The Ardahan Newspaper | Since 1995 |
Yener Altın, a dedicated teacher and author from Ardahan, has established a remarkable Ethnography Museum in Istanbul through his own resources and the contributions of his fellow townsmen.
Every tool, artifact, and item exhibited in this museum stands as a silent witness to the sweat, labor, and life struggles of the people of Kars, Ardahan, and Artvin. Ranging from traditional agricultural tools to household items, these artifacts bring the region's 200-year-old history into the present day.
Among the museum's most notable exhibits are a horse-drawn mower from the Tsarist Russian era and a traditional black plow (kara kotan) with a history dating back 4,000 years. Rather than mere objects, these are historical documents reflecting the labor, culture, and lifestyle of past generations.
"A Bridge Between the Past and the Future"
Emphasizing that people in those years lived under harsh conditions in large households of 20 to 30 people sharing everything in solidarity, Yener Altın notes today's social alienation, recalling the words of the great master Yaşar Kemal:
“Those beautiful people mounted those beautiful horses and rode away.”
Altın summarizes the vital mission of the museum: "If I hadn’t spent years painstakingly collecting these artifacts, most of them would have vanished within a decade. Societies that do not know their past cannot build a healthy future. This museum is not just a place for old items; it is a bridge built between the past and the future."
