Two decorations of Great Educator of the Turkic world Ismail Gaspralı – Iranian order ‘Lion and Sun’ and order of the Ottoman Empire ‘Mecidiye’ were delivered recently to the Ismail Gaspralı’s house-museum in Bağçasaray. QHA was informed about this by Mr. Yuqub Appaz, museum manager.

“Exposition of our museum are replenished by two remarkable exhibits: order ‘Lion and Sun’ and order ‘Mecidiye’. Mrs. Elmira Habibulla, museum scientist, has rendered great services to that” – Mr. Y. Appaz said.

İt should be noted that the Gaspralı’s decorations went by a long and distressful way before getting to the museum.

The orders of the Great Turkic Educator were should have returned as early as summer of 2007. Both exhibits were handed gratis to the museum by Turkish Maecenas Mehmet Biktaş. However, the orders were arrested by the Ukrainian custom-house during crossing of the Ukrainian border. The customs officers argued that the Turkish Ministry of Culture did not send to Ukraine its confirmation of both legality of this action and consent of Turkey to this donation. Mr. M. Biktaş should have submitted the relevant papers but he could not make this activities. Because of needed papers were not given by the deadline, by July 4, 2007, and payment for storing of these decorations were not bought, these exhibits passed to disposal of the Ukrainian custom service.

İn order to preserve the Great Teacher’s orders, Gaspralı’s museum applied to the State Service for movement of cultural values Mr. P. Bilash with request to transfer the orders to the museum. Furthermore, such petition was sent to the Crimean custom office.

These efforts crowned with success and now everyone can visit to the Ismail Gaspralı’s museum and see them.

Reference: Ismail Gaspralı (1851-1914) is the Great Crimean Tatar Educator, philosopher, publisher and politician who called as “Teacher of Turks”.

He is world well-known as publisher of newspaper ‘Terciman’ that was as a single Turkic newspaper in the world for a long time. As public figure, Ismail Gaspralı aspired to unity of all the Turkic peoples in the Russian Empire. Ismail Gaspralı also is known as founder of the Crimean Tatar literary language.

On the materials of QHA