The “Carried Memory of Culture: The Saddlebag Exhibition,” organized by Melikgazi Municipality as part of the Turkey Culture Route Festival, was opened to art lovers at Sanat Melikgazi, the center of culture and art.

The exhibition will be open to visitors between 10:00 and 17:00 until Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Where hand craftsmanship comes together with great effort Mayor Palancıoğlu, thanking collector Berna Özden, her husband Lütfi Özden, and their colleagues who contributed to the exhibition of many saddlebags, said, “We haven't officially opened our Art Center yet, but we are laying the first touches and foundations. Today, we visited the saddlebag exhibition of the Berna and Lütfi Özden couple together. Of course, carpets and rugs have a special importance for Kayseri. Each of these saddlebags actually has a story. We are exhibiting saddlebags collected not only from Kayseri but also from different provinces such as Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Manisa, Aydın, Fethiye, Konya, Niğde, Çorum, Mersin, Malatya, and Sivas. These were all dowry saddlebags. Therefore, they were not used much, but they were well preserved by their owners. Of course, these are our culture. Each motif, each saddlebag has a separate story and language. Some of those who made these saddlebags..." They have already reached the mercy of Rahman. Because there are bags that are 110, 120 years old. May their place be in Paradise. We have now switched to machine-made carpets. These are not used much anymore. We need to appreciate their value. These carpets, rugs, and historical artifacts, like mosques, enable us to hold on to these places. They constitute the traces of Islam. Especially in our prayer rugs, there is really a great deal of effort involved. These kinds of openings are very enjoyable. I wish our exhibition to be successful, and I thank Berna Özden and her husband Lütfi Özden, who have put so much effort into collecting these bags for years.” He said.

Speaking about the realization and activities of the Art Center in Melikgazi, Mayor Palancıoğlu stated the following:

“This was the old Nazmi Toker Middle School. We moved the old Dedeman School, which was right in front of it, to another school and turned that area into a very beautiful green area, a park of approximately 7,000 square meters. We will hopefully hold the official opening of the Art Center together. But our trainings have already started. Here, we provide high-level, quality training in many areas, from jewelry design to prayer bead workshops, from home textile workshops to photography, and ceramic tile making. If you don't leave these places unattended, it will be a very enjoyable training and You will have participated in workshop activities.”

Collector Berna Özden also gave a speech, saying, “The textiles you see here were used as bags on the migration routes from Central Asia to Anatolia. They have come to life with the great labor of our people, especially Turkish women, with their prayers, wishes, sorrows and joys woven stitch by stitch. They are all living cultural documents. Protecting and preserving our culture is a debt we all owe to our cultural heritage. First of all, I would like to thank our art-loving President Mr. Mustafa Palancıoğlu for giving me this opportunity.” He said. Thanking Mayor Palancıoğlu, who carries out his work in Melikgazi in terms of architecture, art, culture and aesthetics, Kayseri Deputy Governor V. and Kocasinan District Governor Erdoğan Turan Ermiş said, “We are watching our esteemed Mayor with admiration. The story of a rug woven by someone who has a promise to their beloved, actually tells not only about love, but perhaps also about the sadness of that moment, perhaps about the hardships experienced. We must not forget the past. Because a person creates a culture with their thoughts and life. Then that culture, as an ancient culture, influences future generations. If we want to continue our national identity, we must protect these works and somehow pass them on to new generations. I express my gratitude to Ms. Berna and our esteemed mayor for providing such a beautiful opportunity to exhibit the saddlebags.” he said.