Exhibition unveils lost works in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), a new exhibition tells the story of 40 books found hidden inside a bundle in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş and their journey from Afşin to Istanbul.

The exhibition “Saklı Kalanlar” (The Hidden Ones) features 40 manuscripts and printed works that were discovered in 2020 inside the wall of a collapsed mudbrick house in the district of Afşin.

Among the books, which belonged to İstiklal Medal recipient Mehmet İmamoğlu and had been hidden between the walls, are works on logic, Islamic jurisprudence, the life of Prophet Muhammad, Qur'anic exegesis, prayer guides, religious stories, Qur'anic recitation rules, Arabic grammar and a soldier’s notebook.

The manuscripts and printed works were carefully preserved from the moment they were discovered and transported to the Asitane Conservation and Restoration Center in Istanbul.

Placed under the protection of the Afşin Municipality, the books underwent meticulous restoration work for three years at the Asitane Conservation and Restoration Center.

After being returned to Afşin, the books were once again buried under debris following the devastating Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on Feb. 6, 2023.

Remarkably, the works, which had been packaged according to conservation standards, were recovered from the rubble without any physical damage.

First to use handmade conservation paper

Hasibe Nurhayat Turan, president of the Asitane Foundation, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that they had been involved in the conservation of these books for the past three years, saying: "We wanted to share these works with the public because they represent a part of Türkiye's history. They reveal the broad spectrum of educational materials used in the madrasahs of that era."

Turan added that the exhibition not only sheds light on the past but also paves the way for a future museum dedicated to these 40 works.

She also emphasized that the foundation produced its own conservation paper, saying: "In this exhibition, we used our own handmade paper for the restoration of the books. Thus, this is the first exhibition in Türkiye where handmade paper has been used in conservation. The mission and vision it carries are therefore highly significant. After completing the conservation work, we returned the books to Afşin. Although they were later buried under rubble in the Feb. 6 earthquake, thanks to the proper conservation packaging, the books survived without any damage."

The exhibition is divided into sections: "The Hidden Books," "The Seven Sleepers," "The Conservation Process of the Books," and "Earthquake and Cultural Heritage."

Sponsored by Varaka Paper, the exhibition is structured around the discovery of the books, their conservation journeys, their ties to folk culture, and post-earthquake preservation strategies.

Locally produced handmade paper by Istanbul Paper was used in the conservation of the 40 manuscripts featured in the project.

The exhibition will be open to visitors until May 9.