The TCF Istanbul Office will host special lectures by Prof. Dr. Recep Karadag, Marmara University and Head of TCF Natural Dyes Research and Development Laboratory, on June 2 (in Turkish) and  June 6 (in English), titled "Dye Analysis and Reproduction of 16th Century Ottoman Brocades". The Istanbul lecture program and videos of past lectures can be viewed online at the TCF website.

Dr. Ufuk Kacabas, Chair of the Istanbul University Department of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Objects, will speak on April 21 on the topic of "The Byzantine Shipwrecks at Yenikapi." Ms. Ayse Erdogdu, an expert on Chinese and Japanese porcelain, will deliver a lecture on April 22, titled “Chinese Porcelain at the Topkapi Palace.” The Istanbul lecture program and videos of past lectures can be viewed online at the TCF website.

The TCF Istanbul Office hosted a special event on April 9, celebrating April 23, National Sovereignty and Children's Day in Turkey. Sebnem Oral, educator, author and storyteller will present fairytales from her children’s book “Musical Story Baskets.” Dr. Recep Karadag, who heads the TCF Natural Dyes Research and Development Laboratory, DATU, will be speaking at the International Symposium and Exhibition on Natural Dyes in La Rochelle, France on April 24-30. Dr. Karadag's presentation will be on the “Analysis of 16th Century Ottoman Silk Brocades and their Reproductions.” TCF will also sponsor an exhibition on reproduced Ottoman Silk Brocades at the event.

The Turkish Cultural Foundation is pleased to announce that the following artists have been selected to represent Turkish modern art at the Sculpture Objects and Functional Art (SOFA) expositions at New York and Chicago in 2011.

TCF will be sponsoring the participation of Turkish artists at the SOFA fairs for the fifth year and is the only non-profit organization represented at SOFA. SOFA is widely recognized as one of the world's leading fairs of contemporary decorative arts and designs and visited by tens of thousands of prospective buyers, gallery and museum representatives.

The Turkish Cultural Foundation's showcase of Turkish art at SOFA reflects the Foundation's mission to expand international opportunities for Turkish artists, as well as promote Turkish modern art.

One of the world’s most advanced laboratories on the research and development of natural dyes has been established in Istanbul by the Turkish Cultural Foundation with generous support from ARMAGGAN

The Natural Dyes Research and Development Laboratory, DATU for its Turkish acronym, is headed by Dr. Recep Karadag, Scholar in Residence at TCF.

DATU link has been providing natural dye technical analysis services free of charge to museums and art institutions in Turkey and Azerbaijan. The technology and micro analysis techniques employed by DATU in analyzing tiny fiber samples from antique carpets and textiles serves the preservation and restoration of such antique holdings. DATU has already provided analytical services to the Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya Museum, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Harbiye Military Museum, Konya Ethnographical Museum, Konya Mevlana Museum and the National History Museum of Azerbaijan. Holding one of the world’s largest natural dye plants collection, DATU also developed the capacity to recreate natural dye colors used in traditional Turkish weavings. The natural dye research and production process at DATU creates dyes which have anti-bacterial, anti-microbial properties and are free of toxins and carcinogens.

DATU reflects the Turkish Cultural Foundation’s mission to promote and preserve Turkey’s cultural heritage by creating a scientific inventory of natural dyes, contributing to the redevelopment of the natural dye production process, as well as spreading the use of natural dyes in textile production.

For more information on DATU, please visit.