Tombak

Tombak (Tombak Dergisi) was a Turkish bimonthly magazine published from 1994 to 2001, dedicated to antiques, collecting and art. It was owned by Atilla Ekşinozlugil under Horhor Yayıncılık, with Sadika Dikna Erden as general publication director and Burçak Evren as publication consultant. The magazine took its name from "tombak," the gilding of copper and its alloys with a gold-mercury amalgam, and by extension the antique objects that underwent this process—among the most sought-after items in the antique market. The first issue, dated April–May 1994, was announced as a bimonthly, but publication was irregular at first: the second issue appeared as the November–December number. In its early form it resembled a bulletin aimed at a narrow circle, with news from the antique world and auction announcements. From the second issue onward it expanded its scope and page count, becoming a broader culture-and-arts magazine that also covered ephemera collections and recent history. Topics ranged from old İş Bankası money boxes, gramophones, old cathedral radios and old tramway tickets to historical playing cards, always supported by abundant color illustrations. It was printed on thick first-quality paper in large format, averaging about 130 pages per issue. The editorial advisory board included prominent cultural figures such as Ord. Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal, Prof. Dr. Metin And, Prof. Dr. Oktay Atılanmert, Prof. Dr. Süheyla Artemel, Prof. Dr. Önder Küçükerman, Tunca Varış, Hıfzı Topuz, Aziz Üstel, Kerim Kerimol, Tamer Levent, John Carswell, Kemal Değer, Utku Doğdu, Altay Gökakın, Kemal Suman and Kemal Yılmaz; later issues added names such as Çetin Altan, Murat Belge, Prof. Dr. Özdemir Nutku and Nabi Özbek. Regular sections included book reviews, news, exhibitions, a market section listing antiques offered by galleries with prices, auction coverage from Europe and Turkey, an English summary, nostalgic documents, and features on caricatures and illustrations of Turkey in the foreign press. The magazine ceased publication with its 36th issue in 2001. Its website, no longer updated, erroneously listed the 28th issue (1999) as the last, but the magazine continued under the same company and editorial team until issue 36 in 2001. The domain tombak.com.tr now hosts unrelated content (a Turkish-language gambling/betting site), which is not connected to the original magazine.

Tombak was launched in 1994 as a bimonthly magazine devoted to antiques, collecting and art. The first issue, dated April–May 1994, was announced as a bimonthly, but the second issue did not appear until the November–December period. In its first issue it had the feel of a bulletin aimed at a narrow circle, with news from the antique world and auction announcements. From the second issue onward, the page count increased and the content was enriched, transforming it into a culture-and-arts magazine that appealed to a much wider audience. It began covering not only paintings, tiles and tombak auctions but also ephemera collections and recent history, with articles on subjects such as old İş Bankası money boxes, gramophones, old cathedral radios, old tramway tickets and historical playing cards. Topics were supported by abundant color illustrations. The magazine was printed on thick first-quality paper in large format, averaging about 130 pages per issue. The masthead listed the owner as Atilla Ekşinozlugil on behalf of Horhor Yayıncılık, with Sadika Dikna Erden as general publication director and Burçak Evren as publication consultant. The advisory board included Ord. Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal, Prof. Dr. Metin And, Prof. Dr. Oktay Atılanmert, Prof. Dr. Süheyla Artemel, Prof. Dr. Önder Küçükerman, Tunca Varış, Hıfzı Topuz, Aziz Üstel, Kerim Kerimol, Tamer Levent, John Carswell, Kemal Değer, Utku Doğdu, Altay Gökakın, Kemal Suman and Kemal Yılmaz. In later issues, names such as Çetin Altan, Murat Belge, Prof. Dr. Özdemir Nutku and Nabi Özbek joined the advisory board. Regular sections included "Kitaplar Arasında" (book reviews on culture, art, archaeology and history), "Haberler" (concert and publication news), "Sergiler" (exhibitions of painting, carpets, tiles, calligraphy, etc.), "Piyasa Market" (antiques offered by collection galleries with prices), "Müzayedeler" (auctions in Europe and Turkey), an English summary, nostalgic documents, "Karikatürlerde Türkiye" and "İllüstrasyonlarda Türkiye" (caricatures and illustrations of Turkey in the late Ottoman-era European press, e.g., The Illustrated London News). The magazine ceased publication with its 36th issue in 2001. Its website, which was no longer updated, incorrectly showed the 28th issue (1999) as the last, but the magazine continued under the same company and editorial team until issue 36 in 2001. The domain tombak.com.tr now hosts unrelated content (a Turkish-language gambling/betting site), which is not connected to the original magazine.

• 2001

  Publication ceased with issue 36.

• 1999

  Issue 28 published; later incorrectly listed as the final issue on the magazine's website.

• 1994

  First issue published (April–May 1994), announced as a bimonthly.

• 1994

  Second issue published (November–December 1994); page count increased and content broadened into a culture-and-arts magazine.

A specialized Turkish culture-and-arts magazine for antique collectors and enthusiasts, known for high-quality color printing and broad ephemera coverage.

• Tombak magazine issues 1–36

  Bimonthly antiques, collecting and art magazine, averaging about 130 pages per issue.

1. 1Tombak (dergi) - Wikipedia (Turkish)tr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tombak - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Tombak official website (now unrelated content)tombak.com.tr