Treasures of ‘Magnificent Century’ come to Istanbul

Hundreds of objects and accessories, which were ordered during the renovation of the Seraglio at the time of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III, went down into water when the ship sank near the inlet Gnalic in Croatia. The 16th century treasures, which have been removed from the shipwreck, will arrive in Istanbul next year for an exhibition.

Works have been continuing for the exhibition “Gnalic Shipwreck – 16th Century Treasures,” which is one of the significant cultural projects between Turkey and Croatia. The coordinator of the project, the Turkish Foundation of the Underwater Archaeology President Ouz Aydemir said due to the fact that 2013 had been launched by UNESCO as the 500th Year of the map of Piri Reis, they had organized Piri Reis cartography exhibitions in six Croatian cities.

He said the Turkish TV drama “Magnificent Century” (Muhteşem Yüzy1l) was very popular in Croatia and people were much interested in Ottoman culture and that the exhibition project about the trade ship that had sunk in the 16th century had come up due to this interest.

“Excavations are still continuing in the shipwreck, which was discovered by a Belgian tourist in 1968. Some objects that have been removed from the shipwreck and cleaned are on display at the Croatian Museum of History. The ship is directly related to Ottoman history. This is why we have decided to organize this exhibition in Istanbul,” he said.

Aydemir said the objects had been ordered for the renovation of the Seraglio section in the Topkap1 Palace. “A lot of objects, accessories and treasures were sent to the Ottomans in the winter months of 1583, but the ship sank in the northern Dalmatian coasts. We can get clear information about the objects via the insurance documents of the ship. The most important artifacts found in the ship are objects displayed in Topkap1 Palace. Among the striking pieces were a 43-meter-long weaved silk cloth, glass objects made on Murano Island and candles that were found in an iron chest.”

He said the treasures ordered by Safiye Sultan and Nurbanu Sultan had been removed by the insurance company after the accident. “We don’t have any information about whether these treasures were sent to Istanbul or not. We believe these objects are very precious to understand the magnificence of the Ottoman palace,” he noted.

Aydemir said the Creation Culture Minister Andrea Zlatar Violic and Turkish Culture Minister Ömer Çelik had signed a protocol for the exhibition, and they had agreed in principle with a museum in Istanbul.

Aydemir said a project was also carried out to simultaneously display the artifacts removed from the Saint Paul shipwreck, which sunk in the 16th century around the Croatian Mljet Island. “The 0znik tiles found in this shipwreck have not been displayed so far. The project drew attention of businessman Ömer Koç, who has a big collection of 0znik tiles. We plan to exhibit these tiles in Istanbul first, then Zagreb and finally in Dubrovnik,” he said.

Text: hurriyetdailynews.com

Oznake: Mljet, dubrovnik

The central Mediterranean

The central Mediterranean appears to have five contenders for islands (or towns) called Melite or Melita in the Roman era. (A sixth city is Malatya in Turkey). First, the western island called Gharbi, or even Melitta, in the Kerkennah group off eastern Tunisia. Second, the lotus island called Djerba has its airport at a place called Melitta. Incidentally, Melitta and Melita are often interchangeable in North Africa. There has been no ancient or modern African or Tunisian claim for St Paul being shipwrecked on any of these islands. At the centre of the Mediterranean near Gozo lies Malta, ancient Melita Africana, courtesy of the late scholar Paul Guillaumier.

He is supported by translators from the original Greek of St Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, 27-28, who all opt for Malta.
On the island of Cephalonia lies the main town of Argostoli. Lately Dr Warnecke has claimed a place called Melita on this eastern Ionian island. His argument mainly covers snakes, religious processions and some geographical points.
Further north in the middle of the Adriatic lies the island of Mljet or ancient Meleda, which Abate Giorgi claimed in the Byzantine period to be Luke’s Melita.

The pivotal point concerns St Luke’s Acts mention, after the island of Melita, of the ancient main city of Syracuse in Sicily. Why is this seemingly elusive clue geographically so important? Because even today, if one sails vaguely north, with a southerly wind, from Malta, one is almost bound to land at Syracuse.
Malta figures clearly as a regular Roman port of call, on the grain ship route from Alexandria in Egypt. Melitta on Gharbi island in the Kerkennah group and also Djerba island were off the mark. Kefallinia island, north of Corfu, has weak and questionable evidence for Syracuse in the Ionian Sea, in my opinion. Meleda or Mljet is too far to the north in the Adriatic for sailing to anywhere but chiefly to Taranto, Ancona or Brindisi. Syracuse in Sicily is a credible option for Pozzuoli and Naples in western mainland Italy, which is the route Paul’s ship followed.
It transpires that the ship that had wintered on the island of Melita for some three months had also followed the route from Alexandria, Cyrene, Tripoli, Sabratha or Leptis Magna. It carried the sign of the Twin Brothers, or Twins, meaning the gods Castor and Pollux, known and venerated in temples all over the Roman empire, as protectors of seafarers.

The mention of Syracuse is the chief clue pointing to a departure from the island of Melita, 98 nautical miles to its south. Hence Luke’s Melite or Melita is almost irrefutably Malta. All ancient and modern translators and scholars of the New Testament are agreed on this important point, and on Malta’s significant claim.

Oznake: Mljet

There is no profit from Mljet National Park

In the Mljet National Park, property relations and property owners and public institutions are disordered. No maritime domain, no boundaries of private, state, church, fire readiness of the Board NP "Mljet" is weaker than before. They pointed out that in public appeal association to protect the rights of property owners and the preservation of the original value of the cadastral municipality Govedari with Mljet.

Inhabitants of Mljet are disappointed so in the beginning of March on Mljet held session of the Governing Council NP Mljet, where he was Assistant Secretary MENP Nenad Strizrep and other members of the Governing Council , and that they have not met with representatives of Local Board "Polače" , "Soline" and " Govedari" and representatives of the Municipality of Mljet nor discussed their written requests. They find that the tourist season on the island is threatened.

Oznake: Mljet

Jadrolinija's Internet Survey for Names of New Ferries

The names of four new ferries for "Jadrolinija", which are built in "Uljanik" in Pula, are for the first time elected by their potential passengers. You can vote for one of 16 offered the name of the Croatian island.

"Godfathers" can choose from the following names: Brač, Čiovo, Drvenik, Ist, Lopud, Kornati islands, Krk, Lopud, Mljet, Pag, Susak, Sipan, Union, Vis, Zlarin and Zirje. The four "candidates" that receive the most votes on the website will be choosen for the new ferries.

Oznake: Mljet, brac, Lopud