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TİKA Restored Barbarism Museum in Nicosia

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) restored and landscaped the museum located in Nicosia, the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, two years ago. The museum houses the personal belongings of Lieutenant Colonel Nihat İlhan, a military doctor killed by Greek Cypriot gangs in his bathtub during the Bloody Christmas attacks on December 24, 1963, along with his wife Mürüvvet and their children Murat, Kutsi, and Hakan. The Barbarism Museum, which still bears bullet marks from the attack known as the “Kumsal Massacre” or “Bathroom Massacre,” opened in 1966 and is considered a symbol of the oppression the Turkish Cypriots endured from 1963 to 1974.

Exhibits Reflecting Tragedies of Turkish Cypriots

The bathtub where the mother and children were killed, blood-stained bathrobes, and other personal items are displayed in the Barbarism Museum, conveying the pains experienced by the Turkish Cypriots with tangible evidence to future generations. The museum features a chronology wall, photographs, an audio room, and a memory pool. A list of the martyrs’ names from 1963 to 1968 due to Greek attacks is displayed on a panel in the museum, while the photos from that period in the memory pool allow visitors to witness the past.

Living Beyond the Reflections in the Museum

Associate Professor Dr. Yurdagül Atun from Rauf Denktaş University stated that the Barbarism Museum is a symbol in promoting the sufferings of Turkish Cypriots to the world, adding, “We have experienced much more than what is reflected in the museum. What is portrayed here is only a fraction of what we went through in Cyprus between 1963 and 1974.” Atun mentioned that the Greeks saw the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 as a step to unite Cyprus with Greece, initiating mass killings and genocide against the Turks with the Akritas Plan starting in 1963.

Preserving the Memory of the Past

Atun emphasized that the items exhibited in the Barbarism Museum serve as a reminder of a period, saying, “The Barbarism Museum represents a small portion of what we experienced before 1974.” The museum guide Hülya Özkartal explained that the museum is open on weekdays from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, offering visitors the opportunity to use an electronic guide in the chronology room. She mentioned that personal items of Lieutenant Colonel Nihat İlhan’s wife and children are displayed in the museum, and visitors can listen to a wealth of information about the museum and the events of that era from the audio guide.

• The museum is free of charge for visitors.
• The memory pool contains 2,000 pieces of information and photographs, including press coverage from domestic and foreign media during that time.
• Visitors can watch a 14-minute documentary to learn more about the past.