Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) hosted another special event where historical heritage meets the present day. The exhibition titled “Steppe Flavours from Past to Present: Kagans, Tigins, Konchuys,” organized with the cooperation of the Fine Arts Application and Research Center (GSUAM), Atatürk Principles and Revolution History Research and Application Center (ATAMER), the Department of Common Courses, Atatürkist Thought Club, and Trakya University Ancient Turkish Culture and History Society, met with art lovers at the IKU Art Gallery in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 15:00.
Speaking at the opening, Rector of Istanbul Kültür University, Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, pointed out the importance of preserving cultural values and transferring them to younger generations. She stated that encouraging such interdisciplinary studies in universities plays an important role in both the academic and artistic development of students.
Another speaker of the event was Trakya University faculty member and exhibition advisor Prof. Dr. Tilla Deniz Baykuzu. Prof. Dr. Baykuzu provided information about the preparation process of the exhibition and shared how students brought together the reconstructions they made based on archaeological data with their historical contexts. She stated that this process was carried out with an educational model that aimed to make knowledge experiential through historical reenactments.
The exhibition was created by students as part of the “Experimental History Study II” course and was shaped in two main sections. The first section includes traditional clothing items belonging to modern-day Turkish communities such as Kazakh, Uyghur, Uzbek, and Saha, while the second section presents reconstructions of headdresses belonging to mummies excavated from the Taklamakan Desert and dating back 3600 years.
One of the most striking aspects of the exhibition was the vivid presentation of headdresses and crowns not only on panels but also on the heads of models and students. Visitors had the chance to examine in detail, both theoretically and visually, the Hun ruler's crown, the headdress of Bilge Khagan, or the ornaments of Uyghur princes and princesses, for example. Each headdress was presented in historical context, together with original fresco, relief, and sculpture data from the period.
This exhibition, which includes a total of 25 archaeological headgear and crown reconstructions, offers a unique narrative that brings together history, culture, and art. In addition, the hairstyles, make-up, and clothing styles of the period were applied in detail, providing visitors with a visual and sensory experience.
The exhibition “Steppe Flavours from Past to Present” awaits its visitors at the Istanbul Kültür University Art Gallery until May 7, 2025.
