Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

Last updated on December 2, 2025.

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is among Istanbul‘s premier museums. It occupies a historic site on the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet, placing it at the heart of the city’s ancient landmarks.

 

History of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts first opened in 1914 in the former public soup kitchen (imaret) of the Süleymaniye Mosque. Originally, it was called the Islamic Foundations Museum (Evkaf-ı Islamiye Müzesi). In 1983, it relocated to its current home in the historic Ibrahim Pasha Palace.

Today, the museum houses an extensive collection of manuscripts, carpets, and historic artifacts dating back to the 7th century. Its exhibits explore the Islamic empires that once ruled parts of present-day Turkey. The building itself lies within the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Historic Areas of Istanbul.

 

Visiting the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is open daily. Admission is €17 for foreign visitors (as of August 2025), while holders of the Museum Pass Istanbul or Museum Pass Türkiye can enter for free. Check the official website for more details.

 

Ibrahim Pasha Palace

Since 1983, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts has been housed in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace (İbrahim Paşa Sarayı). The palace was likely constructed in the late 15th century during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II.

In 1520, Süleyman the Magnificent restored the palace and gifted it to Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha (1495–1536), his Grand Vizier and son-in-law. After Ibrahim Pasha’s assassination, the building served as a residence for subsequent Grand Viziers and was later used as military quarters, a revenue office, sewing workshops, and even a prison.

 

Remains of the Hippodrome

During restoration from October 2012 to October 2014, excavations uncovered vaulted ruins from the tiers on the west side of the Byzantine Hippodrome. These ruins have since been incorporated into the museum’s exhibition space.

 

Views of the Blue Mosque

Beyond its remarkable collection of Islamic arts and manuscripts, the building offers one of the finest vantage points for the Blue Mosque. Positioned directly across the Hippodrome, it provides views of all six minarets from street level and from a balcony within the courtyard.

 

Collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The museum’s collection showcases artifacts from the empires and caliphates that once ruled parts of present-day Turkey, highlighting the region’s rich Islamic heritage.

 

Raqqa and Samarra

After walking up a flight of stairs from the courtyard, the first gallery at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts focuses on Raqqa and Samarra. Raqqa lies along the Euphrates River in present-day Syria, while Samarra sits on the Tigris River in present-day Iraq. Both cities served as capitals of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the gallery displays artifacts dating from the 8th and 9th centuries.

 

Umayyad Period

The following gallery highlights the Umayyad period. The Umayyads ruled from 661 to 750 and were the second of the four major Caliphates established after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Originating from an Arab clan, their territory stretched from the Atlantic coast — including present-day Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula — to India in the east, and extended northward across the entire Arabian Peninsula to present-day Georgia

 

Abbasid Period

The third gallery presents artifacts from the Abbasid period. The Abbasid Caliphate, which lasted from 750 to 1258, governed much of the former Umayyad territory, stretching from present-day Algeria in the west to India in the east. The Abbasids traced their lineage to Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (c. 565–c. 653), a paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad.

 

Damascus Documents

In the fourth gallery, the Damascus Documents — dating from 876 to the 19th century — are on display. They encompass thousands of Quran folios, texts on Islamic sciences, and records of Damascus’s social and cultural history. The collection also includes some of the earliest examples of Islamic bookbinding art. These documents were added to the museum’s holdings in 1917.

 

Artuqid Period

The fifth gallery at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts explores the Artuqid period. The Artuqids were a Turkoman dynasty that governed Eastern Anatolia, Northern Syria, and Northern Iraq, reigning from 1101 to 1409.

Among the most significant Artuqid artifacts are the bronze doors from the Cizre Grand Mosque (Cizre Ulu Cami) in Southeastern Anatolia, near the Turkish-Iraqi border. Constructed in 1155, the mosque became an important Ottoman pilgrimage site in the 15th century. The doors have been on display at the museum since 1976.

 

Carpets

Turning left from the previous gallery, you’ll enter a long corridor accessing the remaining early Islamic period galleries. Along this passage, several priceless carpets and a selection of historic paintings are exhibited.

 

Great Seljuk Period

The next gallery focuses on the Great Seljuk period, a Turco-Persian empire founded and ruled by the Qiniq branch of the Oghuz Turks.

The Seljuks controlled much of Anatolia in the west, extended eastward into the Hindu Kush, and spanned from Central Asia in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south. Their empire lasted from 1040 to 1157.

 

Mamluk Period

The eighth gallery highlights the Mamluk period. The Mamluks were a diverse group of slave soldiers and freed slaves of non-Arab descent, primarily Turkic, Caucasian, and Eastern or Southeastern European. They overthrew the Abbasids in Egypt in 1250 and were eventually conquered by the Ottomans in 1517. During their rule, the Mamluks governed Egypt, the Levant, and western Arabia.

 

Ilkhanid Period

The Ilkhanid gallery features artifacts from a Mongol dynasty founded by Hulagu Khan (c. 1217–1265), the grandson of Genghis Khan (c. 1162–1227). Their empire extended from Central Anatolia in the west to present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east, and from the Persian Gulf in the south to the Caucasus and Central Asia in the north. I don’t have any photos of this gallery

 

Timurid Period

The tenth gallery covers the Timurid period, a Turco-Mongol empire that stretched from Eastern Anatolia in the west to northern India in the east, and from the Persian Gulf in the south to the Caucasus and Central Asia in the north. The empire was founded by Timur (1336–1405), who considered himself the heir of Genghis Khan, and lasted from 1370 to 1507.

