The “Uşak Carpet Exhibition” opened by the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts with the participation of President Ersin Tatar, President of the National Assembly Zorlu Töre and Uşak Mayor Mehmet Çakın brings together the handmade carpet art, one of the ancient traditions of Anatolia, with Northern Cyprus at the Near East University Hospital Exhibition Hall. The exhibition will be open to visitors free of charge until 10 February.

Bringing together the handmade Uşak carpets, which are exhibited in many important museums of the world, especially the Paris Louvre Museum, Florence Bardini Museum, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art, the “Uşak Carpet Exhibition” brings together 46 unique handmade carpets.

Before the exhibition, Uşak Mayor Mehmet Çakın, who visited Near East University Founding Rector Dr. Suat İrfan Günsel in his office, thanked Günsel for hosting Uşak carpets at the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts and presented a handmade carpet.

At the opening of the exhibition held at the Near East University Hospital Exhibition Hall, President Ersin Tatar, Uşak Mayor Mehmet Çakın and Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ delivered speeches.

President Ersin Tatar: “The Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts creates an extraordinary art memory with its 435th exhibition and the works it exhibits in its museums. This memory goes back to 1571."
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Uşak Carpet Exhibition, President Ersin Tatar said, “Today we are hosting an esteemed delegation from Uşak. We are inaugurating an important exhibition that will strengthen our ties with our Motherland Turkey. In those difficult days, our biggest dream is a future throughout which these ties are even more strengthened.”

“Turkish Cypriots settled on this island after 1571. However, we never forgot our roots in Anatolia. President Tatar said, “The tradition of carpet making, which started in Uşak, has become one of the most important cultural assets of the region, and appreciated all over the world. It is extremely meaningful and valuable that this tradition of Anatolia meets our country today through the Near East University and the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts. In your presence, I would like to thank the Near East University and the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts for their valuable initiatives.”

Reminding that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been struggling with embargoes and isolations for years, President Tatar said, "We are reaching the world despite the embargoes with the science, culture and art environment that the Günsel Family has created with great courage in our country through the Near East University. The Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts creates an extraordinary art memory with its 435th exhibition and the works it exhibits in its museums. This memory goes back to 1571. With the 'Uşak Carpets Exhibition' that we are opening here today, we are going back to the past on the one hand, and on the other hand, we are adding a new one to the strong ties between Anatolia and Turkey. We are sending a message with this exhibition. We are one with Turkey, we are a whole and we are walking towards the future together”.

Mehmet Çakın: “It is very meaningful for us to take our first step in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on this path we set out to bring our historical Uşak carpets to the world again.”
Uşak Mayor Mehmet Çakın, in his speech at the opening, said, “We are very happy together with the Near East Family, who host us today, to bring our historical Uşak carpets to you, the art lovers. We are grateful, in particular, to Near East University Founding Rector Dr. Suat Günsel, the Near East University and the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts.

Mayor Çakın, who said that as Uşak Municipality, they are reviving carpet weaving, one of the most important cultural traditions of Uşak, said, "We are reviving this tradition by instilling carpet weaving culture to many people through our Dokur House. It is very meaningful for us to take our first step in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on this path we set out to bring our historical Uşak carpets to the world again.”

Saying that Uşak has a very rich culture, Uşak Mayor Mehmet Çakın said, “Uşak Carpets, which date back to Lydia and Phrygians, are not just a carpet in the weaving sector. Uşak carpets, which have seen important value in Europe, especially in the Ottoman Palace since the 1500s, depict feelings of sadness, happiness and excitement in their motifs. We are very happy that our carpets, which are exhibited as works of art in many important museums of the world, are exhibited in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus through the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts. We will continue to pass on this important culture to future generations.”

Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “While developing science, art, culture and technology, which are the most important parts of progress that will create the future, we continue to work and produce with the awareness that we represent not only our university and our country, but also the Turkish world in the international arena.”
Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ started his speech by emphasizing the importance of the city of Uşak for Turkey. Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ said, “Our city of Uşak, which hosts many firsts such as the first sugar factory and the first power generation plant in Turkey, pioneered in laying the foundations of industrialization and art in the Republican era. In particular, one of the best examples of this is the iconic photographs of the Republic, 'This is how we founded the Republic', which has become a memory for all of us.

“Each and every project kneaded with the rising art, science and technology on the Near East University Campus is the lifeblood of our country, which continues to take root in the Mediterranean with its determination to carry its existence into the future." saying Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ added, “With the Uşak Carpet Exhibition, which we opened here today, our roots extend to Uşak, one of the important cities of our Anatolia.”

"The size of the collections, which are in the inventory of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, Cyprus Car Museum, Near East Art Museum, Walled City Museum, Cyprus Herbarium and Natural History Museum and GÜNSEL Art Museum, and which are created with an understanding that integrates contemporary art with history, exceed 100 thousand pieces." saying Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ, also pointed out; “While developing science, art, culture and technology, which are the most important parts of progress that will create the future, we continue to work and produce with the awareness that we represent not only our university and our country, but also the Turkish world in the international arena.”

Reminding that Near East University has been shown as one of the best universities in the world by many higher education rating institutions, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ said, “We want it to be known that we will continue to increase our productivity and continue to work and produce in order for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to take the respectable place it deserves in the world in art and science.”