About Turkish And Islamic Arts Museum
Turkish
and Islamic Arts Museum is one of the most significant historical centers in
all of Istanbul as it is the primary Turkish exhibition hall presenting many of
the important examples of Turkish and Islamic art together. If you are keen on
history, and/or doing an old city tour in Istanbul, don't miss this one and
visit it during your time in Istanbul. To learn everything you need to know
about the place, here are the history and some facts about Turkish and Islamic
Arts Museum.
History
of Turkish And Islamic Arts Museum
The
building the museum is in today was built back in the 15th or 16th century
during the reign of Bayezid II. When exactly it was constructed is unknown, but
it is known that it was given to Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha by Suleiman the Magnificent,
who was his second grand vizier. The place was named Ibrahim Pasha Palace and
following the Ibrahim Pasha’s passing, the palace retained its name and became
a government asset for the next 250 years. It was given to various government
officials who were married into the royal family. Ibrahim Pasha Palace is the
only private palace from the Ottomans that has survived until today except for some
sultan palaces, so you can say building that houses Turkish and Islamic Arts
Museum is a historical artifact in itself. turkish and islamic arts museum, museums of islamic art, turkish and islamic art museum, museum of turkish and islamic arts, islamic arts museum istanbul, turkish and islamic arts museum istanbul, museum of islamic art istanbul, turkish and islamic arts museum tickets, turkish and islamic arts museum opening hours.
Originally,
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum was opened to visitors in the Suleymaniye
Mosque’s social complex in 1913. It received its current name after the
restoration work to transform the Ibrahim Pasha Palace to a museum. These
restorations started in 1966 and lasted until 1981. In 1983, it officially opened
its doors to visitors as Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and has been open to
this date.
Important
Artifacts in Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
There
are many different sections in Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. Each section has
enough artifacts to be a museum by itself with their many various artifacts. You
should see all of them during your visit of the museum, but there are a couple
of artifacts that stand out from the rest with their looks and/or their
history.
Damascus
Documents
Some
of the earliest examples of the Islamic Art, these are important historical and
religious documents. Various Qur’an parchments, documents about Damascus’
history, Qur’an roll manuscripts and documents on different Islamic arts are
some of the highlights.
Old
Door of the Cizre Ulu Camii (Great Mosque)
Rescued
from the Great Mosque in Cizre, this double wing door is believed to have
belonged to Artuqids. It is covered with bronze plates and has a wooden
skeleton. Its ornaments are made from brass sticks and plaques. There are 3
medallions that symbolize infinity with a twelve-armed star on the center on
each wing of the door. On the middle of the both wings, you can see the door
handles that have two dragons with a lion head on the middle. The epitaph that
sits on top of the door is written in the thuluth font.
Carpets
and Rugs Section
One
of the most striking sections is the carpets and rugs of varying sizes
displayed in the huge saloons with display windows. Huge hand-woven Ottoman
carpets are truly impressive and have unbelievable details. There are also
carpets from Seljuk Turks displayed here, which are the only Seljuk carpets
that survived until today. This collection that’s made of 13th to 20th century Ottoman
and Seljuk carpets is one of the world’s best collections of hand-woven
carpets. With enough observation, you can tell the fantastic stylistic differences
between Ottoman and Seljuk carpets and rugs.
Religious
Relics
To
see some of the rarest artifacts regarding Islamic history, visit the religious
relics section in Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. There are many different religious manuscripts,
Qur’ans and epitaphs. This section also hosts the striking fragments of Prophet
Muhammad’s beard and one of his footsteps, which draws a lot of Muslims from
around the world.
Wooden
Relics
If
you wish to witness the wooden arts of the 9-10th century Anatolia,
visit the wooden relics segment. There are a wide range of examples of wooden craftsmanship
from Anatolian Seljuks, Period of Principalities and Ottomans. There are wooden
relics with inscriptions on them, different Qur'an parts, various Ottoman furniture
like foot stools and drawers, some examples of marquetry and more.
19th
Century Ethnography Exhibition
The
museum’s ethnography part displays some of the important elements of the 19th
century Istanbul such as traditional Ottoman clothes, Turkish baths, coffee
houses, picnic areas and Karagoz & Hacivat shows.
How
to Get to Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
The
museum is in Sultan Ahmet Square, very close to the Blue Mosque, which is in the Fatih
district of Istanbul. It is a very common place for both tourists and locals,
so transportation is quite simple. The most common method is using the Kabatas
– Bagcilar tramway and getting off at the Sultanahmet station. From there, it
is a 5-minute walk.
To
get to the Kabatas – Bagcilar tramway from the Asian side, you can use the
ferries to Eminonu from Kadikoy or Uskudar.
No, this attraction cannot be accessed directly by presenting the digital Pass at the museum. You need to enter with the tour guide.