The Tanzimat Edict, declared in 1839, provided non-Muslims with the opportunity to govern themselves and build schools and places of worship. During this period, a remarkable number of churches were built in Anatolian cities. According to the nine-line Greek inscription on the marble slab above the door in the west, the building was built by the Greek community in 1845. In order to exhibit the archaeological riches of the region, it was decided to establish the Adana Museum of Antiquities in 1924, and Halil Kâmil Bey, known as “Alyanak”, was appointed as the museum director. Cafer Ağa Madrasa, located near the Stone Bridge, was first deemed suitable for the museum building. After the building, which became unusable after a period of service, was demolished, the works in the museum were moved to the Greek Church.
In 1937, when Museum Director A. Rıza Yalgan added a new section to explain the ethnography of Çukurova, the museum was named “Ethnography Museum” as well as “Adana Archeology Museum”. A.R. Thus, Yalgan established the first open-air museum in Türkiye. The building, which has served as the Adana Museum since 1950, functioned as a museum warehouse when the Archeology Museum was opened in 1972 and many works were moved to the new museum. With the restoration work in 1983, it regained its function as a museum under the name of the Ethnography Museum. Since restoration work was initiated in the building by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2008, the ethnographic works were moved to the current Archeology Museum. The restoration work was completed in 2015 and it was opened as Adana Kuruköprü Memorial Museum.
Source: Adana Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism
Places to Visit in Adana
Source: Adana Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate
