The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with Google Türkiye and Google Arts & Culture, has launched a digital collection titled "Türkiye’nin Hazineleri" (Treasures of Türkiye) to provide worldwide access to selected elements of Türkiye's culinary and cultural heritage.
This digital collection, created on the Google Arts & Culture platform, was developed in partnership with the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency. The goal of this project, initiated in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, is to showcase Türkiye's historical sites, archaeological treasures, art, crafts, and culinary culture, both well-known and lesser-known, to a global audience.
The "Türkiye’nin Hazineleri" digital collection includes over 70 stories, a documentary series consisting of 10 videos, and 17 new "Street View" captures from various locations in Türkiye. The collection was also created in collaboration with experts, museum directors, and the renowned historian and documentary producer Bettany Hughes.
The details of the "Türkiye’nin Hazineleri" digital collection were unveiled at a press conference attended by the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. In his remarks, Minister Ersoy emphasized the importance of showcasing Türkiye's rich cultural and historical heritage on a global platform, with the support of Google Arts & Culture.
Mehmet Keteloğlu, the Country Director of Google Türkiye, expressed Google's commitment to supporting Türkiye's digital transformation and the tourism sector. He highlighted the importance of this project in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye and sharing the country's cultural treasures with the world.
This collaboration represents the largest Google Arts & Culture project in Türkiye, providing access to a wide array of cultural content to users around the world. Google Arts & Culture is a Google platform focused on preserving and promoting art and culture, collaborating with over 3,000 institutions across 80 countries.
As part of the digital collection, a documentary series featuring the British historian and documentary presenter Bettany Hughes was created. This series explores various aspects of Türkiye's cultural heritage, including historical figures, ancient cities, and culinary traditions. The videos are available with both English and Turkish subtitles.
Additionally, the project showcases a selection of content related to Türkiye's rich culinary culture, covering traditional Turkish breakfasts, delicious stuffed dishes, tea and Turkish coffee culture, soups, olive oil-based dishes, and 10-minute mezes, among others.
Furthermore, to contribute to the digitization of cultural heritage, several archaeological sites and museums, such as the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum, and Göbeklitepe, were integrated into Google Arts & Culture using Google Street View technology.
In summary, this collaboration between the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Google Türkiye, and Google Arts & Culture aims to share Türkiye's cultural and culinary treasures with the world, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye while preserving and promoting its rich heritage.
