Ancient jewellery goes on display in Istanbul

ISTANBUL 

A Urartian period jewellery exhibition, displaying 1,100 recently-restored pieces of jewellery, opened Thursday in Istanbul.

Urartu was an Iron Age civilization that reigned in eastern Anatolia in the mid-9 century BC for 250 years.

The show -- which is one of the most comprehensive Urartu exhibitions in the world -- showcases a broad variety of jewellery such as rings, earrings, bracelets, belts, neck collars and armbands.

“We are very happy to share with you our Urartian jewellery collection,” Ahu Has, advisory board president of the museum said: "Our greatest duty is to protect and hand down this jewellery collection to the next generation." 

Urartians used jewellery widely in their daily life and engraved jewellery especially on the metal belts for personal protection against evil.

 “Lion, bull, eagle and snake are the majority of the figures on Urartian jewellery. They used them as symbols of power," explained associate professor Rafet Cavusoglu, head of Archaeology Department at Yuzuncu Yıil University in Turkey’s eastern Van province.

The majority of the pieces at the exhibition were removed from tombs in eastern Anatolia at different times and have been restored for the exhibition. The collection spent a year being prepared for the exhibition.

“Many of the belts especially were broken when they were removed. We think Urartians broke them on purpose in order to prevent them from being reused,” Cavusoglu said.  

The ancient exhibition, which gives visitors a chance to learn ancient Urartian art closely -- can be seen until July 31, 2015. 

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