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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Ottoman Bank Museum about? What is on exhibit? How and when did the museum project crystallize? Who was in charge of the Museum project? What is the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center? What was the role played by the Garanti Bank in the development of the project? How many documents and objects are on display in the Museum? What is the source of the documents and objects on display? What are the Ottoman Bank Archives? Why isn't archival material related to the period after 1930 included in the museum exhibits? Does the Museum add new documents or items to its collection? Are old banknotes, shares, bonds etc purchased? Did the Ottoman Bank issue the first paper money of the newly-founded Turkish Republic? Who designed Ottoman Bank notes during the period the Bank held the privilege of issue? How was the transition from Ottoman money to the Republic's new currency achieved? When was the first paper money bearing the portrait of Atatürk printed? How can I find out about the Ottoman Bank and its history? What does the tree in the Museum's logo stand for? When is the Museum open? How can I get to the Museum? How much is admission to the Museum? Are there other historic or cultural sights to visit in the vicinity of the Museum? Can I make a donation to the Museum? Can the Museum be used for private events? What is the Ottoman Bank Museum about? What is on exhibit? The Museum narrates the relatively little known history of the Ottoman Bank during the period it functioned as the central bank, bank of issue and treasurer of the Ottoman Empire. It takes as its basis the history of the bank itself but because of its concept and the material displayed, the Museum also provides insights into the late Ottoman/early Republican period the bank operated in. Almost all the materials on exhibit originate from the Ottoman Bank Archives, the richest private archival source in Turkey. Other documents and objects - especially photographs - have been obtained from private collections and other sources to complement the Museum's own documentation. How and when did the museum project crystallize? Since the Ottoman/Garanti Bank merger on December 16, 2001, the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center, established in 1997, has operated under the aegis of the Garanti Bank. From that date on the Center began to expand its breadth of vision and the range of its activities and conceived the museum project in order to safeguard the wealth of archival materials inherited from the Ottoman Bank. The Museum was founded in a relatively short nine-month period. Who was in charge of the Museum project? The project was initiated by the Garanti Bank sponsored Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center and later run by the collaboration of the team formed by historian Edhem Eldem, graphic designer Bülent Erkmen and architect İhsan Bilgin. What is the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center? For information see the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center section of the site. What was the role played by the Garanti Bank in the development of the project? Since the Ottoman/ Garanti Bank merger on December 16, 2001, the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center has been operating under the aegis of the Garanti Bank. In other words, the Ottoman Bank Museum is a Garanti Bank corporation. How many documents and objects are on display in the Museum? There are close to 3500 items - most of them documents - on display. What is the source of the documents and objects on display? Almost all the materials on display originate from the Ottoman Bank Archives, the richest private archival source in Turkey. Additional documents, objects and photographs have been obtained from various other sources to supplement the Museum's own documentation. The result is more a narrative of a period's political, economic and social context - down to individual careers and life stories - than a simple history of the Bank itself. What are the Ottoman Bank Archives? For information consult the Ottoman Bank Archives section of our site. Why isn't archival material related to the period after 1930 included in the museum exhibits? The 1930s are a turning-point in the history of the Ottoman Bank. With the foundation of the Central Bank in 1931, the Ottoman Bank had to surrender its central bank functions and, in 1933, take on the identity of a private commercial bank so that, in a way, the really "glorious" period in the history of the bank comes to an end in the beginning of the 1930s. At the same time, from the end of the 1920s on, bank records, and especially customer files, were less carefully kept. The period best represented by the archives is the 1890-1930 period. Does the Museum add new documents or items to its collection? Are old banknotes, shares, bonds etc purchased? Since its foundation, the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center has purchased documents, books and other items for the Museum, on a regular basis. Did the Ottoman Bank issue the first paper money of the newly-founded Turkish Republic? No. The Republic's new paper money was issued by the government in 1927. These first banknotes of the Republican period were issued to replace the Treasury bills issued between 1915 and 1918. Who designed Ottoman Bank notes during the period the Bank held the privilege of issue? The designing and printing of almost all Ottoman Bank notes was carried out in London. The first banknote issued in 1863 was designed and printed by the T.H. Saunders printing house, the banknotes issued from 1868 to 1908 were the work of the Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. press, and Waterlow & Sons designed those issued from 1908 to 1914. Only one banknote was designed and printed in Istanbul, a temporary one-lira bill produced, between August and September 1914, when a delay occurred in the banknotes expected from London. The Zellich press - one of the most important printing houses in Istanbul at the time - printed and probably designed the note. How was the transition from Ottoman money to the Republic's new currency achieved? The Treasury bills issued by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1918 remained in circulation during the first years of the Republic but were then replaced by the new paper money issued in 1927 and withdrawn from circulation. Following the establishment of the Central Bank in 1931, these first banknotes of the Republican government were, in turn, withdrawn from circulation in 1937 and 1939. When was the first paper money bearing the portrait of Atatürk printed? The Atatürk portrait first appeared on the 50, 100, 500 and 1,000-lira notes of the new paper money issued by the Republic in 1927. How can I find out about the Ottoman Bank and its history? For information, see the Ottoman Bank Archive and Research center section of the site. What does the tree in the Museum's logo stand for? The tree in the Museum's logo is the same olive tree which figured in the logo, designed for the Ottoman Bank in 1947, by the famous English graphic designer Edmund Dulac. An olive tree was then chosen both as a symbol for strength, longevity and fertility, and because it was specific to the Eastern Mediterranean area where most of the bank's activities centered. The three roots growing down from the trunk of the tree represented the three bases upon which the Bank had rested since 1863 - the Paris and London committees and the Istanbul head office. When is the Museum open? The Museum is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. How can I get to the Museum? For information see the Communications section of the site. How much is admission to the Museum? Entrance fees are - full: 3 YTL discounted: 1 YTL To schedule school group visits please contact the administration. Are there other historic or cultural sights to visit in the vicinity of the Museum? You can also visit the 5th Centennial Museum, the Sabancı Safe Rooms Gallery and the Schneider Temple situated close by. Can I make a donation to the Museum? To make a donation, please contact the Museum's administration. See the communications section of our web site. Can the Museum be used for private events? The Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Center organizes various activities and events but private events cannot be held in the Museum. For more information on upcoming events, see relevant links on our web site. |
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