A Glimpse of Seyda Goyan Ethnography Museum
By: Fargo Bcn
My journey in search of the Kurds continues. Finally, I made it to my dear friend’s museum in Şirnak. My long-time dream was to visit Bakur (Northern Kurdistan- Turkey), but the pandemic has hindered me. I’m thrilled to see this fantastic family museum that Mamoste Seyda Goyan has established and developed over the years. Being here makes you appreciate the Kurdish culture and history. To be immersed in the lifestyle and livelihood. To admire the authentic traditional costumes the old folks proudly wear daily, not only on special occasions.
I've known Seyda Goyan as a passionate Kurdish folklorist specializing in photojournalism and traditional Kurdish music, a writer, a poet, and gifted with a lovely singing voice. He has published six books in folklore and literature recommended for everyone to read and learn from. Seyda Goyan’s Museum in Uludere, Şirnak, has drawn the attention of local media networks like Rudaw, Kurdistan 24, and many others, as well as BBC international TV news featuring his works and the museum's success. It’s now becoming a tourist destination. It was worth traveling to see this museum with my own eyes, to appreciate the passion and effort poured into it. To be present here is a remarkable journey, and to experience the warm hospitality and kindness of the people everywhere you go in this small suburban town is splendid.
The inspiration that pushed Seyda Goyan to put up the museum is his desire to carry the past to the future! In his own capacity, he then turned his father's house into a museum rather than leaving it unused and idle. As a retired civil servant from Diyarbakir with a heart of an achieving folklorist with a deep passion for writing poems and short literary pieces, he brings life to the world of arts, literature, and culture. His published books are essential materials and guides for research and studies.
Wanting the younger Kurdish generation not to forget their cultural heritage and forever lose their identity, he finds his way to document essential collections that have meaning in Kurdish history and write them down so they will be passed on to the next generation. Significant collections of items that he found are displayed inside the museum. Some people who value Mr. Goyan's efforts began to donate relics to his museum for a good purpose. Goyan collected old items important in the Kurdish culture and history and creatively arranged them on the house's second floor, which he inherited from his father. Each wall has a story to tell, and each corner has a history to return to. Many collections are displayed, from old stone dough makers and grinders to jugs and granaries. sieves, baskets, rugs, and many others that were helpful in social, cultural, and agricultural fields for many years before technology took over. Seyda Goyan has collected about a thousand items from the 18th century to the 1980s that have marked the history of the Kurds. His contentment lies in the achievement that he has established his own museum from his own pocket and effort. He has collected relics that were found in ruins after the war. It is admirable that he completed the museum in two years with a one-man job. His dream to make the museum prosper and expand it to a more spacious area is something he desires to work on but without enough financial resources, it will remain a dream to be accomplished.,
