RECYCLING THE PAST: MAPPING CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF TURKISH CITY MUSEUMS IN THE CASE OF ISTANBUL ADALAR MUSEUM (original) (raw)

The scope of this study is mainly related to city museum projects which have been developed from the early 2000s in Turkey. The strategic mission of the city museum is very crucial in terms of establishment and development of civil society. As a result of an organic link in which developed in the cities, people recognize moral characteristics of the city culture such as minorities, physical spaces, and neighborhoods. City museums collect, protect, and evaluate the past and assist national history writing. After the 1980, modern Turkish history was written progress the nation state and integration of global citizenship. This study focus on academic literature on urban history and ask crucial question how city museums in Turkey play a role in writing of cultural history. Also, several books and exhibition catalogues on Turkish city museum provide me extensive information about the development of city museums. Although Turkish experience with city museums is a quiet new phenomena, this study intend to enlighten the role of city museums in the making of contemporary history writing through analyzing Istanbul Adalar City Museum exhibitions catalogues that focuses on cultural identity and dialogue. The basic question will be asked in the study: How do city museums transformed political history in social history? What kind of tools is used in the history exhibitions to interpret past? How do museum visitors interpret history in linear or non-linear structures?