On January 22, marking the Day of Hungarian Culture, the international exhibition entitled Attila opened at the Hungarian National Museum. The temporary exhibition, which presents the personality and legacy of the Hun ruler, evokes the figure of Attila and his era through some 400 artifacts from 64 museums in 13 countries.
At the exhibition opening in Budapest, Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó spoke about how Attila, the great prince of the Huns, is often remembered in the West as a cruel barbarian, while in the East he is revered as a hero and historical forefather.
Like Hungary, Attila is a bridge between East and West: we are all Attila’s grandchildren,”
he emphasized.
“The whole world believes that we Hungarians are the descendants and heirs of the Huns, one of the most powerful empires that ever existed, and its founding ruler, Attila,” said the minister.
Minister Hankó emphasized that
although we have long said that “we dare to be great,” the feeling of small-mindedness, submissiveness, the compulsion to conform, and “we dare to be small” is still often present in some people. However, we must not allow this,
the minister said, adding that we can draw strength from the Attila exhibition.
The Hungarian National Museum’s new Attila exhibition is one of the most significant exhibitions in Europe today, pointed out Gábor Zsigmond, president of the Hungarian National Museum’s Public Collection Center (MNMKK), emphasizing that priceless works of art have been brought to the exhibition from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to treasures from all corners of the former European Hun Empire, the exhibition, which has become a joint venture of Hungarian museums, also features the finest Hun-related objects preserved in Hungarian public collections, said the president of the MNMKK.
During Attila’s reign, the Carpathian Basin became the center of Eurasian politics for a time,
emphasized Zsigmond, who said that the exhibition is about this era and events of continental significance, while also attempting for the first time to summarize the image of Attila and its changes.
“The exhibition organized by the Hungarian National Museum was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of numerous museums in the Turkic world. The museums of the Turkic states have come together for the first time to organize such a comprehensive exhibition on a common historical narrative,” said Sultan Rajev, Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY).
“This unity is extremely valuable in terms of our cultural cooperation. The exhibition presents the results of joint archaeological and scientific research,” he added.
The exhibition, which is open to the public from Friday and whose chief curator is Benedek Varga, allows visitors to view, among other things, the weapons of the conquering Huns and the distorted skulls found in graves, as well as learn about the history of the Hun Empire.
In addition, they can learn about the customs of the Huns, what they left behind for posterity, and what impact they had on later cultures around the world.
According to the Hungarian National Museum, the curators of the exhibition have assembled the artifacts in such a way that Western, Eastern, and Hungarian interpretations from the last 1,600 years, i.e., since the time of Attila, can be explored.
The exhibition takes a unique look at the relationship between the myths surrounding Attila and historical reality in light of the findings of archaeology, history, art history, anthropology, and archaeogenetics, as well as contemporary reflections.
The exhibition also features special jewelry from the Carpathian Basin and other parts of the former Hun Empire.
These include bracelets, rings, necklaces, garnet necklaces, and even “Attila’s poison cup,” an electrum cup decorated with glass inlays that was found near Szeged-Nagyszéksós (southeast Hungary).
The exhibition, running until July 12, is complemented by a rich series of accompanying programs. Visitors can look forward to an international conference, scientific lectures, roundtable discussions, traditional family and children’s programs, museum education activities, craft workshops, book presentations, film screenings, and live music programs.
Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán
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