The Archaic Kouros Statue in the Archaeological Museum of İzmir

The statue, that was found in 1936 in Milet and brought to the Archaeological Museum in Izmir, has been taken case of since that time registered in the invantory book as "a piece of Hellenistic statue" drew our attention during our studies in the depot of the museum in Basmahane. The unresemlance of this piece, that we do not meet in the old and new Milet publications, of the archaic works at first sight is the reason of its being hidden in a depot corner for a long time. After a little cleaning with the appearance of its all archaic characteristics and inscription we set to work to publish it and with the permission of Mr. Hakkı Gültekin, the Director of the Archaeological Museum of Izmir, it has been possible to introduce it to the world of science. I want to present my thanks to Mr. Gültekin who has always been kind and helpful. As it is told above the statue, according to the inventory registrations, was found in Milet, but we do not have a definite idea of its place, stile and time. As the transition of the statue to the museum is in 1936 for sure it is not a finding of excavation. Because in that case, it would have been possible to find an information, though short, in the reports of excavation, about this kouros which can be considered important for the East-Greek sculpture. Our opinion is that the kouros piece is like the other findings of chance that came from the area of Milet.

The Wooden Mihrab of the Taşkın Paşa Mosque in the Damsa Village of Ürgüp

The wooden mihrab of the Taşkın Paşa mosque, in the Damsa village of Ürgüp, was removed from its original place in 1940 and brought to the Etnographical Museum in Ankara. The Taşkın Paşa mosque does not carry an inscription panel. However, it is dated to the 14th. century depending on stylistic analogies and the dates of the two mausolea in the courtyard. As we shall try to designate in the description below, the general form and decoration of the mihrab gives us the opinion that it is contemporary with the mosque. Two bands with different mouldings and different width determine the 350 cm. high, 203 cm. wide rectangular framework of the mihrab, The 65 cm. wide, 30 cm. deep, 310 cm. high niche is semicircular in plan and it is covered by an half dome. The half dome is enframed by a two centered ogive arch which rests on the engaged columns flanking the sides of the niche. (Fig. I , Pl. I) A 98 cm. high rectangular panel is placed between the ogive arch and the framework, w hile two large roundels fili the corners of the spandrels. (Pl. 2) The mihrab is made of walnut planks that are cut according to the shapes of the different elements and joined vertically and horizontally. For the moulded bands which delineate the framework two planks, measuring 16 cm. and 20 cm. respectively, are placed vertically at the sides and horizontally at the top meeting cach other diagonally at the upper corners. Three vertical planks, measuring 28 cm. in width and 110 cm. in height, are used for the semicircular niche; the half dome is made of a monolith piece and horizontal planks are used for the arch frieze, the spandrels and the rectangular panel between the arch frieze and the inner band. This construction technique of the mihrab resembles the construction of wooden doors and window shutters rather than mimbers. The surface of the mihrab is completely covered with carved geometrical and floral interlaces and inscription bands. The lower part of the lateral moulded band is covered with an intrecate floral interlace where scrolls or palmet leaves are woven into a continious composition running on the vertical axis up to 92 cm. from ground level. At the point where this interlace ends, an inscription band, in floriated Nesih script, starts and runs around the upper part of the framework. (Pl. 1, 4) This inscription, where the letters are well rounded and usually terminate with scrolls and palmet leaves, is a yerse taken from the Koran. The lower part of the inner moulded band starts with an intrecate geometric interlace. Curvilinear narrow strips intersect each other besides delineating squares that are looped on top of one another. As in the first band, an inscription band starts at the point where the interlace terminates, 68 cm. from ground level, and continues on the upper part of the band, The rectangular panel between the arch frieze and the inner band of the framework is divided into three horizontal zones. The two outer zones carry verses from the Koran in Nesih script, while the center is decorated with a geometric interlace. In this case, narrow strips delineate twelve pointed stars whilst intersecting each other. (Pl. 2) The surface of the niche, the englged columns, the arch frieze and the spandrels are decorated with simple or complex floral compositions. The large roundels on the spandrels are decorated with inscriptions 8. (Pl. 2, 3, 6) In contrast to all these elements the half dome is left free of decoration which probably indicates a later restoration. The geometric and floral interlaces and the inscription bands are carved in three different techniques which are: slant cut, high relief and double layer relief. These techniques are similar to those used for the carved decorations of wooden mimbers from the XIII. th. and XIV. th. centuries . In the sequence of Anatolian mihrabs from the XIII. th. and XIV. th. centuries no other examples are found in wood and only four early wooden mihrabs have survived from outside of Anatolia. The earlıı est of the four belongs to the Iskodar village mosque in Turkestan, and is dated to the pre Mongol period, to the XI-XII. th. centuriesn. (Pl. 7) The other three are from the Faturud period in Egypt. The mihrab of the El-Ezher mosque (Pl. 8), is dated to 519 11/1[25-26 A. D. with an inscription panel placed above its framework 12.