Sunay Akın Visited Gökyay Foundation Chess Museum
‘Gökyay Foundation Chess Museum which is one of the biggest chess museums of the World had a visitor well known in Turkey. Story teller, poet, writer, journalist, researcher, actor and also the founder of the Toy Museum Sunay Akın visited the Chess Museum opened its doors just a while ago. Deputy Chairman of the Turkey Chess Federation Aşkın Keleş was also present at the visit. Conveying his feelings after the colorful visit by saying “You brought together chess and muses together. You gave inspiration to this society under the name of chess. Think, create, discover, move to the new!” Akın added, “To collect is the work of mad. If have left the world to wise, we should still be living in the cave.” The Chairman of Board of Directors of Gökyay Foundation Akın Gökyay who shared his collection of years in his museum with chess lovers said, “My chess sets which are the production of my passion that I devoted my years for meet with chess lovers here. Hearing such words shows that my efforts are not in vain.”
“ AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION”
Visits to Gökyay Foundation Chess Museum which has been donated to the citizens of the capital for the honor of 92. anniversary of Ankara’s being capital still continue. Telling about the feelings of surprise that the visitors of the museum experience after seeing the chess sets Gökyay said; “We have a heavy visitor traffic from the day we opened the museum. This enormous interest which have arisen in such a short time is making me very happy. Museum is taking its visitors to a world journey. As a person who has brought a difference to museology history with his Toy Museum and known with his heart felt stories, I thank to Sunay Akın’s support with his visit.” Sunay Akın said, “The atmosphere in the museum is very impressing. Birten-Akın Gökyay’s collection is incredible” and continued his words by saying, “Museology cannot improve without collectors. Our anatomy is collection. The spirit of collector is different. To improve the spirit of museology visits to this kind of museums must be realized. Chess museum is born in a very good and healthy way. I felt an enormous joy, such a success!”
“THERE ARE UTTERLY DIFFERENT WORLDS HERE”
Saying that the collection in the museum is marvelous, Akın said, “ There is geography, history here. The students and children who will visit here will not only see chess but the world also and the cultures of the countries. They will see the strategies of wars from antic wars to September 11, they will see comic book culture. There is not chess here, chess is just a spine. There are utterly different worlds here. These worlds should be brought forward.” Saying that Birtan-Akın Gökyay have overcome hardships Akın said, “Is it that easy to put 3 or 4 of these chess set pieces together? There is such a collection here. There are also designing tools made of very strange materials. This museum is a place of inspiration. French origin of museum is “musée” and it means muse. In the Helicon Mountain in mythology 9 beautiful daughters of God of the Gods Zeus resides. Their name is Muse. Their names are also written in three holy books of Qur’an, Bible and Torah. That means you brought together chess and muses. You gave inspiration to this society under the name of chess. Think, create, discover, move to the new!”
“I NEVER CUT THE BRANCH I SIT ON”
During the visit enjoyable conversations also took place. Describing the collecting as “work of mad” Akın said If they have left the world to wise, we should still be living in the cave.” Rejecting the wish of Akın Gökyay to donate the things he bought from colorful shop of the Chess Museum, Akın said, “I never cut the branch I sit on.” Saying that the visitors of the museum can make material contribution to the museum in three ways he said, “Entrance fee, cafe and souvenir shop. Even if we think of shopping from all these, we can say that quarter of the loss in terms of finance meaning the capital investment can just be compensated. The money wasted in the museum is the seed of the new museums.”
“WE TELL EVERYBODY WITH RELIEF”
Deputy Chairman of the Turkey Chess Federation Aşkın Keleş who was accompanying to Sunay Akın’s visit said that the people of Ankara was bestowed to enjoy the honor of having the “Biggest chess museum in the world” with the Chess Museum and continued his words saying, “This museum is very important for chess culture. We will also realize some of our important meetings and some of the activities in the museum. This place will be the museum of the chess lovers and a meeting point.”
Stating that Turkey is a unique country regarding chess, Keleş said: “We also have successful works in Turkey. With the protocol signed by Ministry of National Education in 2003-2004, we made chess an optional subject in schools. All the people who learned chess played in private and official tournaments of the federation. We have nearly half million national players. This acceleration is important. In the near future, we will be a country where special tournaments will be held which will be envied by the world.”
“MY EFFORTS ARE NOT IN VAIN”
The founder of the museum and The Chairman of Board of Directors of Gökyay Foundation Akın Gökyay said that museum also gets excited with every visitor. Gökyay said; “Receiving good comments about this museum which is the product of my passion is making me happy and I see that my efforts are not in vain. I feel the same excitement whenever a visitor steps inside the museum. I thank everybody for giving me such happiness. We are waiting for everyone to take them to journeys to utterly different worlds.”