An Introductory Inquiry on Museums’Educational Role in the Late OttomanEmpire (1839-1915)

Abstract

The Ottoman elite functionalized museums beyond being a signifier of the modern empire over time, and museums’ role gradually ascended and diversified towards the late 19th century. The vein comprised of scholars such as Wendy Shaw and Zeynep Çelik, argues that Müze-i Hümâyun (the Ottoman Imperial Museum) had directly taken part in the image and identity politics of the Empire. To extend the borders of this argument, I would like to point out the educative and intellectual role of museums in Istanbul from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. In the light of archival documents, I suggest an examination of the aims of local visitors, and the circulation of objects. This examination will indicate that, when the focus shifts from the museum as an institution to adventures of the objects displayed, museums draw a more dynamic panorama as active participants in the education process and intellectual activities.