Türkiye is among a limited number of countries worldwide in the field of conservation and restoration, with more than 251,000 artifacts preserved using scientific methods and brought into cultural life to date.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy recently visited the Conservation Laboratory operating under the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and inspected the work carried out there.
Ersoy said recent investments positioned Türkiye strongly on the international stage in archaeology and cultural heritage.
Noting that significant investments have been made in both personnel and equipment at conservation laboratories, Ersoy said, “As a concrete result of this, more than 251,000 artifacts have been restored at these centers and brought into our cultural life. Today, our country has one of the world’s leading conservation centers with large-scale and rapid production capacity.”
Ersoy said Türkiye’s technical infrastructure and expert workforce were closely followed by many countries, adding that specialist teams from abroad visit the laboratories for training and experience-sharing.
Noting that the laboratories are not limited to restoration work, Ersoy said that they also play a critical role in combating the illegal trafficking of cultural property through scientific data and technical analysis.
Providing information on conservation infrastructure, Ersoy said there are 11 active laboratories operating under the General Directorate, employing a total of 281 expert staff.
Stating that artifacts unearthed during excavations undergo numerous scientific procedures before being put on display, Ersoy said separate specialist teams work on materials such as wood, stone, metal, bronze and textiles, with intervention methods determined based on laboratory analyses.
Ersoy also addressed textile conservation works, noting that personal belongings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk displayed at his birthplace in Thessaloniki were carefully preserved at the laboratory.
He said the laboratories have the technical capacity to intervene in all types of materials, adding, “Personal belongings belonging to Atatürk’s family were temporarily exhibited at the Republic Museum, after which their maintenance and restoration were carried out here before they were returned to the Atatürk House in Thessaloniki.”
