Miras, is a

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

by Turkish sculptor

Metin Yurdanur Metin Yurdanur (born 1951) is a sculptor based in Turkey, who was awarded the title State Artist of Turkey. Early years Yurdanur was born in 1951 in Sivrihisar town of Eskişehir Province in Turkey. He spent his childhood until high school in h ...

. It is famous for being the first civilian sculpture in

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

. The work describes

Nasreddin Hodja Nasreddin () or Nasreddin Hodja (other variants include: Mullah Nasreddin Hooja, Nasruddin Hodja, Mullah Nasruddin, Mullah Nasriddin, Khoja Nasriddin) (1208-1285) is a character in the folklore of the Muslim world from Arabia to Central Asia ...

on a Hittite Chimera.

History

In 1979, the

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, makin ...

had initiated "''the project of equipping the city with plastic elements''" and ordered a series of sculptures to decorate different parts of

. Created by several sculptors, including Yurdanur, these works were delivered to the municipality in the same year. Within the scope of this project, the artist's "''Heritage''" was placed in the garden of Ankara Train Station, "''Eller''" was placed in

Abdi İpekçi Park Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

and "''Solidarity''" was placed in a square in Batıkent.

Details

With this sculpture, two important cultural figures belonging to

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

were engraved and it was pointed out that the Anatolian civilisations, that lived on the same land at different times, were the successors and inheritors of each other. In the work, the folk hero Nasreddin Hodja, who is famous for riding his donkey upside down, is depicted riding a winged and double-headed Hittite lion. When glance at the general characteristics of the work, it can be seen that an abstract expression technique is used and the gist wanted to be given is reinforced with references to different elements. The materiality of the sculpture is strengthened with the geometric and sharp details used. The depiction of Nasreddin Hodja on a lion instead of a donkey, on the one hand, builds a bridge between different ages, on the other hand transforms Hodja into a figure of a "voyager travelling in time".

References

{{Reflist Monuments and memorials in Ankara Outdoor sculptures in Ankara