Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-30
Fertile Archeologic Field.

1
nized as the highest authority in archie
ology in the east.
Fertile Archeologic Field.
| Turkey in Asia is the most fertile field
| for archaeology in all the earth, because it
| is the oldest scene of human habitation
and has been occupied by successive civil
| lizations-perhaps for ten thousand years
each having left It's record buried under
heaps of ruins. 1t has been difficult to
obtain permission to explore these ruins.
There is law prohibiting explorers to
carry away articles of interest. They
are required to place everything they find
| in the Imperial Museum at CONSTANT
| nople.
has been continually evaded. But Hamdi
| Bey succeeded in catching and OBTAINING
| the most valuable articles that have been
| found.
certain pasha and general of artillery,
| named Fethi Ahmed, with a taste for
the artistic and the antique. uncommon
among the Turks brought to CONSTANT
nople a number of objects of archeolog1-
cal interest. which he had obtained by
purchase and by plumber in Asia Minor,
and obtained permission to place them
| in the courtyard Of the Mosque Of st.
| Irene.
The smaller objects were installed. In a
room offered by the mullahs. From time
to time other people who found curios
presented them to the collection. There
| was no catalogue and no attempt at
| classification.
Deposited in Kiosk of Tshinili.
| interest in, the modest little museum, OBJ
| tanned permission to install the collection
in the Seraglio for exhibition purposes In
- g<xfn l>so cl> ~f T~H {riIf y,y~
kiosk Of itself is one Of the most fasci-
mating curiosities in the Turkish cap
ital, because its fantastic architecture
and the beautiful blue and green tiles
| with which it Is lined.
| 1t was built in the sixteenth century
| by one of the SultanS to crafty his
| fanciful notions. and has been an object
| of admiration for many generations. It
| is the daintiest, most perfect and purest
| example of Turkish architecture in ex-
| istence.
| 1t is still used for museum purposes
| and is filled with collection of Turkish
pottery, glass, rugs. carpets and other
fabrics. 1t is far from what it might
be. and the Louvre in Paris. South Ken
sington In London and number of other
| museums have much larger and more
valuable collection of Turkish arts and
industries.
Hamdi Bey in Charge.
This kiosk was scarcely a museum but
only storehouse until Hamdi Bey was
appointed curator. in 1881. He had a
genuine passion for archaeology. He had
the rarest instincts of a successful col
lector and his enthusiasm never Ian
guished.
He was the son of a former grand
vizier. Edhem Pasha. whose life was a
romance. Edhem was the child of an I'M
known Greek family of Chios. When the
&NHH~ Of Ill
Turkish soldier brought away the babe,
| placed him in his harem and brought him
up as Turk.
This waif Of war became prime minis
ter of Turkey. His sons have gained
| fame in art
Hamdi Bey was not only an archeolo-
gist, but an architect and painter of
fame. His pictures have had honored
| places on the walls of the Paris salon
| and the Royal Academy in London
He was also an author-one of the most
eminent in Turkey. His talents and use
fulness were recognized by honorary de-
grees from several European universities.
Last fall, shortly before his DEATH the
| University Of Oxford bestowed such a
distinction upon him In recognition of his
| services to the world of arts and letters
Collection Expands.
| Hamdi Bey brought order out of chaos
! in the little Tshinili kiask. He persuaded
the sultan to enforce the law, which re-
quires explorers to leave their finds" in
| Turkey.
His collection became so large that a
new building was needed. He succeeded
in persuading Abdul Hamid to give him
some money for that purpose. He also
obtained contributions from rich pashas
About ten years ago he designed the
present building and commenced the work
of construction. 1t is one of the most
perfect buildings of the kind in the world.
simple and severe in design; open to the
sunlight on every side. with long wide
halls and monumental stairways, high
ceilings and perfect ventilation.
1t stands upon a terrace at the crest
of Seraglio point, surrounded by gardens
and groves containing many statues, pa
gan affairs. sarcophagi columns and
other objects that have been digged from
the soil of Turkey. 1t is the only build
ing that has been erected in the Seraglio
for centuries, and is a striking contrast
| in every respect to the ancient structures
within its walls.
While 1t is rot a large building, it is
we'll filled. Hamdi Bey had the good
sense to give every object plenty of room
/, for effect. however. and no museum In
the world can be seen to greater ad-
vantage.
| The catalogue is rather small, but it
| on. Under the new government foreign
| investigators will not be able to carry
Off as much plumber as they have been
able to do in the past, when a liberal
use of "Backsueesh" was equivalent to a
suspension of law.
Relics in Museum.