ISTANBUL - Austrian President Heinz Fischer inaugurated an archaeological exhibition at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum on Thursday.
Turkish Minister of Culture & Tourism Ertugrul Gunay and Energy & Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Artemision: A Temple of a Goddess".
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Fischer said Ephesus excavations were very important for Turkey, Austria and Europe.
Fischer said his formal visit to Turkey was very fruitful, noting that economic and social matters were mainly discussed at the talks. He said scientific and cultural matters should also have importance.
Fischer said Ephesus exhibition formed the most important cultural and scientific dimension of his visit, adding that he had the opportunity to see excavation works 24 years ago.
The guest minister wished the exhibition to contribute to cooperation between the two countries.
Turkish Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay, who also addressed the ceremony, said Turkey and Austria have been carrying out joint excavations in Ephesus more than 100 years.
Director General of Vienna Art Museum Wielfried Seipel said archeologists from all over the world have been carrying out Artemision excavation works for 150 years, noting that the exhibition was a fruit of joint works of Austria, Turkey and Britain.
Seipel said works of art of the exhibition shed light to religious and daily life of the people of the era, noting that this was one of the most important international cooperation areas of Turkey.
The exhibition showcases 453 items on loan from the Ephesus Museum in Selcuk and 72 works from the Istanbul Archaeology Museum`s own inventory. The artifacts to be displayed include bronze, glazed, precious metal, ivory and amber findings from the archaic period and about 100 electron coins created in the oldest known coin minting in history. Some of these artifacts were preserved in the treasury room of the Istanbul Archaeology Museum and have not been on display since 1970. Likewise, a majority of the artifacts brought from the Ephesus Museum will be put on public display for the first time.
The Temple of Artemis, or Artemision in Greek, was designed and built by Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes in 550 B.C. The construction of this all-marble temple was financed by Lydian King Kroisos.
The temple was unearthed by British archaeologist John Turtle Wood in 1870 after a long search that lasted for seven years. Upon application by the British Museum, David Gorge Hoghart started conducting archaeological excavations in 1905 on the temple and its surrounding area. These excavations unearthed not only parts of the temple, but also thousands of amber, bronze, ivory and glazed objects and coins dating back to sixth and seventh centuries B.C. Since 1965, the excavations at the site have been carried out by an Austrian team of archeologists, who discovered new findings that helped shed more light on the architecture of the temple. By expanding the excavations, the team found important evidence that relates to the early period of the temple dating back to the second millennium B.C.
(AY)