A Scent Museum Opens in Turkey's Rose Capital, Isparta

🌹 A Scent Museum Opens in Turkey's Rose Capital

In the heart of Isparta — the city world-famous for its roses — a historic 18th-century church has been reborn as Turkey's first fragrance museum.

The Aya Baniya Church, originally built in the 1750s, once served both as a place of worship and a perfume workshop for the city's Greek and Christian residents. Now beautifully restored, it has reopened as the Misparta Scent Civilization Museum — a name that blends "Isparta" with the Turkish word "mis", meaning "pleasant scent."

🕊️ "We discovered that this church was once used for perfume making," said Isparta Mayor Şükrü Baçdeğirmen. "Lavender was distilled in its gardens, and rose water was used for healing. Transforming it into a scent museum felt completely natural — Isparta is the homeland of fragrance."

Among the rare exhibits is what experts believe to be the world's oldest known perfume formula — a 4,500-year-old blend of 16 ingredients, including rose. Visitors can follow the journey of fragrance from ancient Mesopotamia and Anatolia to Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and even experience the recreated aromas themselves.

🌸 Isparta's Floral Dominance

Isparta, home to over 800 endemic plant species, produces 90% of Turkey's lavender and 65% of the world's rose oil. "It takes four tons of rose petals to distill just one liter of oil," the mayor explained. "France, Switzerland, Italy, and the U.S. all buy our rose oil to give their perfumes a longer life."

👃 Creating Personalized Fragrances

In the museum's workshops, guests can even create their own personalized perfumes based on body chemistry and scent preference. "Each fragrance has its own code," Baçdeğirmen added. "If visitors return years later, we can recreate their exact scent."

Supported by the Western Mediterranean Development Agency, this project has brought new life to an old church — and a timeless craft. ✨