The “Music Platform” that opened within Istanbul's iconic Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) to promote and disseminate musical cultures is now introducing viewers to Türkiye's musical heritage and examples of intercultural interaction with a new exhibition. Collections and narratives prepared under the consultancy of artists, experts, researchers and scientists as part of the "The World in Us, Us in The World" exhibition highlight the wide spectrum of Turkish music at AKM.

The exhibition at the AKM Music Platform, which spans two floors, draws attention to the interaction between Turkish and world music while presenting the basic instruments of Turkish music and the stories of its distinguished masters.

A country's music culture is shaped by its geography, historical and social structure along with the relations it establishes with neighboring countries. Located in a geography where the Asian, European and African continents intersect, the relations that Türkiye has established with different countries for social, cultural or political reasons have influenced the country's music culture throughout history. Türkiye's musical heritage was highly influenced by Anatolian, Asian and Mediterranean cultures, Turkish and Islamic identities, as well as the relations established with Europe during the Ottoman and Republican periods. Traces of this interaction are also seen in the music cultures of the countries neighboring Türkiye. Asian, Mediterranean and European cultures were also influenced by Turkish music. "The World in Us, Us in The World" shows examples of intercultural interaction between Türkiye and other countries.

The exhibition also offers insight into Turkish musical instruments and their evolution over time. The instruments used by the Turks, the first traces of which are seen in Central Asia, have undergone structural changes in terms of materials and form with these interactions throughout the historical process. The lands of Anatolia and Thrace, where Turkish communities settled, also played an important role in the development of the instruments they used.

The development of Turkish musical instruments is showcased through a collection of 148 instruments, including the Uyghurs' dutar, the Kyrgyz's kumuz, the Kazakhs' dombra and Anatolian bağlama, including 41 personal items.

These lands where the musical cultures of different civilizations fused for centuries contributed to the development of Turkish instruments. Whether its the Uzbeks' nayi, the Kyrgyz's sand or the Azerbaijani's aşık saz, from the kopuz in Central Asia to the kobza in the Balkans, instruments always appear as extensions of a root and common timbres of cultures. The Turkish instruments display, located on the ground floor of AKM, also presents instruments that were born within the tradition of Turkish folk and maqam music.

In this section, it becomes clear that natural materials were an indispensable part of the history of music as they were used in instrument-making throughout history. While percussion instruments used to be made by stretching the skin of the dried bowl of the gourd plant, the wind instrument sipsi was made from reeds.

The exhibition also features a single-stringed instrument with a sound box, known as the ancestor of all instruments, inspired by the sound and form of the bow and arrow. However, the lyre made of tortoise shells and ıklığ instruments made of animal hoofs remains the focus of visitors' attention. In the exhibition, visitors also have the chance to see versions of instruments made with wire and metal today, which were made using animal intestines in the past.

Artists who are important figures of social memory both represent and shape cultures with their works. In addition to serving as a time capsule, artists and their productions also constitute important reference points for future generations. The "Respect to Master" section of the exhibition features artists who have made their way to the world by producing within the traditions of classical Turkish music, Turkish folk music and classical Western music, which have a long history in Türkiye, or who have played an important role in the institutionalization of these music genres.

Türkiye has been the home of countless master artists from past to present. The "Respect to Master" section aims to show respect to different master artists and offer a brief glimpse into their world by presenting their lives, archive images, work records and personal belongings. The section commemorates highly esteemed Turkish artists, including Ahmet Adnan Saygun, Alaeddin Yavaşça, Aşık Veysel, Leyla Gencer, Münir Nurettin Selçuk, and Şerif Muhittin Targan.

The Music Platform, which is intended to be the center of learning and socialization through music culture, is open to visitors Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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