Osman Hamdi BeyThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey, as a Pioneer
Osman Hamdi Bey was born on the December 30, 1842, the eldest of İbrahim Edhem Pasha’s five children. His father was one of the first four youths sent by the Ottoman Empire to study in Europe and was elevated to the position of Grand Vizier during the reign of Abdülhamid II.
Osman Hamdi Bey, during his Paris YearsThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey was sent to Paris by his father in 1860 to study law.
However, his overwhelming love of the fine arts eventually led him to a career in painting.
Osman Hamdi Bey, while paintingThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey, as a painter
Over the course of the eight years he spent in Paris, Osman Hamdi Bey did not display much interest in legal education as was expected of him.
He rather developed a passion for painting and worked in the studio of Gustave Boulanger, a renowned painter of the time.
The Tortoise Trainer by Osman Hamdi BeyThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Manifesting an inclination towards the Orientalist movement, under the influence of Jean-Léon Gérôme and his teacher Boulanger, Osman Hamdi continued to paint after returning home.
The Tortoise Trainer by Osman Hamdi Bey
Two Musician Girls by Osman Hamdi BeyThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
After attracting the attention of Sultan Abdülhamid II in 1880, he was deemed worthy of the title of Mabeyn Painter.
Osman Hamdi Bey remained within the orientalist patterns in his paintings in general terms, he avoided the negative clichés of the style.
The entrance of the Istanbul Archaeological MuseumsThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey was appointed director of the Imperial Museum on September 4, 1881, and director of the School of Fine Arts on January 1, 1882.
He held both positions until his death, serving as director of the Imperial Museum and the School of Fine Arts for many years.
Osman Hamdi Bey, working during the Nemrut ExcavationThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey was a renowned painter, archaeologist, and pioneer in the construction of Turkey's first museum building and fine arts school, leaving a deep impression on Turkish culture.
Osman Hamdi Bey at Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi bey, as an archaeologist
He carried out several excavations on behalf of the Museum and also enabled the museum staff to conduct archaeological activities.
He started Museum’s first excavation campaign in 1883 at Mount Nemrut and led the work himself.
With the excavations he conducted in Royal Necropolis of Sidon in 1887, the Imperial Museum became a world-class museum and Osman Hamdi put his stamp on the world archaeology literature as a succesful archaeologist.
Osman Hamdi Bey and His Retinue in front of the Sarcophagus of Alexander the GreatThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Due to the increase in the number of ancient artifacts and the need for a new display of the sarcophagi from Sidon, Osman Hamdi Bey initiated the construction of the present museum’s building.
The Library of the Istanbul Archaelogical Museums, 1930sThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey laid the foundations of Türkiye's modern museology by having the artifacts cataloged.
He also established a library within the Museum, thinking that museums should also be research centers.
Osman Hamdi BeyThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Another crucial contribution he made was the preparation and implementation of the third Legislation of Antiquities on the 21st of February, 1884.
According to this legislation, antiquities became state property and taking them out of the country was banned.
Osman Hamdi Bey at Lagina ExcavationsThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Under Osman Hamdi Bey's directorship, excavations were carried out at many archaeological sites, including Raqqa, Palmyra, and Kadesh in Syria; Boğazköy and Alacahöyük in Çorum; Langaza near Thessaloniki; Sakçagözü in Gaziantep; and Lagina in Muğla.
Some of these excavations were conducted on behalf of the Imperial Museum.
Osman Hamdi Bey was a visionary artist, archaeologist, and museum curator who left a lasting legacy on Turkish culture.
To learn more about Nemrut, one of Osman Hamdi Bey's excavations, please visit this link.
By the courtesy of Pera Museum
