The TRC and the Stichting Güney are proud to present …. This may sound like a cliché but in this case it is totally true. We were and are proud of the 'Sacred Textiles from Mecca and Medina' mini-exhibition, which was opened last Sunday, 20th Septermber, in the presence of the Turkish ambassador designate, Dr. Burak Akçapar.
We have all been working hard for the last few weeks, writing text boards, organising lists of objects, translating texts into Dutch, and checking proposed programmes for this special event. Augusta de Gunzbourg, our curator, did the design layout before she went to a textile conference in Uzbekistan (a blog will shortly be published about her trip).
One of the reasons behind the mini-exhibition was to raise funds to process and store a very large Ottoman and regional Turkish collection that recently has been donated to the TRC (see previous blogs). The Turkish community here in Leiden are taking a very active part in the project and plans are being developed for exhibitions, workshops, lectures, perhaps even fashion shows!
The opening took place this afternoon with about forty visitors and TRC volunteers. There was a number of short talks by people, with a word of welcome by Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny, Chair of the TRC, by Ercan Köse, of the Al Hijra mosque in Leiden, who talked about the history and significance of the Kaaba in Mecca and the monuments in Medina, and by Emine Güney of the same-named Stichting, who has been a driving force behind the setting up of the exhibition. I gave a brief talk about the above-mentioned recent donation of Turkish textiles and dress by a private collector in Belgium (see above). Emine described (in Turkish) how we are going to work together to make this collection available to everyone. A good example of Citizen Heritage at work!
Opening of the exhibition, 20 September 2026. Photograph by Herra Pahlasari.
Emine surprised me by a very kind donation for the TRC Collection, namely a piece of cloth from the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina! Of the same type as one of the pieces on display in the exhibition! This was totally unexpected, a welcome addition to the TRC Collection and one I greatly appreciate given the history behind a ‘simple’ piece of cloth.
After the opening, we briefly talked with the ambassador designate and the cultural attaché of the embassy of Türkiye in The Hague, We will be in contact with the embassy shortly to discuss how we can further work together on building up this part of the TRC’s extensive collection.
Emine Güney and Gillian Vogelsang. Photograph by Herra Pahlasari.As noted above, the afternoon was for finding support for the TRC’s Turkish collection. Thanks to the help of Emine Güney, the Al Hijra mosque in Leiden and associated have offered to pay for one complete unit of the proposed TRC Annexe. A second group is going to be approached to see if they would be willing to purchase a second unit for the Turkic collection of items especially from Central Asia.
A film of the event was made by Mr Burak Tosun, Leiden, and will soon be made available via the TRC website. The film maker also offered to make another film about the TRC and what we are doing – as a donation. A very kind offer.
Many people also visited the TRC exhibition about the paisley motif, and it came as a surprise for some visitors to hear the long, varied and interesting history of this well-known and often overlooked motif that moved from Iran to Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent, and hence was brought to Europe where it was used to decorate shawls and other garments, made at various places, but particularly in the Scottish town of Paisley. Several visitors said they were going to check their wardrobes for paisley!
All in all, it was a very successful afternoon with the chance to show what the TRC can do and will be doing in the future. We are looking forward to working together with the Turkish community here in Leiden.
The exhibition can be seen until 23 October during TRC opening hours (weekdays between 10.00 and 15.00).
Gillian Vogelsang, 21 September 2026