 

Safavid Period

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts continues with the Safavid period (1501 to 1722), an Iranian dynasty of Kurdish origin that became Turkified and adopted the Turkish language. The Safavids ruled present-day Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Armenia, as well as portions of Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

 

Qajar Period

The next gallery highlights the Qajar period, an Iranian dynasty of Turkic origin that ruled Iran and the Caucasus from 1789 to 1925.

 

Holy Relics

The 13th gallery is dedicated to the Holy Relics, which include items connected to Mecca, as well as relics and personal belongings of the Prophet Muhammad. Most of these artifacts date from the Ottoman period.

Among the most remarkable items are exquisite calligraphic works. One is a plate created by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1849, and another is a Hilye-i Saadet — a physical description of the Prophet Muhammad — executed in 1835 by the calligrapher Hafız Mehmet Tecelli.

A small room within the gallery contains reliquaries holding relics of the Prophet Muhammad, members of his family, and other prophets.

 

Principalities and Early Ottoman Empire

This gallery explores the principalities and beyliks of Anatolia alongside the early Ottoman Empire. Exhibits include carpets, stone reliefs, pottery, and wooden artifacts.

Among the most striking artifacts are the wooden pieces, including early 14th-century wooden window shutters from Konya, as well as an Anatolian Seljuk cenotaph and coffin dating to 1251.

A set of double wooden doors from the early 15th century belonged to the Karamanid dynasty, one of the most influential beyliks in Anatolia. They ruled south-central Anatolia from 1250 to 1487.

 

Anatolian Seljuk Period

The 15th gallery highlights the Anatolian Seljuk period, also known as the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. This Turco-Persian state seceded from the Great Seljuk Empire in 1077 and ruled much of Anatolia until 1308. Its first capital was Nicaea (present-day Iznik), followed by Iconium (present-day Konya) as the second capital.

 

Ottoman Period

The largest gallery in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is dedicated to the Ottoman period (1299 to 1922). The Ottoman Empire emerged as the most powerful Islamic dynasty in Anatolia and went on to create the largest empire in the Islamic world, spanning three continents for more than 600 years.

At its height, the Ottoman Empire encompassed the southern Mediterranean coast, Egypt, the Balkans, Hungary, parts of Ukraine and Slovakia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, sections of the Persian Gulf, western Arabia, the Caucasus, and Cyprus.

Early Ottoman works include manuscripts, carpets, belts, and a 15th-century candlestick formerly used at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.

Among the remarkable works from the middle and late Ottoman period are incense burners, candlesticks, lamps, pottery, and a striking 19th-century ceramic barometer.

 

Ethnographic Collection at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The ethnographic collection explores 19th-century cultural and social life in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) in the 19th century. It’s housed in the 17th gallery on the ground floor of the courtyard.

 

Coffee Culture

The first section highlights coffee culture. One display recreates a 19th-century coffee house, while another depicts a street vendor. A variety of coffee-related utensils are also showcased.

 

Hamam Culture

The following section explores hamam culture, or Turkish baths, which were central to Ottoman life due to the religious emphasis on cleanliness. Most hamams in Constantinople were double baths, featuring separate entrance for men and women. In single-bath hamams, a towel was hung at the door to indicate whether it was the designated time for men or women.

 

Mansions

In the 19th century, wealthy families began building mansions, typically surrounded by a yard and containing enough rooms for the entire household and servants. Mansions with 10 to 20 rooms were considered small, while those with 20 to 40 rooms were classified as large. Many also functioned as academies for scientific, economic, or intellectual pursuits, and their owners often used them for charitable purposes.

 

Calligraphy

In 19th-century Constantinople, many renowned calligraphers lived and worked in the city. Their art adorned nearly every mansion, wealthy residence, and major mosque. Even some sultans were skilled calligraphers themselves.

 

Carpets

Carpets were central to 19th-century homes, often passed down through generations. The rich tradition of carpet weaving in Anatolia continued well into the 19th century, reflecting both artistry and cultural heritage.

 

Shadow Puppets

Shadow puppetry was a popular form of entertainment in the Ottoman period. Its most famous characters, Karagöz and Hacivat, originated in Bursa and may have been inspired by real individuals. The earliest documented performance was for Sultan Selim I in Egypt in 1517, though performances may date back to the reign of Bayezid I in the late 14th century.

 

Clothing

In the 19th century, clothing in Istanbul began shifting toward Western styles, starting with reforms for civil servants under Mahmud II in the 1820s. By the 1850s, European fashions became popular among intellectuals and the wealthy, who maintained close ties with Western culture.

 

Jewelry

The final section of the ethnographic collection at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts highlights jewelry, showcasing an impressive array of intricately crafted pieces.

Most pieces were crafted from gold, silver, bronze, copper, or brass. They were adorned using ornamental techniques such as inlaying, scratching, filigree, enameling, stitching, or carving. Precious and semi-precious stones — including emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls, jade, coral, agate, and crystalized quartz — enhanced their elegance and signified social status.

 

Map with the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts