Piano said to be made for Spain’s Alfonso XIII goes on display in Türkiye

A historic piano said to have been produced for King Alfonso XIII of Spain has become one of the leading attractions at the Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum in Edremit, a district of Balikesir in northwestern Türkiye.

The instrument, which has been on display at the museum since 2015, still preserves its original keys and strings. Museum officials say its seasonal tuning is carried out regularly to protect its sound and structure.

The historic Bogs & Voigt piano, said to have been intended for Spain’s King Alfonso XIII, is seen inside the Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum in Edremit, western Türkiye. (AA Photo)

Royal commission that never reached Spain

The piano was reportedly made by Bogs & Voigt, a German company based in Berlin, as a special gift for King Alfonso XIII. According to the museum, the company produced custom pianos for European royal courts as part of efforts to promote its craftsmanship.

Irfan Kolcak, the official responsible for the Edremit Municipality Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum, said the company had produced pianos for the kings of Germany, Spain, France and Britain.

A close-up shows the original keys of the historic piano displayed at the Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum in Edremit, western Türkiye. (AA Photo)

“This piece displayed in our museum was specially made for King Alfonso XIII of Spain,” Kolcak said.

However, the piano was never delivered to Spain because World War I broke out before it could reach the king. Kolcak said the instrument later came into the possession of a German general, who brought it with him when he was assigned to Türkiye.

The Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum in Edremit, western Türkiye, where a piano said to have been made for Spain’s King Alfonso XIII is displayed. (AA Photo)

From Istanbul home to museum collection

After completing his two-year duty in Türkiye, the general left the piano in Istanbul. It was later bought by Ulker Erke, who played an important role in the establishment of the museum.

Kolcak said Erke spent her youth with the piano, before the instrument was entrusted to her niece, Isil Erke. In 2015, Isil Erke donated the piano to the museum, where it has been displayed ever since.

Since then, nearly 30,000 people have seen the instrument, including students visiting as part of school cultural programs, local and foreign tourists, and organized tour groups.

The historic piano, donated to the Ayse Sidika Erke Ethnography Museum in 2015, has become one of the museum’s most notable exhibits in western Türkiye. (AA Photo)

Original structure preserved with seasonal care

Kolcak said the piano remains fully original, with its keys and strings unchanged. He described it as a handmade and specially produced piece.

The museum also carries out regular tuning work to protect the instrument. Retired music teacher Cengiz Molva visits the museum in summer and winter to tune the piano, as seasonal expansion affects its sound settings.

One visitor, Yasemin Yorulmaz, said she learned about the museum on social media and was especially interested in seeing the historic piano.

June 15, 2026 12:10 PM GMT+03:00