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Guided Great Palace Mosaics Museum Tour
Guided Museums Tours
4.5
27897 Reviews #6
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€15 Regular Ticket Value
Mosaic art is among the most unique kinds of art, with deep historical roots in Anatolia. The Great Palace Mosaic Museum in Istanbul includes about 250 of these huge ancient images made of thousands of tiny colored pieces if you want to view some of the best examples.
Mosaics from early Byzantine palaces are on show here, and they are fascinating historical objects that take us hundreds of years back in time. You will be able to see this magnificent museum to its fullest.
Check out our Guided Tours Timetable and add Guided Great Palace Mosaics Museum Tour | Istanbul Tourist Pass to your Istanbul itinerary today!
Mobile ticketing - No need for printed voucher, we're digital!
Duration - 20 Minutes Check Time table to see starting times
Instant confirmation - The tour doesn't require a reservation in advance.
Guide - English
Highlights
Opportunity to see the best examples of mosaic art!
There are more than 250 of these large ancient images made up of thousands of small colored pieces waiting for you!
Includes
Guided Entry to the Great Palace Mosaics Museum
One of the most unique styles of art that has strong bonds to the history of Anatolia is the mosaic art. If you ever want to see some of its best examples, there are more than 250 of these large ancient images made of thousands of small colored pieces in the Great Palace Mosaic Museum Istanbul
Mondays: NO TOUR
Tuesdays: 14:00
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday : NO TOUR
Friday: 10:00
Sunday: 13:30
The approximate duration is 20 minutes
Please meet your guide at the meeting point 10 minutes before the tour start time.
Click for Meeting Point's Picture.
View TimetableThe tour starts at the main bus stop for BUSFORUS ISTANBUL at Sultanahmet Square. Look out for the red double-decker buses. It's about 50 metres in front of the Hagia Sophia.
To get to Sultanahmet Square, take the T1 Bağılar - Kabataş tram and get off at Sultanahmet station. Walk towards Hagia Sophia and keep an eye out for the Big Bus stop.
The guided tours are performed in English.
The tour starts at the BUSFORUS ISTANBUL bus stop in Sultanahmet. Click "Get Directions" above to find the location on Google Maps.
The tour doesn't require a reservation in advance.
Istanbul Tourist Pass holders do not pay admission at the Guided Great Palace Mosaics Museum Tour.
Children will be asked to present their valid passport at the entrance of the museums in order to validate their age.
Please note that this attraction cannot be accessed directly by presenting the digital Pass at the museum. You need to enter with the tour guide.
The museum is closed for visits for half-day on the first day of Ramadan and Sacrifice Festivals.
Avoid paying the entry fees and skip the ticket queues with Istanbul Tourist Pass®.
Great Palace Mosaics Museum is Included in Istanbul Tourist Pass®️
The mosaics, which were discovered in 1935 during excavations in the northeastern cloister of the Eastern Roman Grand Palace, are extraordinary both in terms of their aesthetic quality and the depth of the themes they depict. There is no religious element in the mosaics on display in the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which date from 450 to 550 AD. The numerous professionals working under the direction of the top masters of the time are undoubtedly responsible for the vibrancy of the representations drawn from everyday life, nature, and mythology.
The museum was established to preserve the Eastern Roman Period mosaic floor treatment that partially survived in the northeastern corner of the colonnaded courtyard of the Great Palace. It is housed inside the Arasta Market in the Blue Mosque Complex. The area covered by the mosaic was about 180 square meters.
In 1953, Istanbul Archaeology Museum assumed control of the Great Palace Mosaics Museum. It became a division of the Hagia Sophia Museum in 1979. The Austrian Academy of Sciences and the General Directorate of Monuments and Museums of the Ministry of Culture signed a protocol in 1982 that began the restoration and conservation process, which was finished in 1997.
The mosaic's 5mm-sized limestone, terracotta, and colorful stone grains are on the larger side. Between the marble pieces, descriptions in the "Opus Vermiculite" fashion were inserted, while the white marble pieces were treated using the "Fishscale" approach. Additionally, the depictions have curves around them. The most impressive mosaics in the museum depict scenes of griffons eating lizards, elephants and lions fighting, mares nursing their colts, geese shepherding children, men milking goats, kids feeding donkeys, young girls carrying jugs bears munching on apples, and fights between hunters and tigers. The mosaics feature 90 distinct themes and 150 human and animal figurines.
By having the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you can visit more than 85+ attractions in Istanbul. You can save huge amount of time and money by not waiting in the long queues or paying fees at the entrances of the museums or for other facilities and activities. You can buy the Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 days. So many attractions are available with Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ such as Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe Palace, Sapanca Lake daily tour, Dinner on the Bosphorus, Istanbul Airport Shuttle etc. included in the pass. For more details and updated attractions available with the pass can be found on website.
No, this attraction cannot be accessed directly by presenting the digital Pass at the museum. You need to enter with the tour guide.
The Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which is open from 09:00 am in the morning to 18:00 pm in the summer season, accepts visitors between 09:00 am and 18:30 pm in the winter months.
4.8 out of 5 stars
Istanbul Tourist Pass® has an average rating of 4.8 /5 from 475 reviews
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Among Turkey's number one tourist attractions, thanks to its cultural beauties and elements. By visiting the museum with the Istanbul Tourist Pass, you can have information about the culture of the country and examine the mosaics one by one.