As part of her official visit to Türkiye, Princess Akiko of Japan toured the exhibition titled “The Heritage for the Future: The Golden Age of Archaeology.” The event took place at the Presidential Nation’s Library in Ankara.
Princess Akiko was accompanied by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy during her visit to the exhibition on Wednesday. She showed particular interest in the statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, dated to the 2nd-3rd centuries A.D., which was recently put on display. Zeynep Boz, head of the Combating Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property, provided detailed information on the statue’s historical significance and the process through which it was repatriated to Türkiye.
The princess also carefully examined a wide array of artifacts unearthed from 90 excavation sites across Türkiye – stretching from east to west and north to south. Most of the items on display are being exhibited publicly for the first time.
The visit was also attended by Culture and Tourism Deputy Minister Gökhan Yazgı, Japanese Ambassador to Türkiye Katsumata Takahiko, Cultural Assets and Museums General Director Birol Inceciköz and other senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
An additional point of interest during the visit was the decorative art on Princess Akiko’s fingernails, which featured miniature Turkish and Japanese flags, symbolizing the bond between the two nations.
