“Gılaf-ı Reyya: Fragrance Bottles from the Ottoman Empire to the Present Day” exhibition opened

Acting with the understanding of “We grow with our values” and striving to pass on the cultural heritage to future generations, Kuveyt Türk continues to organize exhibitions that leave a mark on cultural and artistic life. The “Gılaf-ı Reyya: Fragrance Bottles from the Ottoman Empire to the Present” exhibition, which includes a wide selection from perfume bottles to incense burners and rosewater burners, from storage chests to presentation trays, from old perfume distillation machines to scent apparatus, was presented to art lovers at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum with the contributions of Kuveyt Türk.

The exhibition, which consists of select works from collector Bekir Kantarcı's collection focusing on scents from the Ottoman period, was consulted by Prof. Dr. Üzlifat Özgümüş and curated by Beste Gürsü. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Kuveyt Türk General Manager Ufuk Uyan, Istanbul Deputy Governor Özlem Bozkurt Gevrek, Istanbul Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Dr. Coşkun Yılmaz and art lovers.

“Art lovers will inhale the naive scents”

Kuveyt Türk General Manager Ufuk Uyan, in his speech at the opening of the exhibition, said, “In addition to our participation finance services, we strive to deliver works reflecting our ancient civilization to future generations by adopting the understanding of ‘growing with our values’, and in this context, we stand by individuals and institutions that create permanent value. We are in the presence of art lovers with another exceptional exhibition on our cultural journey, which we continue by positioning ourselves next to art and artists, on the trail of our civilization. Inspired by the special interest of our Prophet in scent, our exhibition reflects the contributions of our ancestors to the art of scent, and consists of precious scent and perfume bottles meticulously collected by collector Bekir Kantarcı from various continents and geographies, especially in our country. While the scent and perfume bottles reflect the development of the last three centuries in this field, they also make significant contributions to the culture and literature of scent. We are very pleased to present such a meaningful and exceptional exhibition to the appreciation of art lovers. "Art lovers visiting our exhibition will be able to view hundreds of scent containers and perfume bottles produced with artistic love and will have the opportunity to inhale delicate scents. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the preparation of the exhibition, especially Bekir Bey," he said.

“We are bringing to light the rich heritage of our civilization”

Islamic art history researcher and collector Bekir Kantarcı, in his speech at the opening of the exhibition, said, “Humans are creatures fascinated by scent. Interest in beautiful scents that started with humans, plants and oils that smell nice, have stimulated the feeling of being special and beautiful; after thousands of years, perfume, the indispensable passion of humanity, has found a place in our lives. Discovering and examining museums related to the history of scent in the countries I visited to examine perfume fairs increased my interest in the mysterious history of scent and the bottles where valuable scents are meticulously preserved. Afterwards, I started collecting magnificent antique perfume bottles that contain many stories and are each a separate work of art. I made it my duty to research and introduce the rich heritage of our history, which is almost a civilization of scent. While going to antique dealers and auctions, I also tried to collect the works in personal collections over time, and this very special collection emerged. I am very happy to have my collection in your presence with the exhibition Gılaf-ı Reyya: Fragrance Bottles from the Ottoman Empire to the Present. I hope that this exhibition, which brings to light the rich heritage of our civilization, will also lead to a scent culture museum. On this occasion, I would like to thank Kuveyt Türk General Manager Ufuk Uyan, Prof. Dr. Üzlifat Özgümüş, curator Beste Gürsü and her team for their great contributions to the realization of the exhibition.”

A collection that sheds light on fragrance bottle culture

The selection in the exhibition consists of a collection of scent bottles that Bekir Kantarcı has meticulously brought together over the years, covering a wide period from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. The exhibition brings together forms produced with different materials, techniques and applications, from rosewater burners to incense burners, from Beykoz glass to European crystals, and especially those that have been approached from a broad perspective in terms of material. In addition to the variety of materials ranging from precious metals such as gold, silver and tombac, porcelain and ivory, glass samples, ceramics and enameled works, scent containers and perfume bottles produced in local and Western styles shed light on the scent bottle culture in a wide period.

Who is Collector Bekir Kantarcı?

Born in Yolava, Bekir Kantarcı completed his primary and secondary education in the right city, and high school in Istanbul. After graduating from Marmara University Faculty of Theology in 1989, he completed his Master's degree in the Quran and Tafsir department at the same university in 1991. After continuing his education in Mecca for a while to complete his doctorate, he engaged in commercial activities centered on culture and art in Saudi Arabia, where he stayed until 2015. In addition to trade, he is currently involved in cultural activities related to the works he has collected over many years on topics such as Kaaba memories, Ottoman scent culture, exhibitions, and books.