many rare pieces from the Early Bronze Age, including examples from Cycladic art, figurines, ceramics and bronze tools. One of the highlights of the display is a 14-meter Cycladic ship excavated from Limantepe on Turkey’s western coast. Positioned in a central display area, a series of visual effects give the illusion of the boat being under water.
A series of workshops, special tours and educational programs for all ages in line with the exhibition will run over the summer period.
Author: Latifa Akay | Source: Sundays Zaman [May 23, 2011]