Inventory (MUES-ENV) Module: As the backbone of the MUES platform, recording all essential information about cultural assets, museum infrastructure, and national inventory, MUES-ENV encompasses data for 1,700 museum staff, 215 museum directorates, 347 museum buildings, 2,325 storerooms and exhibition halls, and 18,666 storage units nationwide. By end-2025, the platform is expected to digitalize almost 1.2 million cultural assets, and by 2028 the number is expected to exceed 2 million. Each artifact in the system is assigned a unique Turkish Museum ID (TR.M ID), enabling it to be queried, analyzed, and reported through MUES-ENV, MUES-LAB, MUES-KAM, and MUES-KMS.

The platform includes datasets that capture extensive details, from the technical characteristics of artifacts to their specific conservation requirements. Standardized data fields include chronological classifications by geography, such as ages, periods, and civilizations, along with detailed definitions of museum spaces, artifacts’ material types, manufacturing techniques, and ornamentation styles. Infrastructure details, such as air conditioning and security systems within museum spaces, are also accessible through MUES-ENV, MUES-LAB, and MUES-MBS, ensuring a robust and centralized management.

MUES-ENV facilitates efficient periodic operations, such as inventory counts, by employing QR codes and scanners for accurate and streamlined asset management. To combat forgery and illicit activities, MUES-ENV incorporates advanced measures such as chemical marking—a newly introduced security layer that links directly to the TR.M ID of each artifact in the national collection database, enhancing both authenticity and traceability. Additionally, 3D scanning projects, including the scanning of cuneiform tablets in collaboration with Ankara University and the Directorate-General, will further enrich the database. These scans, paired with artificial intelligence for reading and analysis, will be linked to the TR.M IDs and stored within MUES-ENV for further studies. The platform also features a robust dashboard for real-time monitoring of the digital transformation process on a national scale. This dashboard provides visual insights into inventory data on weekly, monthly, and annual bases, enabling the performance of each museum and its personnel to be effectively tracked and evaluated throughout the data entry process.

 
 Homepage of MUES-ENV accessed through the super user role. System capabilities are listed in the left-hand menu. 

Restoration Laboratory (MUES-LAB) Module:A dedicated platform designed to manage and document the activities of conservation and restoration laboratories. The module supports enabling periodic monitoring of museums and collections, assignment of restoration tasks, and detailed documentation of restoration procedures, including the chemical materials used and material analysis data. MUES-LAB also plays a central role in updating data across integrated systems. Periodic monitoring data entered by conservator-restorers is used to update the physical condition of artifacts in MUES-ENV and the status of exhibition halls and storage facilities in MUES-MBS. These updates include recommendations to address museum needs, focusing on enhancing passive preservation measures.

The system simplifies the prioritization of restoration efforts by allowing users to query artifacts with lower physical condition ratings across the country. This capability ensures that conservation resources are allocated efficiently, helping safeguard Türkiye’s cultural heritage through proactive and data-driven management.

 Screenshot of the MUES-LAB interface showing the operation of initial status assessment of the artifact by the assigned personnel. 

Prevention of Illicit-Trafficking/ Forgery (MUES-KAM) Module:This efficiently manages case records, notifications, investigations, and inquiries while generating detailed reports for assets either subject to repatriation from abroad or implicated in criminal activities. Equipped with advanced infrastructure, MUES-KAM empowers law enforcement officers to initiate and oversee investigations seamlessly. By accessing the MUES-ENV database, officers can leverage an AI-powered image search tool to identify the potentially original source museums of suspicious artifacts, enhancing traceability and recovery efforts.

MUES-KAM ensures that the inventories maintained by the Directorate-General Cultural Assets and Museums, as well as private museums and collectors, are effectively managed within judicial and administrative frameworks. This includes tracking artifacts smuggled from excavation sites (UNESCO, 2023). The system provides comprehensive information on stolen or lost artifacts, enabling users such as security forces, customs authorities, and INTERPOL to access the platform temporarily when required. For unique cases, temporary registration numbers can be issued to initiate the artifact management process. If a catalogued artifact is reported as lost or stolen, MUES-KAM integrates and manages the necessary workflows to support recovery and legal proceedings.

The system features detailed inquiry screens, allowing users to search for information about artifacts based on a wide range of parameters, including issues-cases, individuals, institutions, criminal trials, follow-up processes, museum affiliations, excavation details, private museum or collector associations, artifact type, historical period, and related persons. Search results can be listed or exported for further use. The integrated image search function facilitates the identification of similar artifacts, further aiding investigations (UNESCO, 2023).

In cases of notifications, MUES-KAM can generate detailed tables linking events to specific artifacts, including information for bonus payments. Payment details can be associated with personal records and filtered by criteria such as year, museum, and artifact. This combination of features ensures a streamlined approach to preventing illicit activities, safeguarding cultural heritage, and promoting international collaboration in the fight against artifact smuggling (UNESCO, 2023).


Screenshots of  MUES-KAM Case Monitoring based on relevance/maps