Sabri Şenevi Cinema House is a special cinema museum that preserves the cultural heritage of Adana by showcasing archival collections and nostalgic screenings related to the city’s cinema history. Before 1960, approximately twenty cinema and film-related businesses in Adana were registered by the Chamber of Commerce. Due to its agriculture-based economy and especially cotton production, the city experienced a high demand for labor. With population growth and migration, Adana became Türkiye's second largest cinema market. Between 1950 and 1980, Adana was an important center in Turkish cinema both in terms of audience size and industry influence.

^{Sabri Şenevi Cinema (AA )}

Sabri Şenevi’s Entry into Cinema and Career

Sabri Şenevi’s interest in cinema began in 1963 when he was 5 years old after watching the film Tarzan’s Victory. He started his first collection by gathering discarded film posters and scraps from cinemas across the street from his father’s tin workshop. He gained experience in the cinema industry by working as a soda vendor, assistant projectionist, and projectionist. Designing his own projector and organizing film screenings in the basement of his home demonstrate his passion and creativity for cinema.

The Golden Age and Crisis of Adana Cinema

From the 1960s to the 1970s, over one hundred indoor and open-air cinemas operated in Adana. The city was considered the second largest cinema market in Türkiye after Istanbul. However, starting from 1975, the cinema sector contracted due to economic and social changes; many cinemas closed and businesses shifted to other industries. During this period, preserving cinema culture became increasingly important.

Sabri Şenevi Cinema House and Heritage Preservation

In 2011, Sabri Şenevi converted the ground floor of his house in Adana’s Alidede Neighborhood into a “Cinema House.” His collection includes 20,000 digital films, 150 35mm films, 50 16mm films, various machines, approximately 10,000 film posters, records, and cinema documents. The Cinema House offers free nostalgic film screenings to visitors, aiming to keep the cinema culture of the past alive.

Sabri Şenevi’s Contributions and Today

Between 1975 and 1989, Sabri Şenevi worked as a projectionist in various cinemas in Adana. Today, he continues to preserve the open-air cinema culture through the Cinema House and garden cinema events. These efforts contribute significantly to safeguarding Adana’s rich cinema history and passing it on to new generations.