Museums in
Istanbul Turkey
The
Basilica of St. Sophia, now called the
Ayasofya Museum, is unquestionably
one of the finest buildings of all time. Built by Constantine the Great and
reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, its immense dome rises 55 meters
above the ground and its diameter spans 31 meters. You should linger here to
absorb the building's majestic serenity and to admire the fine Byzantine
mosaics. (Open every day except Monday.)
The
Archaeological Museums are found just inside the first court of Topkapi
Palace. Included among the displays are the celebrated Alexander Sarcophagus
among its treasures of antiquity. The Museum of the Ancient Orient displays
artifacts from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hatti and Hittite
civilizations. (Open every day except Monday.)
Originally built as a kösk or pavilion by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th
century, the Çinili Kösk, which houses the Museum of Turkish Ceramics,
contains beautiful Iznik wares from the 16th century and fine examples of Seljuk
and Ottoman pottery and tiles. (Open every day except Monday.)
Like the
Ayasofya Museum, the St. Irene Museum was originally a church. It ranks,
in fact, as the first church built in Istanbul. Constantine commissioned it in
the fourth century and Justinian later had the church restored. Reputedly the
building stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. (Open every day except
Monday.)
The dark
stone building that houses the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art was
built in 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa; Grand Vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent, as his
residence. It was the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman
Empire . Today, it houses a superb collection of ceramics, metalwork miniatures,
calligraphy, textiles, and woodwork as well as some of the oldest carpets in the
world. (Open every day except Monday.)
Across
the street from the Ibrahim Pasa Palace is the Museum of Turkish Carpets
which contains exquisite antique carpets and kilims gathered from all over
Turkey. (Open every day except Sunday and Monday.)
Near St.
Sophia is the sixth century Byzantine cistem known as the Yerebatan Sarnici.
Three hundred and thirty-six massive Corinthian columns support the immense
chamber's fine brick vaulting. (Open every day except Tuesday.)
The
Mosaic Museum preserves in situ exceptionally fine mosaic pavements of the
fifth and sixth centuries which remain from the Great Palace of the Byzantine
emperors. (Open every day except Monday.)
The
Kariye Museum, the 11th century church of "St. Savior" in Chora, is, after
St. Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. Unremarkable in
its architecture, inside, the walls are decorated with superb l4th century
frescoes and mosaics. Illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin
Mary, these brilliantly colored paintings embody the vigor of Byzantine art.
Restored wooden houses in the area surrounding the church offer tea and coffee
in a relaxed , atmosphere far removed from the city's hectic pace. (Open every
day except Tuesday.)
The
Aviation Museum in Yesilköy traces the development of air flight in Turkey.
(Open every day except Monday.)
The great
field tents used by the Ottoman armies on campaigns are displayed in the
Military Museum. Other exhibits include Ottoman weapons and the
accoutrements of war. The Mehter Takimi (Ottoman military band) perform Ottoman
martial music between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. (Open every day except Monday and
Tuesday.)
The house
in which Atatürk lived in Sisli now serves as the Atatürk Museum and
displays his personal effects. (Open every day except Saturday and Sunday.)
In
the Besiktas district the Naval Museum displays the great imperial
caiques in which the sultans were rowed across the Bosphorus, as well as many
other interesting exhibits of Ottoman naval history (Open every day except
Monday and Thursday.)
Also in
Besiktas, the Museum of Fine Arts displays Turkish paintings and
sculptures from the end of the 19th century to the present day. (Open every day
except Monday and Tuesday.)
Located
within the gardens of Yildiz Palace, the City Museum preserves and
documents the history of Istanbul since the Ottoman conquest. (Open every day
except Thursday.)
Also
within the gardens are the Yildiz Palace, Theatre and the Historic Stage
Costumes Museum, with its richly decorated scenery and stage, and its
exquisite costumes.
Rahmi
Koç Industry Museum, in the suburb of Hasköy on the coast of the Golden
Horn, an Ottoman-period iron- and steel-works building formerly called
Lengerhane, it houses industrial development exhibits. (Open every day except
Monday).
Up the
Bosphorus in the picturesque suburb of Büyükdere, the collections of the
Sadberk Hanim Museum fill two charming 19th century wooden villas. A private
museum which originally displayed Turkish decorative arts, it has recently been
expanded with a new collection of
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