Sultan Abdülaziz's 152-year-old imperial edict seized from smugglers

The Anti-Smuggling Branch of the Ankara Police Department seized 223 items, including objects, state decorations, medallions, and coins, which are considered to be historical artifacts, during an operation conducted at a residence and a workplace in Çankaya.

Among the artifacts reflecting Ottoman, European, and American cultures and dating back to the 19th century, there was an imperial edict sent by the Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz to the Governor of Trabzon, Galip Bey, following his reassignment to the Austrian Consulate.

It was reported that efforts are ongoing to apprehend a suspect identified in connection with the operation.

A TOTAL OF 223 ARTIFACTS SEIZED

The complete list of artifacts, whose valuations will be determined by the Ethnography Museum Directorate, is as follows:

"3 American-made break-action revolvers with powder chambers, believed to date back to the 1850s, 60 various keys dating to the 1850s, 38 handmade silver spoons used in the Ottoman palace kitchen, one Ottoman silver presentation tray, one 19th-century Ottoman silver powder flask featuring a warrior icon, 2 silver-content bridal belts used by women during ceremonies in the Ottoman era, 5 sets of enamel-worked coffee cups and saucers, 8 high-level Order of the Medjidie achievement medals dating between 1852-1922, 6 silver cigarette cases reflecting British and French culture,

4 silver bowls of various sizes, 11 silver bracelets used by Ottoman women, 1 Ottoman-era kohl holder, 2 Ottoman tailor's rings, one letter opener and seal in a box, 3 French-style cream jars, a silver brooch with stones believed to belong to Ottoman culture, a pair of earrings, one silver earring, one ring with an agate stone, one Quran case, 6 jewelry boxes and 2 seals, one metal object with an Ottoman emblem, 1 Ottoman-era tile-decorated pen holder, 6 sugar bowls believed to have been used in the Ottoman palace kitchen, 14 silver sherbet bowls, 1 small silver presentation tray, one silver Ottoman water vessel, one padlock belonging to Ottoman culture, one pen holder used by artists practicing the art of calligraphy in the Ottoman era, 2 Ottoman-era coins, and 1 quadruple alliance medallion from the 1914 World War I era, one bracelet from the Ottoman era, one thin bracelet chain, one silver necklace chain with a cross, one water canteen made of terracotta, one ewer with tile work on glass, 9 silver pocket watches reflecting Ottoman-era culture, one 'Edward Prior' watch consisting of a silver case and three covers covered in tortoiseshell, one silver pocket watch chain, and 18 various objects from the Ottoman era."