Istanbul Cinema Museum opens after restoration

Within the scope of a restoration project, a historical theater in Istanbul, along with a cinema museum, opened its doors on Feb. 26 at a ceremony in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and many prominent figures from the culture and art world.

The historical Atlas Cinema and the Istanbul Cinema Museum in Istanbul's teeming Beyoğlu district are parts of Turkey's Beyoğlu Culture Road project, which covers an area stretching from Galataport to Taksim Square, linking cultural venues in the district, including Atatürk Cultural Center and the Galata Tower.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the restoration work took two years to complete.

"I think we can define this work as 'art within art' in the simplest terms. With a neoclassical facade, rare putto figures, ceiling paintings, reliefs, marble fireplaces and different architectural elements, the building itself is like an art exhibition," Ersoy said.

Noting that the unique structure was restored to its essence with very delicate and detailed restoration work, Ersoy said, "The Istanbul Cinema Museum was created with its rich collection prepared by blending traditional and contemporary museology approach and the Atlas Cinema within its body."

Defining the first floor of the museum as "the memory pool of Turkish cinema," Ersoy said: "It is a very comprehensive field of digital interaction applications. We offer our visitors an enormous pool of information that includes 8,406 films and 31,106 figures consisting of actors, directors, screenwriters, producers and cinema workers with the digital memory pool application, which is being used for the first time in a cinema museum in the world."

Highlighting that the...