The new exhibition of Diyarbakır’s Memory, A portrait of Diyarbakır in portraits, is built on the “people” of Diyarbakır. While its roots may be found all the way back in Antiquity, humanity has rediscovered the genre of biography in the last four or five centuries. The rise of microhistories, which are able to shift the focus to a smaller scale, particularly in the last century has created a narrative tradition that is richer and more resistant in its challenge to official narratives.

This exhibition takes a tour of the city’s past through the life stories of its people and present portraits of those from a variety of different fields, who are of note for a diverse array of reasons and whose personal histories all begin in Diyarbakır.

Contributing authors: Ahmet Çakmak, Şeyhmus Közgün, Mehmet Şimşek
Exhibition editor: Pınar Öğünç
Translation: Abdulsıttar Özmen (Kurdish), Feride Eralp (English)
Design: Fika

 

Diyarbakır’s Memory was developed as part of the project conducted by Anadolu Kültür in partnership with the Diyarbakır Association for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets. In the website, the tangible and intangible cultural values, multicultural character and history of Diyarbakır, which have remained in existence on its original site for six thousand years without interruption, are treated in light of various chosen themes.

You may reach us via [email protected] in order to share such documents about the city’s history, culture and architecture kept in private collections.

The Diyarbakır’s Memory project is realized with the support of Gerda Henkel Stiftung, Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul and Chrest Foundation.