The exhibition, organized by Bilkom Bilişim Hizmetleri A.Ş. in partnership with Vehbi Koç Ankara Studies Application and Research Center (VEKAM), Mudurnu Municipality, Mudurnu District Governorate and Arçelik, was opened at Fuatbeyler Mansion in Mudurnu.
Bilkom General Manager Fikret Ballıkaya, who attended the opening, stated his satisfaction in undertaking this project as a technology company on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic and said, “Let’s crown this period in which we are preparing to say goodbye to the 100th anniversary of the Republic with a beautiful project and have something worthy of the 100th anniversary, our sales director Onur said.” “This project came from (the President). We looked at it, examined it, and as we got deeper into the project, we were impressed and excited.” said.
Ballıkaya stated that Bengüboz was a “hero of the country” and said, “He was a great idealist. He learns photography and English in the prison camp. He comes back to Mudurnu and runs to the front in the War of Independence to serve. None of these are easy things.” made his assessment.
“It was not that easy to carry photographic equipment in his time.”
Experienced photo journalist Coşkun Aral touched upon the importance of Bengüboz’s photography and gave the following information:
“Almost half a century has passed since we started to deal with photography. Since non-Muslims were always engaged in photography in the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, it was not seen as a profession for Muslims. That is why the work done by Ahmet İzzet Bengüboz is very valuable to us. Living in captivity is not an easy thing. Bengüboz later said “When he came to his own geography, he photographed the ground of a war that would begin and also captured the culture of the place he lived in.”
Pointing out that Bengüboz did his job under much harsher and more difficult conditions than today’s photographers, Aral said, “It was not that easy to carry photographic equipment in his time. I am a photojournalist who deformed a large part of my body through photography. I walked around with bags weighing 12-13 kilos. In his time “You are carrying glass. There is a weight of 40-50 kilos, including its stand.” he said.
Aral underlined that Bengüboz’s photographs shed significant light not only on Mudurnu but also on the history of the Republic.
VEKAM director Prof. Dr. Filiz Yenişehirlioğlu also said that she enjoyed taking part in the project and said, “We are extremely excited to have such a rich collection in a town in Anatolia.” he said.
Mehmet Kadri Bengüboz, the grandson of Ahmet İzzet Bengüboz, shared his grandfather’s life and the important memories he had in his life.
A documentary about the exhibition process and Bengüboz’s life was also screened at the event.
Bolu Deputy Türker Ateş, Bolu Deputy Mayor Leyla Beykoz, Mudurnu Mayor Necdet Türker and Mudurnu District Governor Ayhan Kalaycıoğlu cut the opening ribbon together with the speakers.
“One Hundred Years of Heritage: Bengüboz”
The exhibition, which includes photographs taken by Ahmet İzzet Bengüboz in Mudurnu from the last period of the Ottoman Empire to the first years of the Republic, was created by digitally transferring Bengüboz’s glass negatives, which remained idle for years.
Within the scope of the project, Bengüboz’s archive, consisting of 1,004 glass negatives that have survived to the present day, was taken under protection, and 450 photographs with a selection from the archive were brought to the present day through physical and digital exhibition applications.
The works in the exhibition include the following topics: “The Role of Mudurnu in the War of Independence”, “Republic Celebrations in Mudurnu”, “Public Life in Mudurnu in the Early Republic Period”, “Republic and Women in Mudurnu” and “Portraits from Mudurnu” , colored with artificial intelligence technique.
Directed by Dr. The exhibition, undertaken by Ege Yıldırım, can be visited at Fuatbeyler Mansion until October 29.
Ahmet İzzet Bengüboz
Born in Mudurnu in 1896, Ahmet İzzet Bengüboz was captured by the British on the Palestine front during the First World War, where he served as a reserve officer.
Bengüboz, who learned photography and English from the British while in captivity, joined the Kuva-yi Milliye movement and then the regular army when he returned to Anatolia after captivity.
Bengüboz, who served on the İnönü and Sakarya fronts, started taking photographs of his hometown when he returned to Mudurnu after the war.
Bengüboz took many portraits of students, women, workers and tradesmen in Mudurnu.
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