Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum

Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum – Bilecik

Although the exact construction date of the Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum building is not known, it is believed to have been built as a “Sargı Evi” (First Aid House) by Mayor Memiş Ağa in the early 1900s.

The structure, notable for its traditional Turkish woodwork, features two adjacent round-arched doors on the front façade, vertically aligned rectangular windows on each side wall, and triangular pediments above them. The building has a wooden hipped roof covered with traditional Turkish tiles. Restored in the style of an old Turkish house, it was opened as a museum in 2001.

Exhibitions and Collections

The museum showcases ethnographic items and objects belonging to the Yörüks (nomadic Turkmen groups) who historically lived in Söğüt and its surrounding regions. The collection includes:

• Traditional Yörük clothing and accessories
• Handwoven kilims and carpets
• Weapons and everyday tools
• Weighing and measuring instruments
• Sancaks (Ottoman military standards)
• Handcrafted towels and coin purses
• Coins from the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods
• Roman-era pottery and archaeological pieces

Upper Floor Exhibition Hall

The top-floor gallery displays a wide selection of artifacts representing the cultural heritage of Söğüt and Bilecik, including:

• Traditional garments
• Handwoven textiles, carpets, kilims, and saddlebags
• Weapons and measuring devices
• Various household items used in daily life

Located in Söğüt, the birthplace of the Ottoman Empire, the museum invites visitors to witness history where the great Ottoman Civilization began.

History of the Museum

The foundation of the museum’s collection was formed in 1973, when a committee surveyed Söğüt, Bilecik, nearby villages, and Yörük settlements in Eskişehir to gather artifacts. Initially stored in the Eskişehir Archaeology Museum depot, the items were moved to Söğüt once the museum building was completed and placed on display.

The Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum first opened on 12 September 1981 in the building currently used as Halime Hatun Masjid, located across from the Tomb of Ertuğrul Gazi. Since 8 September 2001, it has been welcoming visitors in its current location.