Gaziantep’s defense museum hosts 1.5 mln visitors in 5 years

GAZİANTEP

The Panorama 25 December Museum, dedicated to preserving the memory of the historic defense of the southern province of Gaziantep during Türkiye’s War of Independence, has welcomed nearly 1.5 million visitors over the past five years.

Officially inaugurated on Dec. 21, 2020, by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the museum has drawn sustained interest from both domestic and international visitors with its immersive design and extensive archival content.

The institution aims to transmit the legacy of the Antep Defense (1919-1921) — a civilian-led resistance against French occupation forces — to future generations through visual storytelling, original documents and period artifacts.

The museum was conceptualized and developed by a research commission comprising historians, representatives of professional chambers, civil society organizations and public institutions.

Located in the Seferpaşa neighborhood, the museum consists of four main sections featuring large-scale oil paintings by Russian artist Alexander Samsonov, whose works depict key moments from the resistance period.

Among the exhibits are personal belongings donated by veterans and families of martyrs, doors and windows salvaged from buildings that bore witness to the fighting, weapons used during the resistance and authentic clothing from the era.

The collection offers visitors a tangible connection to the urban warfare and civilian resilience that defined the Antep Defense.

This year, marking the 104th anniversary of Gaziantep’s liberation, the museum will permanently open a new hall dedicated to the military archives of Şahinbey, one of the most prominent local commanders of the resistance.

Bekir Sıtkı Severoğlu, the chairman of the museum’s historical council, said the museum’s relevance extends beyond local history.

“The Panorama 25 December Museum can be considered a museum of Türkiye’s War of Independence as a whole,” he said, noting that visitor numbers continue to rise. “We have now reached nearly 1.5 million visitors."

Severoğlu emphasized the museum’s universal message, drawing parallels between past and present conflicts.

“A century ago, hospitals in Antep were destroyed by bombardment. Today, we witness similar scenes in Gaza, in Ukraine and elsewhere,” he said. “The inhumane weapons and bombardments used by the French forces then — acts that would be considered war crimes today — are unfortunately visible in different parts of the world.”

He stressed that the museum advocated peace.

“This is not a museum of hostility. We did not build this place to sow hatred toward the French people,” Severoğlu said. “On the contrary, we hope for the day when conscientious voices from France acknowledge this history and offer an apology to the people of Gaziantep. We also hope they come with a commitment to restore what was destroyed, including the forests that were cut down.”

One of the museum’s most striking features is its 360-degree panorama, which Severoğlu described as unique on a global scale.

The panoramic canvas measures 122 meters in width and 13 meters in height, accompanied by a three-dimensional model area 18 meters deep.

“Unlike traditional panoramas where visitors observe from behind a barrier, here they are placed directly inside the scene,” he said. “The panorama narrates a 26-month period, beginning with the raids in the village of Araplar and culminating in Gaziantep’s liberation.”

The museum also displays a flag personally carried by modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk throughout the War of Independence.

Visitors echoed the emotional impact of the exhibition. Gaziantep resident Hülya Evyapan, whose family includes veterans and martyrs, said the museum offers a complete and moving account.

“Everything is presented beautifully and thoroughly. It allows future generations to understand how our ancestors defended their homeland and how we arrived at today,” she said.

Primary school teacher Begüm Çatal said she regularly brings students to the museum to foster historical awareness. “Seeing the sacrifices and heroism of past generations helps build a strong sense of historical consciousness.”