A sweeping exhibition tracing 12,000 years of jewelry craftsmanship across Anatolia has opened at the Ankara Ethnography Museum, bringing together hundreds of rare artifacts from museums throughout Türkiye.
Organized under the coordination of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the exhibition features 550 pieces collected from 60 museums nationwide.
The collection spans a vast historical timeline, from the Epipaleolithic era to the final years of the Ottoman Empire, offering visitors a comprehensive look at the evolution of adornment, symbolism and craftsmanship in Anatolia’s civilizations.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gökhan Yazgı as part of events marking the International Council of Museums’ 2026 theme, “Museums Uniting a Divided World.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yazgı noted that 276 of the exhibited artifacts are being displayed to the public for the first time.
He described jewelry as one of humanity’s oldest forms of expression, carrying meanings that extend beyond ornamentation. Rings, necklaces and seals, he said, historically reflected faith, social status, identity and belonging, transforming them into “living historical documents” that preserve the cultural codes of past societies.
Yazgı also emphasized Anatolia’s role as a historical crossroads where civilizations interacted and influenced one another over millennia.
Highlighting Türkiye’s recent investments, Yazgı said the ministry had renovated and expanded museums across the country over the past quarter-century, while also supporting the growth of private museums.
He noted that the number of ministry-supported private museums has reached 453, contributing to Türkiye’s increasing recognition in international museum awards and cultural heritage initiatives.
