On December 7, 2012 the Turkic American Alliance hosted an opening reception for its new exhibit “The Song of Stones: The Heritage of Anatolian Seljuk Architecture.” The exhibit features a series of photographs of Seljuk-era monuments by the renowned Konya architectural photographers Ibrahim Divarci, Ahmet Kus and Feyzi Simsek. The importance of the photographed cites is highlighted by the inclusion of detailed informative panels providing historical insights into the culture of the Anatolian Seljuk Civilization. The goal of the exhibit is to introduce the American public to the cultural legacy of the Seljuk civilization. Although considered at the root of the modern Turkish culture, the Seljuk era has often been overshadowed by the attention given to the histories of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. The exhibit provides a rare opportunity of publicly introducing this earlier civilizational period. The exhibit is curated by Ms. Katharine Branning and is co-sponsored by the Blue Dome Press and the Turkic American Alliance, with the support of the Selcuklu Township, Konya, Turkey.
The Vice President of Konya, Mayor Mehmet Gumrah gave the reception’s opening speech and addressed the importance of the Seljuk civilization and its rich architectural, cultural and scientific legacy. He emphasized the great achievements and innovations the Seljuks have introduced to the worlds of commerce, the arts, education, and architecture. Curator Ms. Katherine Branning was the reception’s keynote speaker. Ms. Branning has a close familiarity with the history of the Seljuk Empire and her speech further emphasized the major contributions this civilization had made in the fields of the art, architecture, science and theology. She reminded the audience that it was the Seljuk Empire that laid the groundwork for today’s Turkish Republic.
The audience took the opportunity to examine the artwork, while listening to traditional live Turkish music and enjoying the delicious handmade food and Turkish tea.
The exhibition will be on view from December 7 through December 21.
Ms. Katharine Branning is a writer, librarian and art historian who holds degrees from the Pratt Institute, the University of Paris Sorbonne and the Ecole du Louvre. At the Louvre she majored in Islamic arts, with a specialty in Islamic glass. Her book of essays on Turkey, “Yes, I would love another glass of tea” was published in 2010 by Blue Dome Press. She currently lives in New York, where she is the Vice-President of the French Institute Alliance Française.
