First Book About Women’s Museums in Turkey

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The book “Women’s Museums: Center of Social Memory and Place of Inclusion”, which presents experiences of İstanbul Women’s Museum on international women’s museums has been released.

The book, which contains presentations of Conference of International Women’s Museums held in cooperation with İstanbul Women’s Museum and İstanbul Bilgi University in İstanbul in 2016, was published by Güldünya Publications and edited by Meral Akkent.

The book published in Turkish and English is dedicated to five figures who made a difference in women’s history of İstanbul.

* Anna Comnena (1083-1153)

* Efrosini Samartzidou (1820-1877)

* Zabel Yesayan (1878-1943)

* Beki L. Bahar (1927-2011)

* Şirin Tekeli (1944-2017)

What is in the book?

In the 40 years since the foundation of the first women's museum the number of such museums has increased to over 80. Women's museums have reshaped the perception of official historiography, culture, art, and everyday life by making visible aspects which have been ignored in other museums.

In the book readers will find answers to the main questions discussed at the conference “Women's Museums – Centre of Social Memory and Place of Inclusion”:

- how the term “inclusion” is defined in the participating museums;

- how the topics “social memory and awareness” are dealt with in their research and in exhibitions;

- how in their work diversity is reflected in the construction of social memory;

- which social institutions the museums collaborate with;

- which methods are used to meet goals such as creating a platform for debate in the museum and developing participation processes.

The book also contains “Guidelines for Women’s Museums and Gender Related Museums” which can be a source of inspiration for women’s and gender related museums having existed for a long time as well as for those that are to be founded. (ÇT/TK)