The museum’s collection reflects the town’s cultural heritage and traditional way of life.
A historic prison built during the Ottoman period in Bolu’s Gerede district has been transformed into a museum, taking visitors on a journey into the past.
The historic building, constructed in the early 1900s and used as a prison until 2012, was converted into a museum through a project prepared by Gerede Municipality with grant support from the
Eastern Marmara Development Agency.
The Gerede Municipality City Museum, which opened to visitors in November 2023, houses old household and agricultural tools, historical photographs of the district, shoemaking and blacksmithing equipment, as well as leather saddles, packsaddles and belts.
The museum, which aims to preserve Gerede’s cultural heritage and traditional way of life for future generations, has welcomed more than 10,000 visitors over the past two-and-a-half years.
İlhan Çetin, the museum’s manager, told state-run Anadolu Agency that the building remained vacant for seven years after the prison was closed.
The municipality then launched an initiative to bring the historic building back into public use.
“We evaluated this historic building as part of a project to bring it back to society. Instead of leaving it unused, it was turned into a museum that introduces Gerede’s culture,” Çetin said.
Describing the museum as a place that takes visitors on a journey into the past, Çetin said it aims to promote the culture and history of Gerede.
“The history of Gerede, professions practiced from the past to the present, crafts that are gradually disappearing and many objects used over the past 200 years are exhibited here,” he said.
“We have included many photographs and objects to introduce old Gerede to younger generations and help them better understand the culture of the past.”
Çetin noted that Gerede has been known for leatherworking for centuries, adding that the district’s leatherworking tradition dates back 3,000 to 4,000 years.
The museum also features information and artifacts related to the district’s leatherworking tradition.
Çetin said the museum’s collection consists mainly of artifacts previously displayed at a museum in the district center, along with objects donated by residents.
“All of the artifacts reflect Gerede,” he said, adding that the museum plays an important role in passing the past on to future generations.
The museum welcomes an average of 4,000 visitors annually, according to Çetin.
