Istanbul’s prominent Hisart Live History Museum, which aims to display the unique heritage of Turkish history with its vast collection, has been renovated in order to offer visitors an environment where they can explore the interesting details that shaped the past in depth. The museum will start welcoming visitors from Feb. 1.

Founded by Nejat Çuhadaroğlu in 2014, the museum had been closed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. It underwent restoration during this time and the renovated building was launched on Jan. 19 with a special event. A book written by Kadir Türker Geçer on the military uniforms of the Ottoman Empire was also introduced at this event. "Osmanlı Imparatorluğu Askeri Kıyafetleri 1826-1922" ("Ottoman Empire Military Uniforms 1826-1922") is the second of the Hisart Live History Museum cultural publications.

Speaking at the event, museum founder Çuhadaroğlu said: "We are renewing our collection every day using unique exhibition techniques at the Hisart Live History Museum. The museum was opened in 2014 as a project aimed at creating 'respect for history.' It intends to protect the country's history and create historical awareness. While trying to shed light on the 1,500-year history, we aim to encourage the country's citizens, especially young people, to protect our culture and civilization and to keep it alive in the future. We know that those who do not know their history cannot build their future correctly."

Many important figures including Beyoğlu District Mayor Haydar Ali Yıldız and Kağıthane District Mayor Mevlüt Öztekin attended the launching ceremony of the museum. Stressing the importance of history for the future, Beyoğlu District Mayor Yıldız said: "This rich museum consists of hundreds of collections that Mr. Çuhardaroğlu curated with great effort over the years. This museum enriches our culture and civilization. The works of Çuhadaroğlu reflect the magnitude of the values produced by this land. Let's bring our young people in Beyoğlu and Kağıthane to this museum. We want our youth to learn history and look toward the present and the future. Our young people will know about Manzikert (Malazgirt), Çanakkale and the National Struggle, but they will also learn about innovation, artificial intelligence and the latest in internet technologies with this museum."

Öztekin emphasized that the works in the Hisart Live History Museum are very precious and said: "We need to arouse curiosity in our children to see this museum. Maybe we can build mobile trucks that will show some displays from the museum by visiting schools."

The author of "Osmanlı Imparatorluğu Askeri Kıyafetleri 1826-1922" Geçer also spoke at the event and said that the book is the most comprehensive work in its category. According to the author, the book describes the change in the Turkish military uniforms from Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediyye, or The Mansure Army, which was established in 1826 as a regular army organization in the Western sense, to the Republican army. "Our book covers the modern period, from the establishment of the modern army in 1826 to the final period of the Ottoman Empire. The clothes we call a uniform are actually worn during this period. We can describe the previous attires as a military outfit."

Çuhadaroğlu also added that the book is an important historical resource and continued: "I would like to proudly announce to you that the book ‘Osmanlı Imparatorluğu Askeri Kıyafetleri 1826-1922,’ written by our esteemed author Kadir Türker Geçer, is now among our publications. We are of the view that this book is unique in terms of relating history correctly based on the right sources and we will make sure that our efforts to increase access of accurate historical information by young people increases day by day."

The Hisart Live History Museum, whose collection is spread over six floors on a 2,000-square-meter (21,527-square-foot) exhibition area, is the world's first and only museum of its kind. Covering the history of 1,500 years, the museum showcases military and ethnographic objects related to many civilizations and events that led to the formation of world history, such as the Ottoman Empire, the War of Independence, World War I and II and the Gulf War. While having a large collection of Ottoman sultans’ personal items, it also displays the clothes worn by Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in three different wars.

The museum was also awarded the Culture and Tourism Ministry 2020 Special Award.