Askeri Müze Koleksiyonundaki Kale Anahtarları

Symbols of Sovereignty: Decoding the Lost Identity of Ottoman Castle Keys

Title: The Keys of Castles in the Military Museum Collection (Askeri Müze Koleksiyonundaki Kale Anahtarları)
Event: VI. International Turkic Art, History and Folklore Congress / Art Activities, (May 12-14, 2016, Konya), In Honour of Tahir Akyürek, Vol. 2, pp. 827-833.

From Symbolic Power to Architectural Evidence

“In the Ottoman tradition, the delivery of a castle key was the ultimate gesture of submission and the transition of power. While these objects are often viewed as mere ceremonial metalwork, this study approaches them as topographic and historical documents.

As part of my research into the Military Museum (Harbiye) collection, I performed a comparative analysis between the prestigious keys of the Topkapı Palace and the more functional, yet equally significant, keys held in the military archives. The cornerstone of this investigation was the identification of a previously undocumented pear-shaped (armudi) key handle. By meticulously cross-referencing the architectural engravings on the handle—specifically the unique heart-shaped ‘mace’ on a minaret—with the specific topography of the Vidin (Baba Vida) Castle in Bulgaria, I was able to re-establish its lost provenance. This research proves that even the smallest decorative detail can serve as an irrefutable forensic marker of historical identity.”

Key Highlights & Impact:

The Vidin Discovery: Successfully identifying an anonymous key handle as belonging to the Vidin Castle by analyzing the architectural motifs of the Osman Pazvantoğlu Mosque.

Comparative Curatorship: Bridging the collections of Topkapı Palace and the Military Museum to create a unified narrative of Ottoman siege history.

Object as Document: Promoting the ‘documentary value’ of functional objects, asserting that castle keys are primary sources for military historians and architects.

Power & Accessibility: Discussing the historical evolution of Ottoman museums from the ‘inaccessible’ Armoury (Aya Irini) to modern public displays.

Citation

Genç, U. (2016). “The Keys of Castles in the Military Museum Collection” (Askeri Müze Koleksiyonundaki Kale Anahtarları). Proceedings of the VI. International Turkic Art, History and Folklore Congress / Art Activities, (May 12-14, 2016, Selcuk University, Konya), Vol. 2, pp. 827-833.

konya 1
Bildiri Metni