A handbag is rarely just a handbag. It can be a keeper of secrets, a declaration of status, or a traveling companion—not to mention a rather expensive place to keep one’s keys. At Beymen Tersane, Istanbul’s newest shopping destination, it takes on another role: that of a vessel for cultural memory. This idea lies at the heart of “Timeless Treasures—The Eternal Journey of the Bag,” an exhibition inaugurated to mark the cultural complex’s opening, bringing together 80 creations from 55 international brands in a dialogue between contemporary design and the layered heritage of Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire.

Curated by Laurence Benaïm, the presentation is less an exercise in historical illustration than an invitation to look at memory through a different perspective. The challenge, she explained, was not to reproduce traditional motifs or reduce Ottoman references to decorative shorthand, but to translate their spirit into a modern design language. Her vision was that of a “curiosity cabinet of dreams and craftsmanship,” where newly commissioned pieces sit alongside archival treasures from the likes of Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Schiaparelli.

The journey unfolds across seven chapters, each exploring a different facet of the relationship between bags and cultural memory. Precious Envelopes includes the pouches once used by ambassadors to carry letters, imperial decrees and secrets, a reminder that the art of keeping things under wraps has a long history. Heavenly Gardens draws on the flora and fauna of İznik ceramics and Ottoman palace gardens, while Golden Jewels explores the allure of gold. Magical Boxes considers the bag as guardian of private possessions and hidden treasures, a function that has hardly lost its appeal. Nomad Memories traces the weaving, leatherwork, and saddlebag traditions that traveled from Central Asia to Anatolia. A final glance towards the future brings in three designs by young Turkish talents, selected through a competition supported by Beymen in collaboration with local universities. Among the historical highlights is a piece of luxurious archaeology: a massive Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk, made in 1886 at the Maison’s Asnières atelier for Sultan Abdülhamid II.