TILE SMUGGLED ABROAD WAS BROUGHT BACK TO TURKIYE AFTER 19 YEARS

The 16 th. century tile which is one of the rare examples of Anatolia and smuggled abroad in 2003 was brought back to Türkiye after its sale was stopped at Bonhams Auction House in London. The tile exhibited in our Ankara Foundation Works Museum will soon be sent to Adana Seyhan Grand Mosque where it was solen. The foundation work which was stolen by historical smugglers in 2003 was brought back to Turkey after intense efforts of our Directorate General. The invaluable tile preserved from the 16 th century till our day was dismantled and smuggled abroad by historical propertie  sumugglers in 2003 from Adana Seyhan Grand Mosque which its constraction was started by Ramazanoğlu Halil Bey and completed by his son Piri Mehmet Pasha after his death in 1541. The Anti-Smuggling Department of our Directorate General contacted the relevant institutions and determined that the work was in the Bonhamns Auction House in London. When it was understood that the tile one of which is a rare example of Anatolia tile art was offered for sale at the auction house our Ministry of Culture and Tourism stepped in and stopped the sale. The tile which was send to Türkiye by the London Embassy on November 30, was recieved by the authorities of our Directorate General on December 3. The tile was brought to the Ankara Foundation Museum on 5th of December. In the work there is a coral red colour which was used for 55 years in the 16th century and was not used again because the master did not teach it to his apprentices. The work exhibited in the museum will be sent back to where it belongs once the restoration works in Adana Seyhan Grand Mosque was completed.

‘OUR PERIORITY IS TO EXHIBIT IT ON ITS SIDE’

Regarding about the properties returned to Türkiye, Önder Özbilgin, Branch Director of the Smuggling and Procurement of The Directorate General said, “Our tile is an İznik Tile and its most important future is its coral red colour. We cannot see this kind of red colour usage after this period since its master did not teach its usage to his apprentices. Byzantine and Seljuk period motives can easly be seen on the tile. The most important periority of our ministry and directorate is to excibit the artifacts on their original sides. We take the tile under protection and we will see this tile in its side after the restoration finished in the mosque where it belongs .” Özbilgin also said “Many works have been brought from abroad since 2002. We also brought previously some parts of this tile as well and since 2002, we brought 131 pieces  smuggled abroad from our country, 21 of them were  cultural properties.”