Halet Çambel and Nail Çakırhan
1+1 = (is really) One^*
Photography Exhibition
(07.10. - 16.10. 2011)

(Compiled and designed by Bahar Suseven and Thomas Schmitz,
 in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Halet Çambel and Dr. Murat Akman) 

Many exhibitions have shown Halet Çambel and Nail Çakırhan. So why have yet another one?

Most exhibitions have shown them as single persons, as the laurelled and much esteemed Professor for Archaeology and Expert for Hittite History and, as in Nail Çakırhan’s case, of course as a price- winning Master Builder, Poet and critical Newspaper Writer, each exhibition featuring the spouse on a “sideline” (for short biographies please see www.akyaka.org).    

Rarely have they been shown together, as a very successful couple, married for over 60 years and never bored with each other. Together they mastered a life full of love, respect, work, activity, productivity, exchange, innovations- yet, each of them also lead a very different life from the other: Halet Abla^* leading the excavations in Karatepe and many other places, spending every winter there since more than 50 years, Nail Abi^* busy with building his beautiful awarded houses and facilities all over Turkey. Rich and satisfying professional lives, yet mutual respect and exchange in their relationship; no decision has ever been made without consulting the other, nothing stayed undiscussed, no matter was trivial enough not be shared with each other, everything was worth talking about… 

We count ourselves lucky to have been friends for so long and could spend so much time with them (as we still do, whenever possible with our beloved Halet Abla). Their “togetherness” was always palpable and very impressive. An example for us “youngsters”, an ideal. And this is what we want to show, the ideal couple, their life and their lives- as one, inseparable and fruitful stream of mutual respect and love.
 

^*Quote based on a book title by Nail Çakırhan and Nazım Hikmet Ran (1930)
^*- Abla = elder sister, Abi = elder brother -