Uşak Museums

Until the year 1970, its duty was to be a civil servant of the museum in the structure of the Directorate of National Education. At that time, there was no museum buildings in Uşak. Services were being carried out at the building of the Public Education and the collected works were being kept here. In 1966, it was suggested to build a museum in our province; the museum area was nationalized in the same year and the construction of the building was started in 1967 and completed in 1969. In 1970, the exhibition and arrangement of the building were completed and on May 23rd, 1970, it was opened to service as the Museum Directorate of Uşak.

The sculptures belonging to the Old Bronze Period, the beak – mouthed ewers and stone – made axes are being exhibited in a showcase in the exhibition hall. The works in the other showcases are the earthenware pots and glass – made works, which have both remained from the Hellenistic and Roman Periods.

The works, which are open – exhibited in the exhibition hall, are generally the grave stelae, vow stelae and atonement inscriptions belonging to the Roman Period. Nevertheless, the sculptures brought from the ruin place named Blaundus are also in the same area. In the other showcase of the hall, gold Jewellery, diadems, glass pots, coins belonging to every period, which are either confiscated or provided by the citizens and which are obtained from rescue excavations performed by the Uşak Museum are located.

In the remaining part of the exhibition hall, which is approximately half of the hall, the Lydian treasures, called as “Karun Treasure”, which were smuggled to the United States from the surroundings of Uşak in the 2nd half of 1960s and which were brought back to our country in 1993 as the result of the case brought by the Ministry of culture, are exhibited.

In the first showcase, silver works collected from İkiztepe tumulus in 1966; in the second showcase golden works abducted from the Toptepe tumulus in 1965 and in the third showcase the Lydian works provided from the excavation performed by the Uşak Museum in the Basmacı tumulus are exhibited. Besides these works, the klines of the grave rooms, volutes and grave doors are exhibited in open area.

The Usak – Atatürk and Ethnographical Museum 

The Atatürk and Ethnographical Museum is situated in Hisarkapi Uluyolu (street), the Bozkurt district of the Usak province. The building was constructed during 1890’s. The building belonging to one of the important families of Usak, known as Kaftancizadeler, was used as the headquarters during the Independence War.

Atatürk received the Greek Armies Commander-in-Chief Trikopis in this building and also received the General’s weapon and sword together with his general staff officers Ismet Pasha (Ismet Inönü), Dadayli Halit (Halit Akmansu), Asim Pasha ( Asim Gündüz). Despite of being a prisoner of war, the commander – in – chief Trikopis was welcomed with Turkish hospitability.

After being nationalised in the middle of 1970’s, the building was opende as the Atatürk and Ethnographical Museum on 1 September 1978.

In the entrance floor of the two-storey wooden house local ethnographical materials, historical Usak carpets and Esme kilims, old weapons, wearing apparel and other articles are exhibited.

The first floor has been organized completely as the Atatürk Museum. Mirrors of that period, coffee tables, armchairs, the bedroom used by Atatürk, and wearing apparel of Atatürk are displayed on this floor