Çorum City Museum
Çorum City Museum, housed in the mansion (köşk) section of the Veli Paşa Hanı, is a private museum founded by Çorum Municipality that displays the city’s more recent history, everyday culture and collective memory. Unlike the Çorum Museum, its emphasis is not on the Hittite period but on the city’s social and cultural heritage from the Hattians to the present.
Founding and Opening
The project was announced by Mayor Dr. Halil İbrahim Aşgın as one of his 2019 election pledges; according to what he told Anadolu Agency, an end-of-January 2024 opening had been planned. The museum officially opened to visitors on 28 March 2024. In the private-museums register of the T.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, it is approved and registered as a private museum belonging to Çorum Municipality and affiliated with the Çorum Museum Directorate.
Halls and Collection
Sources do not fully agree on the size of the display area: before the opening (January 2024), Anadolu Agency reported that 22 rooms of the han would be allocated to the museum, while Çorum Municipality’s official opening announcement put the display area at 15 rooms. Per the mayor’s pre-opening statement, the rooms are arranged in chronological order: visitors are greeted by the Hattians at the entrance, followed by the Hittites, Rome, Byzantium, the Seljuks and the Ottomans. Other sections display items reflecting everyday city life — from agriculture to industry, from trade to health and education, from handicrafts to traditional weddings and customs — alongside wax figures representing notable local figures and historic items donated by Çorum residents. The municipality has also called on the public to donate historic items to grow the collection.
Restoration Context
The Veli Paşa Hanı that houses the museum was restored by Çorum Municipality, with support from the Central Black Sea Development Agency, over roughly five years, completed in 2022; the han’s history, architecture and restoration are described in detail in the Veli Paşa Hanı article.
Visiting
Çorum City Museum occupies the mansion section of the han in the Çepni neighbourhood, near the clock tower; the han’s ground floor also houses Çorum Municipality’s Yöresel Çorum Mutfağı restaurant and the Veli Paşa Kahvecisi coffeehouse. The official opening announcement stated that during Ramadan the museum could be visited from 09:00 to 19:00; for current visiting hours it is best to check Çorum Municipality’s announcements.
Sources
- Çorum Municipality — The City Museum opened to visitors
- Anadolu Agency — Artifacts reflecting Çorum’s millennia-old past to be exhibited in a 22-room han
- T.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums — Private Museums
- Turkish Culture Portal — Veli Paşa Hanı
Frequently asked questions
When did Çorum City Museum open?
According to Çorum Municipality's official announcement, the museum opened to visitors on 28 March 2024. In a statement given before the opening (January 2024), the mayor had targeted the end of January; the opening was delayed by a few months to March.
Who founded Çorum City Museum?
The museum was founded by Çorum Municipality. In the private-museums register of the T.C. Ministry of Culture and Tourism's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, it is listed as a private museum belonging to Çorum Municipality and affiliated with the Çorum Museum Directorate.
Is Çorum City Museum the same place as the Çorum Museum?
No. The Çorum Museum is a separate, official state museum that primarily displays archaeological finds from the Hittite period. Çorum City Museum, inside the Veli Paşa Hanı, is a private museum founded by Çorum Municipality that focuses on the city's more recent history and everyday culture.
Which periods and subjects does the museum cover?
According to the mayor's pre-opening statement, the rooms are arranged chronologically: visitors are greeted by the Hattians at the entrance, followed by the Hittites, Rome, Byzantium, the Seljuks and the Ottomans. Other sections cover agriculture, industry, trade, health, education, handicrafts, and traditional weddings and customs, alongside wax figures representing notable local figures and historic items donated by residents.