Written by: Mahnaz Shujrah
Posted on: September 07, 2022 | 
| 中文
Kahvehane (coffee house) depicted at Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
In Istanbul I found myself taking a course titled “Exploration of Turkish Art via Museums”, during which we visited almost twenty museums in the city. However, to my surprise, this was only the tip of the iceberg. Istanbul, Turkey has more than eighty museums of every kind and type imaginable; there is something for everyone, from archeological sites to photography and film to modern art. While it is impossible to choose favorites, below are some outstanding museums that are not to be missed, when you visit this bustling and diverse city.
Listed amongst the ‘Top 10 Museums in the World’, Istanbul Archeological Museum holds a collection of one million artifacts. Essentially it is one of three distinct museums under one umbrella, namely the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Pavilion. This is a gold mine for history and archeology enthusiasts, as original items from different time periods and empires are displayed, including Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. Located in Sultanahmet, the museum was established in 1869 as The Imperial Museum. The manager at the time was the famous painter Osman Hamdi Bey, and he is remembered fondly for his artwork as well as the ideas he contributed in laying the foundations of one of Istanbul’s finest museums
Students of sculpture doing an assignment in the Istanbul Archeology Museum
When talking about Osman Hamdi Bey, it is impossible to not mention the exquisite Pera Museum. The museum is home to the renowned painter’s most famous painting, “Tortoise Trainer”, an original 20th century oil on canvas. Founded in 2005 by Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, Pera Museum is a private museum located in a grand historical building near Taksim Sqaure. The museum holds rare collections of paintings, tiles and ceramics, as well as hosts regular exhibitions of photography and film. Luckily, when I was visiting the museum, they had Ara Guler’s work on exhibition, and it was by far one of the most mesmerizing displays of photography I have ever seen. Known as “the man who writes history with his camera”, Guler’s work is spellbinding and is definitely not to be missed.
'The Tortoise Trainer' by Osman Hamdi Bey
Ara Guler is embedded into the spirit of Istanbul, and it would be a pity to see the city but not through his eyes. He is famously known for his nostalgic photographs of Istanbul, a simpler time before the city expanded to become the modern hub it is today. Personally, my favorite collection of photographs are the ones in the ancient city Aphrodisias; basically, Guler discovered an ancient city by accident, when he was out on one of his photography excursions. It was a village settled amongst older ruins, but so beautifully blended together with the present reality that the community had not the slightest idea that they were inhabiting an archeological site. The aura that Guler’s work captures has an otherworldly feel to it. The Ara Guler Photography Museum, located in Sisli, exhibits his work and has some of his personal belongings. It was opened in 2018, on the occasion of his 90th birthday; he passed away later that same year. The museum is free of cost to the public.
Istanbul as captured by Ara Guler
Turkey is known for its richness in art and architecture, and Istanbul showcases this beautifully in every way. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art holds thirteen centuries of treasures, ranging from the Ummayyad Dynasty to the Ottoman Empire. It was opened to visitors in the imaret (public kitchen) building of Suleymaniye Mosque Complex in 1914 and was moved to the second courtyard of Ibrahim Pasha’s Palace in 1983, where it is located today. The museum has a very rich collection, including valuable Seljuk and Ottoman carpets, manuscripts, wooden, stone, metal and glass ceramic artifacts. One of the most fascinating displays are the Damascus Documents, which include thousands of sheets of paper of the Holy Koran, dating back to the Early Islamic Period. This collection is the earliest example of the Islamic Bookbinding Art, and includes documents related to Islamic sciences and socio-cultural history of Damascus, and was brought into the museum in 1917. I also liked the ‘Ethnographic Exhibition: Istanbul in the 19th century’, which reflects the cultural and social life of Istanbul in the 19th century. There are re-creations of place setting such as the kahvehane (coffee houses), calligrapher room and a bath-house and other traditional scenes.
Damascus Documents
The museum was opened in 2008 and exhibits the works, devices and tools invented and developed by Islamic scientists between the 9th and 16th centuries. The museum consists of 12 sections, including astronomy, clocks and marine, war technology, medicine, mining, physics, math and geometry, architecture and city planning, chemistry, optics and geography. While the museum was incredibly well organized and informative, it was disappointing to discover that many of the items are replicas, as the original artifacts have been taken to European museums.
The History of Islamic Science and Technology Museum
Miniaturk, also known as Miniature Turkey Museum, is an open-air museum which consists of landmarks and architectural monuments of Turkey and Ottoman Empire. There are 135 models made at the scale of one twenty-fifth size of the actual structures. The location is breath-taking, with the coast of the Golden Horn on one side and the hilly Istanbul landscape on the other. Miniaturk is a highly recommended visit, especially for architecture lovers, since it is quite impossible to see everything in one visit, and Miniaturk provides everything in one place, helping you short list the places you want to explore in the city or around the country.
Miniaturk, located at the coast of the Golden Horn
The rich heritage of Turkey, dating to the Ottomans and earlier, has been well-preserved in a plethora of museums in Istanbul, but above is a sample of some of the more interesting ones that I had the privilege to visit.
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