Ankara Olgunlaşma Enstitüsü 100. Yıl Kız Teknik Öğrenim Müzesi

About Ankara Olgunlaşma Enstitüsü 100. Yıl Kız Teknik Öğrenim Müzesi

The 100. Yıl Kız Teknik Öğrenim Müzesi is the museum of the Ankara Olgunlaşma Enstitüsü on Atatürk Bulvarı in Sıhhiye. It was founded on 24 November 1981 to mark the centenary of Atatürk's birth, with the aim of protecting, presenting and passing on traditional Turkish handicrafts and the cultural heritage of Anatolia. The institute itself opened in Ankara in 1958 as the second olgunlaşma enstitüsü in Turkey, after the one in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, and its founding director was Şerife Uludağlı, whose name it also carries. It became known for vocational training of young women in Turkish handicrafts and for dressing the wives of state leaders. The museum collection began with that of Refia Övünç and has grown through donations and purchases; the institute lists 1105 objects in its inventory, mostly from the late Ottoman period. The display has three sections. The first holds handmade silver jewellery and objects made with techniques such as savat, telkari and enamel, along with hamam bowls, clogs, mirrors, trays, ewers, calligraphy scissors, spoons, glass and ceramics. The second shows ethnographic pieces: towels, embroidered cloths, bindallı dresses, şalvar and other clothing, stone printing blocks, lamps, a spinning wheel and a sewing machine. The third is an Atatürk corner with photographs and a visitors book. Objects are rotated so that more of the archive can be shown. Visits are by prior appointment only, on dates the institute management finds suitable, so contact the institute before going.