In the town of Kaymaklı in Nevşehir, central Türkiye, 63-year-old retired municipal police officer Bilal Kambur has filled the rooms of his house with antique items he has been collecting for decades.
Restoring and repairing family heirlooms, objects gifted to him and antiques he purchased over the years, Kambur has brought each piece back to working condition, preserving his memories and keeping the past alive.
From vinyl records and black-and-white film projectors to nostalgic televisions, chests, farming tools and household items, his nearly 1,000-piece collection decorates the rooms of his home, carrying traces of his youth into the present.
Kambur often spends his time listening to old records or sitting with relatives to watch classic black-and-white films projected onto a screen, immersing himself in moments of nostalgia.
Kambur said he started displaying the items in his home after retiring in 2014, though his passion for collecting began in the 1980s.
“I’ve been keeping everything I’ve found since the 1980s,” he explained. “Half of these items are things we used ourselves, so I decided to restore and display them. It’s been a dream of mine for years. I’ve turned the house into a museum-like place, open to friends and free to visit. We want our guests to remember the old days. Every item here has a memory attached to it. After retiring, I wanted to organize them so they wouldn’t be lost or damaged. Friends who visit often bring gifts and sometimes I buy pieces too. It’s not for business, I collect and display them.”
Kambur said word of his “museum house” has spread, attracting visitors from across the country and helping him form many new friendships.
“My goal is to keep these memories alive,” he said. “When I walk through the rooms, I feel like I’m traveling through a time tunnel. I watch films using the projector, just like we did in our youth. We play records too. After a long day, listening to music with a cup of tea takes away all the stress and fatigue. This place is my world of peace.”
He added that he has instructed his children to keep the “museum house” open to visitors after him, noting that many of the items on display belonged to his father and grandfather and hold immense sentimental value.
His wife, Nezahat Kambur, said she also enjoys living in a house filled with memories and shares her husband’s longing for the past.
“We work together to keep everything clean and make visitors feel welcome,” she said. “When our guests leave happy, that makes us happy too.”
Bilal’s older brother, Ismail Kambur, also expressed admiration for his sibling’s dedication and said he visits the house frequently.
“Coming here and reminiscing about the past is priceless,” he said. “Spending just 10 minutes in this house makes you forget all your worries and stress. Bilal has been passionate about this for years. He takes care of his place before anything else, and it shows.”
