Private collections evolve into museums

Collections and collecting, which go back to antiquity, have been motivated by factors like particular interest in a subject, the desire to possess and to preserve, and shaped by the cultural structure and beliefs of the time. Collecting began with votive offerings made to the gods in ancient times, and was an activity in which religious faith was central. During the Roman Empire collecting took on a meaning shaped by Greek sculpture and complied with social customs. In mediaeval Europe precious objects were collected in churches and monateries to exalt religious faith; while for the aristocracy of the same period collections were a symbol of wealth. With the humanism of the Renaissance the field of collecting expanded to encompass antiquities, the natural world, science and art, while at the same time gaining a systematic approach, as collections became the basis of research intended to define the world. In the West collections shaped by diverse social, political, economic and cultural factors began to become institutionalised from the 18th century. In Turkey collecting began in the 15th century with collections that reflected the personal interests and tastes of the Ottoman sultans, but at this period the general public, influenced by nomadic and Islamic culture, did not take an interest in collecting. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, museums established to house works of Turkish and Islamic art, archaeological finds and ethnographic items became the reflection of nationalist feeling, and were viewed as institutions intended to preserve national culture. Under the influence of changing social and cultural values first institutional and then private collections were formed. Some of the collections created by a sense of social responsibility, interest in art, a desire to be integrated into the world , and other factors went on to become museums. The increasing number of artists, galleries and auctioneers lent animation to the art market, and supported this process. In this study the process whereby private collections evolve into museums is examined in the light of social, cultural and economic factors. Private museums are evaluated from the point of view of their formation, their activities and public accessibility. Keywords: Collection, Collecting, Private Museums