Anatolian Architecture and Furniture Cultural Heritage Museum

Special Anatolian Architecture and Furniture Cultural Heritage Museum is Türkiye’s first museum dedicated to architecture and furniture. It was officially registered and opened to the public on 25 December 2008 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye. The museum’s establishment is the result of a project initiated by Ali Rıza Bozkurt, a senior engineer and businessman who passed away in 2018, with the intention of honoring his mother Meryem (Merik) Bozkurt. Bozkurt’s aim was to preserve and present to both local and international visitors the Turkish architectural, furniture, and lifestyle culture that stretches back centuries.

Interior of the Museum (Anadolu Agency)

Merik Konağı and Architectural Details

The museum operates within the Merik Konağı, also known locally as the “Golden Pavilion.” The building was constructed with the purpose of transmitting Ottoman architectural, furniture, and lifestyle culture from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, beginning in the capital Ankara and extending throughout Anatolia to future generations.

Merik Konağı reflects a rich cultural heritage drawn from over a thousand forms and motifs sourced from symbolic Ottoman structures such as palaces, pavilions, mansions, mosques, and homes. These forms and motifs were carefully selected from thirty different historical buildings to create a cohesive Anatolian architectural style. During construction, the interior and exterior architecture and furnishings of historical structures in Istanbul were meticulously studied; specialized workshops were established to reproduce these details with original quality and craftsmanship. Each detail was handcrafted over seven years by master artisans. The red cedar used for the building’s exterior cladding was imported from the United States. Every area of the structure, from chandeliers to ceilings and from the garden to the staircases, showcases exquisite examples of artisanal work.

Merik Konağı Ceiling Decoration (Anadolu Agency)

Collection Contents

The museum’s collection comprises valuable accessories and furniture used in Ottoman palaces and pavilions during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Among the exhibited pieces are significant items that were illegally smuggled out of the country following the dissolution of the Ottoman dynasty and later acquired by the Bozkurt family from auction houses in the 1990s:

• Hand-carved works crafted personally by Sultan Abdülhamid II, who was also recognized as a master furniture artisan.
• Thrones belonging to Sultan Abdülaziz.
• Serveware sets used by Sultan Vahdettin in Dolmabahçe Sarayı.

The collection also includes a fragment of the Hacer-ül Esved, taken from the Black Stone, which was placed during the construction of the Kaaba in the time of Prophet Ibrahim to mark the starting point of circumambulation. This fragment was presented as a gift to Ali Rıza Bozkurt by the then King of Saudi Arabia in recognition of his role in constructing the tunnels of Mecca. Another notable piece in the collection is a legless wooden table inspired by a figure on a candelabrum gifted to Hacı Bayram Veli, crafted by master woodcarvers.

Wooden Furniture (Merik Mansion)

Visit Information

The museum is open to visitors from 10:30 to 16:30, except on Mondays. Admission is free for visitors under the age of 7 and over the age of 65. For security reasons, all visitors are required to present identification upon entry.