Koyunoğlu City Museum and Library awaits visitors with its rich collection

AR Izzet KOYUNOĞLU, one of the well-established families of Konya, has established a special museum and library for the historical artifacts he has collected for years in his house in Topraklık neighborhood. Later, the museum and library he founded were donated to Konya Metropolitan Municipality. Archaeological artefacts and ethnographic artefacts are exhibited in the museum. The house of Izzet Koyunoğlu, located in the garden of the museum, was restored, and opened to visitors as a typical Konya house. The building blends old and new civil architectural styles. The museum has an enormous collection of manuscripts and printed works.

The Koyunoğlu City Museum and Library, which operates under the Konya Metropolitan Municipality's Department of Culture and Social Affairs, Museum and Libraries Branch Directorate, was established by Ahmet Rasih Izzet Koyunoğlu. The Koyunoğlu Museum and Library, which began with Izzet Koyunoğlu's donation of ethnographic and folkloric objects, documents, materials, handwritten and printed books that he had collected since 1913 to the Konya Municipality on July 4, 1973, is the first private museum established by municipalities in Turkey. Koyunoğlu's collection was made available to visitors and readers in the new service building built by the Konya Municipality in 1984. The museum houses exhibitions and tour areas, including Anatolian civilizations, ethnography, coins, calligraphy, thematic exhibitions, and a historical Konya house, as well as a library consisting of handwritten and printed books.

The Koyunoğlu Museum consists of the following sections:

Anatolian Civilizations Section: This section contains artifacts from the societies and cultures that lived in Anatolia. Various archaeological and cultural materials unearthed by research and excavations are displayed here, including artifacts from the 9th-7th millennium BC displayed chronologically.

Ethnography Section: It is possible to see valuable materials of Turkish-Islamic culture and civilization, including many fine examples of folk arts in this section. Among these select objects that have been used in daily life as hand and household items for centuries, women's and men's clothing, carpets, kilims, purses, socks, handkerchiefs, oil-lamps, towels, fabrics, bows, arrows, swords and firearms are displayed.

Calligraphy and Thematic Exhibitions Section: The large hall on the east side of the museum building is devoted to calligraphy works. Beautiful examples of calligraphy from various schools, periods, styles, and genres adorn the walls and showcases. Fine examples of miniature painting, drawing, marbling, enamel, illumination, binding, and leather arts, as well as seals, oil paintings, decrees, and charters, add further value to the calligraphy section.

The Natural History Section: Various fossils, petrified sea creatures and products, silicas, volcanic bombs, stones, remnants of metal and glass, and minerals obtained by institutions such as MTA and Etibank through research and excavations are exhibited in this section. The section also showcases stuffed examples of hunting animals and various birds gifted by hunters.

In addition, this floor also features a separate exhibition section showcasing old photographs of Konya, the Photo Behçet Archive, miniatures of Seljuk sultans, and photographs from the Konya Photography Competition Exhibition.