Osman Hamdi Bey’in Sayda Kazısı ve Müze-i Hümâyûn’un Gelişimine Etkisi

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The change of Ottoman policy concerning antiquities began with the intellectuals who became familiar with Europe especially after the Tanzimat edict, and gained momentum with the opening of Mze-i Humayun (The Imperial Museum) and with the publication of a series regulations concerning antiquities, reaching its apogee with the appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, who had studied in Paris, as the director of the Imperial Museum in 1881. Thanks to the efforts of Osman Hamdi Bey, despite all pressures, the Ottoman State enacted the Law of Antiquities (Asar- Atika Nizamnamesi) of 1884, which strictly forbade the export of antiquities abroad and tightened up loose ends of previous nizamnames. A milestone in the career of Osman Hamdi Bey, the Sayda excavation carried out in 1887 was instrumental in the development of the Mze-i Hmyn, placing it among the important European museums. Using extensive archival documents, the aim of this study is to examine Sayda excavation and its impact on the Ottoman policy concerning antiquities.