As one of Türkiye’s leading participation finance institutions, Kuveyt Türk has added another initiative to its efforts to preserve cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations. Published as part of the bank’s Growing with Our Values approach, Ruh-u Ten: Scent in Turkish Culture from Past to Present was introduced at a special event held on 25 June, World Fragrance Day.
The event, hosted at the Ortaköy Kethüda Hammam, explored the place of scent in Turkish culture, its influence throughout history from everyday life to art, architecture, and social life, and its role in shaping cultural memory.
Recognized as one of humanity’s oldest carriers of sensory memory, scent is explored in Ruh-u Ten through a historical, cultural, and civilizational perspective, tracing its journey from Antiquity to the Ottoman era and from Central Asia to the present day. Prepared with contributions from distinguished academics and researchers, the book approaches scent not merely as an aesthetic element, but as a value deeply intertwined with faith, everyday life, urban culture, and collective memory. The book was supervised by Islamic art historian and collector Bekir Kantarcı. Beste Gürsu served as curator and project coordinator, Zeynep Ögel as editor, and Timuçin Unan as designer. Contributors to the publication include Prof. Dr. Üzlifat Özgümüş, Serkan Gedük, Dr. Çağrı Bakır, Meryem Karakurt, Salih Aslanbey, Prof. Dr. Neslihan Gürsoy, Prof. Dr. Abdulhalik Bakır, Dr. Huriye Bostanoğlu, Prof. Dr. Nazan Demir, Dr. Beyza Uzun Kutlay, and Associate Professor Dr. Selin Seda Timur.
“We See Supporting Initiatives That Carry Our Cultural Heritage into the Future as a Responsibility”
Semih Sel, Executive Vice President responsible for Human Resources and Strategy at Kuveyt Türk, stated: "Over the years, we have sought to contribute to our collective memory through exhibitions, books, documentaries, and various cultural and artistic projects. Ruh-u Ten has become an important part of this journey. Scent is, in fact, one of the most powerful yet often overlooked elements of our cultural identity. It occupies an important place in our cities, architecture, everyday life, and traditions. Through this work, we aimed to make the journey of scent throughout our cultural history more visible and to create a significant reference source in this field."
Kuveyt Türk Continues Its Cultural and Artistic Initiatives
In line with its Growing with Our Values approach, Kuveyt Türk continues to develop projects not only in the financial sector but also in the fields of culture, art, and social responsibility. From the restoration of historical monuments and the support of traditional arts to exhibitions, books, and documentary projects, Kuveyt Türk continues to contribute to preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations.
Published within this scope, Ruh-u Ten stands out as a comprehensive work that traces the legacy of scent in Turkish culture from the past to the present.
The publications released by Kuveyt Türk in the fields of cultural heritage and the arts are available through the Kuveyt Türk Book Collection: https://www.kuveytturk.com.tr/hakkimizda/degerlerimizle-buyuyoruz/kulturel-miras-ve-sanat/kuveyt-turk-kitap-koleksiyonu