Bottle of Water " Matara ", Turkey, 16th century: leather, embossed patterns , applied , gilding . Photo by Peter Ligier / MNW
304 select pieces from 34 institutions across Poland, the heart of Europe, will be on view in Istanbul, the ancient bridge between Europe and Asia. The collection constitutes pieces gathered from various Polish state museums, the Princes Czartoryski Foundation, churches and monasteries, as well as various libraries and private collections. Among the institutes who participated in this enterprise are the National Museum of Warsaw, the National Museum of Krakow, the Royal Castle of Wawel, the Military Museum of Poland, the Museum of the Jagellonian University, the Museum of the Lancut Castle, the Old Documents Archive of Warsaw, the Archdiocese Museum of Warsaw and the National Library of Warsaw, while 35 objects selected from the Topkapı Palace Museum, the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum and Sadberk Hanım Museum collections are also exhibited.
The exhibition will be on view at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Istanbul. The opening event on 06 March 2014 will be attended by the presidents of both countries - Bronisław Komorowski and Abdullah Gül. The President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski is the honorary patronage for the event.
The opening will also feature the Jacek Kochan trio, presenting modern jazz inspired by the music of Lutosławski. / More on Polish Jazz
Stanisław Chlebowski, "The death of king Wladyslaw II at Varna", oil on canvas, photo National Museum in Krakow
Through historical objects of Turkish and Polish art, as well as through factual documents, the exhibition will present the age-old relations and pivotal moments in the diplomatic, military, commercial and cultural relations between Poland and Ottoman Turkey throughout 600 years.
The role of the countries respective capital cities - Bursa and Kraków, will be given major exposure, as these were the centres of political power and culture for both nations. Bursa (the former Ottoman capital) was additionally a great centre for the production and export of textiles, from across the Silk Road all the way to Europe, including Poland. Originally kept in the Central Archives of Historical Records, the documents that were exchanged between the Polish kings and the Ottoman sultans will be in the spotlight.
The Battle of Vienna in 1683 will be presented as a turning point in Polish-Turkish relations, which, especially after the signing of the peace treaty in Karłowice in 1699, reached a time of rapprochement and friendship.