MUSEUM OF EXPERIENCE / Duygu Karabıyık
Experience Museum: In the Footsteps of Time
Kayseri Castle is a multi-layered structure that has served different purposes throughout the Roman, Seljuk, Ottoman, and Republican periods. In this project, my aim is not merely to exhibit the castle as a historical structure, but to transform it into immersive spaces where the atmosphere of each era can be experienced firsthand.
In this museum, visitors can shoot arrows like a legionary in the Roman period, carve stone like a madrasa student in the Seljuk era, practice the art of ebru like an Ottoman craftsman, and witness the transformation of the castle over time during the Republican period. Each experience room is designed as an interactive space that encourages not only visual engagement but also physical participation.
The circulation of the structure takes the visitor on a journey through time. As one moves along a chronological path, an experiential timeline unfolds from past to present. The workshop areas — including stone carving, helmet making, ebru art, and storytelling — support this narrative by creating atmospheres that reflect the authentic character of each period. Natural materials and a carefully considered lighting strategy are used to reflect the spirit of each era, drawing the visitor into the space.
Being a student in this museum is the most experiential form of learning. For example, while working with real stone in a Seljuk-era workshop, history ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes a tangible reality shaped by your own hands. Each day, you step into the atmosphere of a different era. You first experience the way of life in the designated rooms — perhaps the focus of a Roman archer, or the patience of an Ottoman master… Then, this initial encounter guides you to the adjacent workshop and exhibition areas, where the experience deepens. You move from observation to creation. These transitions, where time periods are interconnected, provide both a sense of historical continuity and a hands-on learning process.
This structure does not merely display the traces of the past; it allows you to walk through them, touch them, and create within them. 
