Activities - The Exhibition of "Traces of History"

December 17,1997 - October 10,1998

Divided in two parts, dealing with the institution / state and with society / people, Ottoman Bank Archives exhibition has a thematic rather than a chronological approach. In the first part of the exhibition Ottoman Bank is presented as a state bank, the institutional aspect is treated with the theme of the Bank's relations with the state. The exhibited documents are related to the foundation of the bank in 1863, the bonds and advances it provided for the Ottoman state, the role it played in obtaining foreign credit and the bank notes it issued as an emission bank.

In the second part, the bank is treated as an institution in relation to the markets and society as a whole. It begins with the presentation of the Bank's network of branches and especially its Karaköy head office, both of which linked the two functions of the bank. This part continues with the presentation of information on the Bank's customers and the different social groups ; the palace and its entourage, the ruling elite, the emerging circle of intellectuals, traditional tradesmen, big merchants and companies. Cases of forgery, showing another aspect of the market, are also presented.

Back to Activities page