Hanri Benazus Donated His 10,000 Atatürk Photos to Ankara Municipality

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Head of Cultural and Natural Heritage Department Bekir Ödemiş, in his speech he made during his meeting with Hanri Benazus, mentioned that Benazus's donating his archive was an honor for them. He added that they would ensure that the lesser-known or unknown Atatürk photographs are seen in all of Turkey with also a traveling exhibition besides the permanent exhibition in the Atatürk Photographs Museum they plan on establishing.

Hanri Benazus had started collecting Atatürk photographs at 17, when he saw and bought an Atatürk photo he hadn't seen until that day. Benazus had expressed his passion for Atatürk in an interview he made in Şalom Newspaper, as follows:

"It is a passion that has been going on incessantly for 63 years. So much that in 1984, I had gone to America and came back the same day just to get the two photographs an American journalist took after his interview with Atatürk in 1921."

Benazus, stating that when Atatürk chose Ankara as capital he had had extensive plans in his mind, said, "He chose a location right in the middle of Anatolia and at equal distance to everywhere. Ankara is very important. My advice especially to the mayor of Ankara is to turn this archive into a permanent museum. Until this museum is ready, there can be temporary exhibitions at subway stations or wherever appropriate, according to the meaning and importance of the day.

I was not in any expectation while doing this, because I owe a lot to Atatürk. I am trying to pay that debt. Until today I've received many proposals from America and the University of Lausanne to open this Atatürk museum. I declined all of them because this archive belongs to this society. It has to stay here and the most suitable place for it is Ankara."

The Mayor of Ankara Mansur Yavaş in his statement he made on the issue via his social media account said, "Hanri Benazus, the owner of the largest photograph archive of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, bestowed his collection to our municipality. We have decided to exhibit this archive in the new Atatürk Photographs Museum we will establish. We will take really good care of it."

Hanri Benazus also expressed that he was the last person alive that had met and had a conversation with Atatürk.

Hanri Benazus remembers fondly that on October 9^th, 1937, when he was 7 years old, he had met Atatürk in Ortaklar District of Aydın and even that he ate the leblebis (a snack made from roasted chickpeas) from Atatürk's table, expressing that day he probably had lived his most important memory of his life.

Related News

7 November

The "Ottoman and Turkish Ketubbot" Exhibition

The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews is opening an exhibition of Ketubbot (Jewish wedding contracts), some from forgotten corners of our homes, some as already discovered works of art, some from the walls of the collectors, some from the Chief Rabbinate Collection, on November 7th, at Schneidertempel Arts Center, after they have been cleaned and maintained.

24 October

Izzet Keribar´s "Journey of Colors" Exhibition at Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern, Turkey´s first modern and contemporary art museum, is preparing to host photography artist Izzet Keribar´s solo exhibition "Journey of Colors".

5 September

Virna Gülzari´s ´Dream Rooms´ Exhibition Opened in Ayvalık

8 August

Kasadolu Draws Attention to the Increasing Hostility Towards Turkish Jews

The businessperson Doğan Kasadolu wrote a letter to AKP´s Ankara Member of Parliament Tuğrul Türkeş, drawing attention to the increasing anti-Semitism.

30 May

Annette Bat Mitzvah Club and Yoel Bar Mitzvah Club Year-End Ceremonies

The 2023-2024 "Collective Bat Mitzvah Ceremony" of the Annette Bat Mitzvah Club girls, founded in 2002 within the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey Education Commission (HEGKOM), was celebrated in the Neve Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, May 26th.

13 May

Renan Koen´s Brand-New Projects for Hatay

28 March

Democrat Party (DP) Visited Şalom

18 March

Moris Karmona Declared War On Bullying With His Book "Morhis"

Moris Karmona´s book "Morhis" in which he wrote his life story, has been published.

1 March

82nd Anniversary of the Struma Disaster

The Struma Immigration Ship had sailed from Constanza, Romania to take the Jews desperate to run from the Nazis to today´s Israel, and was sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine after anchoring off the coast of Istanbul for weeks.

26 February

Jenisya Yaeş Came First in the 16th National Young Soloist Competition

Soprano Jenisya Yaeş, who is studying at the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory, Opera Art Major Undergraduate 3rd grade, has been deemed worthy of first place in the University Category of the 16th National Young Soloist Competition.