Türkiye and Kimberley relationship showcased at city museum

IN A BID to showcase an unexplored connection between the Diamond City and the Republic of Türkiye, an exhibition depicting the life of Ahmet Attaullah Effendi, a man who was appointed by the Ottoman Empire to open the first Islamic school in Kimberley, is on display at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley.

Attaoullah Effendi, who was born in Cape Town and deployed to Kimberley for the establishment of the Muslim school, is said to have arrived in Kimberley in 1884.

He is reportedly the first person to use modern Arabic letters in writing Afrikaans and was also the editor of the Muslim Journal.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye, Sinan Yesildag, who was part of the opening of the exhibition, said that Attaoullah Effendi laid a strong foundation in establishing a lifelong relationship between the two republics.

“I checked in the Turkish archives and found the appointment letter of Attaoullah, which was signed by the ministers of the Ottoman Empire back in 1887. I handed copies of the appointment letter to the directors of the museum. After that, the directors and I continued to conduct research into other connections between Türkiye and Kimberley including the work Attaullah Effendi did in the city,” said Yesildag.

He added that they also discovered that Attaoullah Effendi’s son made history in England.

“During the course of our research, we found that the son of Attaullah was appointed Consulate General of the Ottoman Empire to Singapore after he left Kimberley. Three years after his appointment, he had a car accident and he passed away. Attaullah Effendi died on November 10, 1903, after he returned from a ball which was at the time held in honour of King Edward VII. His grave is in Singapore.

“We further found documents stating that his son, Rushdi Attaoullah, was the first coloured pilot. Rushdi was apparently the first coloured South African to receive his aviation certificate in England. That speaks about the lessons that were instilled in the children of Attaoullah Effendi.”

Yesildag, who is serving his last term as the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye, said he hoped his successor would continue to nourish the relationship that was established hundreds of years back.

“This exhibition is not only to preserve the memory of Attaoullah Effendi but to build on the foundation he has established between the two cities and to highlight the long-during relationship between the two cities. I am also planning to give a thesis to a student at Sol Plaatje University about the relationship between successor and Kimberley. We also have other organisations which will continue to spread the message on the relationship between Kimberley and Türkiye. Hopefully, the sister-city agreement and the establishment of a Turkish school in Kimberley will be one of the things that will be birthed in the near future,” he said.

The CEO of the McGregor Museum, Sunet Swanepoel, said the exhibition will be on display until the end of July.

Swanepoel explained that the research journey started last year when Yesildag visited Kimberley.

“The Türkiye Consulate General visited Kimberley in November 2023. It was during that time that he handed us a letter from Attaoullah Effendi, who has started a school for Muslim learners in Kimberley. We started digging into the life of Attaoullah and found that he started a school and was a teacher at the first Islamic school in Kimberley. It is always interesting when one unlocks and discovers such historic information. We are certain that the people in the city are not aware of this history and relation between Kimberley and Türkiye. They can come to learn more during the exhibition,” said Swanepoel.

Yesildag also handed over archery equipment worth several thousand rand to the Ottoman Archery Club in Kimberley, as well as Qurbani meat packs to old-age homes in Galeshewe.