The steamer Karadeniz as a representation of Early Republican Period modernization and an analysis of its interior

The modernisation movement in Turkey in the Early Republican period gained great momentum with the adoption of the Western way of life through political, social, economic, legal and cultural reforms carried out under the leadership of Atatürk. In 1923, the proclamation of the Republic and the construction of the new capital Ankara as a modern city were important steps in the modernisation process. In the construction of the nation, efforts to clarify the differences between the "old" and the "new" manifested themselves in a wide range of areas from daily life to education, from art to the legal system. The dress code revolution, the transition to the Latin alphabet and reforms on women's rights are among the prominent changes in this process. The modernisation movement of the Early Republican Era was an effort to promote Turkey's modern face, which it had transformed in a very short period of time, in the international arena. In this context, new books and periodicals were written, albums and brochures were prepared, documentaries were filmed and distributed internationally. In addition, participation in international exhibitions, fairs and conferences increased. In the Early Republican period, the S.S. Karadeniz Travelling Exhibition (Exposition Flottante Turquie), was held to showcase Turkey's achievements in the modernisation process and domestic productions worldwide. In line with Turkey's economic development strategies, the S.S. Karadeniz project contributed to the international promotion of domestic productions and reforms. The project was realised in 1926 as a "travelling exhibition" idea and the S.S. Wilis, an old cargo steamer, was converted into an exhibition space and travelled around Europe. This project, supported by Atatürk, is of great importance in terms of introducing the Modern Republic of Turkey to the world. The aim of this study is to analyse the interior of the S.S. Karadeniz as a representation of modernism. Thus, the existing literature on the S.S. Karadeniz will be re-examined from the perspective of design history. In this study, qualitative research method will be used; travel memories, official documents, historical texts, photographs, video recordings and drawings will be used to define the space with visual analyses. As a result of the study; the S.S. Karadeniz project will contribute to increasing the interest in the history of interior architecture by creating a document accumulation and memory regarding the historiography of interior architecture, which has recently become a new discipline in Turkey.