The city of Isparta, famous for its roses, is set to host Turkey’s first Museum of Scents, reports Hürriyet Daily News.
The museum will be housed in a former Greek Orthodox church built in 1750 by the city’s Greek community.
“We discovered that this church was once used for perfume making — lavender was boiled in its courtyard, and rose water was used for healing. Turning it into a scent museum felt like a natural idea. After all, Isparta is the homeland of fragrances,” said Şükrü Başdeğirmen, the city’s mayor.
The museum will be one of only five in the world dedicated to the art of perfumery. Among its exhibits is what is believed to be the oldest perfume formula, dating back 4,500 years and made from 16 ingredients, including rose essence.
Visitors will be able to experience the aromas of Mesopotamian, Anatolian, Roman, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations, and even craft personalized perfumes in the museum’s workshops.
“Each scent has its own code. If a visitor returns years later, we can recreate the exact fragrance they made,” Başdeğirmen added.
Isparta, home to more than 800 endemic plant species, produces about 90% of Turkey’s lavender and supplies around 65% of the world’s rose oil.