Aims and objectives
The Musiki Muallim Mektebi, today known as the Ankara State Conservatory, was the first conservatory of the Republic of Turkey and its collection holds photographs, inter-institutional correspondence, and the students’ application documents between 1925-1956. By covering the first half of the 20th century, the collection is comprised of thousands of documents including letters, correspondence, documents, photographs, envelopes and telegrams. Archival materials in the collection are written in Ottoman Turkish, French, German and English. These documents reflect not only the history of education in Turkey but also the impact of modernisation on educational institutions. The collection offers valuable information on socio-cultural trends, technological and medical developments, and the World War II’s effects on the economy and consumption habits. However, these archival materials have not been preserved under proper conditions until today and they are in danger in many ways. Documents may become unreadable or inaccessible unless they are digitised and made accessible through an online platform. The project aims at identifying and digitising these valuable documents. Besides the physical preservation of these delicate and historically significant materials, digitisation will allow them to be accessible to researchers from all around the world. Lastly, the project with its materials intents to contribute to further interdisciplinary studies related to the subject of the collection.
