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The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is one of the finest museums in Istanbul. It’s located on the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet.
History of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts opened for the first time in 1914 in the former public soup kitchen (imaret) of the Süleymaniye Mosque. Its original name was the Islamic Foundations Museum (Evkaf-ı Islamiye Müzesi). It moved to its current location in 1983.
Today, the museum boasts a valuable collection of manuscripts, carpets, and other historic artifacts dating back to the 7th century. It covers Islamic empires that have ruled parts of present-day Turkey. The museum is located in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul.
Visiting the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Admission to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is 390₺ (as of August 2023) or free for holders of the Museum Pass Istanbul. It’s open daily.
Ibrahim Pasha Palace
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts has called the Ibrahim Pasha Palace (İbrahim Paşa Sarayı) home since 1983. The palace was probably built in the late 15th century during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II.
In 1520, Süleyman the Magnificent restored and gifted the palace to Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha (1495-1536), his Grand Vizier and son-in-law. After Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha was assassinated, the building served as a residence for other Grand Viziers. It also functioned as a military quarters, revenue office, sewing works, and prison.
Remains of the Hippodrome
During restoration work on the building from October 2012 to October 2014, excavations unearthed vaulted ruins belonging to tiers on the west side of the Byzantine Hippodrome. They became part of the museum’s exhibition space.
Views of the Blue Mosque
In addition to the fine collection of Islamic arts and manuscripts, the museum is one of the best places to view the Blue Mosque. The building sits directly across the Hippodrome from the mosque. It’s possible to see all six minarets from street level and from a balcony in the courtyard.
Collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
The collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts pertains to empires and caliphates that held territory in parts of present-day Turkey.
Raqqa and Samarra
After walking up a flight of stairs from the courtyard, the first gallery at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts covers Raqqa and Samarra. Raqqa sits on the Euphrates River in present-day Syria while Samarra is on the Tigris River in present-day Iraq. Both cities served as the capital city of the Abbasid Caliphate (see below). 8th and 9th century finds are on display.
Umayyad Period
The next gallery focuses on the Umayyad period. The Umayyads were the ruling Caliphate between 661 and 750. They were the second of the four major Caliphates established after the death of Prophet Muhammad and originated from an Arab clan. Their territory was an enormous stretch of land all the way from the Atlantic Ocean in the west, including present-day Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula, to India in the east, and the entire Arabian Peninsula up north to present-day Georgia
Abbasid Period
The third gallery contains artifacts from the Abbasid period. The Abbasid Caliphate lasted from 750 to 1258 and ruled over much of the old Umayyad territory, from present-day Algeria in the west to India in the east. They were descended from Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (c. 565-c. 653), a paternal uncle of Muhammad.
Damascus Documents
The Damascus Documents are on display in the fourth gallery. The documents contain thousands of Quran folios, documents related to Islamic sciences, and documents about the social and cultural history of Damascus. They date between 876 and the 19th century. They also include the earliest examples of Islamic bookbinding art. The Damascus Documents were added to the museum collection in 1917.
Artuqid Period
The fifth gallery at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts covers the Artuqid period. The Artuqids were a Turkoman dynasty that ruled in eastern Anatolia, Northern Syria, and Northern Iraq. Their dynasty lasted from 1101 to 1409.
The most important artifacts from the Artuqid period in the museum are the bronze doors from the Cizre Grand Mosque (Cizre Ulu Cami), which is in Southeastern Anatolia near the Turkish border with Iraq. The mosque was built in 1155 and was an important pilgrimage place for the Ottomans in the 15th century. The doors have been on display in the museum since 1976.
Carpets
After turning left, the rest of the galleries pertaining to the early Islamic periods are accessed along a long corridor. A few priceless carpets as well as paintings are displayed in the corridor.
Great Seljuk Period
The Great Seljuk period is next. The Great Seljuk Empire was a Turco-Persian empire founded and ruled by the Qiniq branch of Oghuz Turks.
The Seljuks ruled most of Anatolia in the west and into the Hindu Kush in the east, and from Central Asia in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south. Their empire lasted from 1040 to 1157.
Mamluk Period
The Mamluk period is covered in the eighth gallery of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. The Mamluks were a diverse group of slave soldiers and freed slaves of non-Arab descent, mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European. They overthrew the Abbasids in Egypt in 1250 and were conquered by the Ottomans in 1517. The Mamluks ruled Egypt, the Levant, and western Arabia.
Ilkhanid Period
I don’t have any photos of the gallery covering the Ilkhanid period. They were of Mongol descent and founded by Hulagu Khan (c. 1217-1265), the grandson of Genghis Khan (c. 1162-1227). Their empire stretched 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.
Timurid Period
The Timurid period follows in the tenth gallery. They were a Turco-Mongol empire stretching from Eastern Anatolia in the west into northern India in the east, and the Persian Gulf in the south to the Caucasus and Central Asia in the north. The empire was founded by Timur (1336-1405), who regarded himself as 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, which lasted from 1501 to 1722. It was an Iranian dynasty of Kurdish origin that was Turkified and spoke Turkish. They ruled all of present-day Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Armenia, and parts of Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Qajar Period
After the Safavid period is the Qajar period. They were an Iranian dynasty of Turkic origin and ruled over Iran and the Caucasus from 1789 to 1925.
Holy Relics
The Holy Relics are housed in the 13th gallery. It contains items related to Mecca as well as relics and belongings of the Prophet Muhammad. Most of the items were made during the Ottoman period.
Some of the items that caught my eye were calligraphic works of art. One of them was a plate made by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1849. The other was a Hilye-i Saadet, or a physical description of the Prophet Muhammad, written in 1835 by calligrapher Hafız Mehmet Tecelli.
One small room in the gallery included reliquaries holding the relics of Prophet Muhammad, members of his family, and other prophets.
Principalities and Early Ottoman Empire
The next gallery at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts focuses on the principalities and beyliks in Anatolia as well as the early Ottoman Empire. It includes some carpets, stone works, pottery, and wooden artifacts.
The most impressive artifacts on display are the wooden artifacts. Featured are early 14th century wooden window shutters from Konya as well as an Anatolian Seljuk cenotaph and coffin dated 1251.
A set of double wooden doors dating back to the early 15th century belong to the Karamanid dynasty. They were one of the most powerful beyliks in Anatolia and ruled south central Anatolia from 1250 to 1487.
Anatolian Seljuk Period
The 15th gallery highlights the Anatolian Seljuk period, or the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. They were a Turco-Persian state that seceded from the Great Seljuk Empire in 1077 and ruled much of Anatolia until 1308. The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum had their first capital at Nicaea (present-day Iznik) and their second capital at Iconium (present-day Konya).
Ottoman Period
The largest gallery in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts covers the Ottoman period, which lasted from 1299 to 1922. The Ottoman Empire was the strongest Islamic dynasty to rule Anatolia. They created the largest empire of the Islamic world, dominating territory in three continents for over 600 years.
The territory of the Ottoman Empire at its peak covered most of the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, the Balkans, Hungary, parts of Ukraine and Slovakia, the Levant, Mesopotamia and parts of the Persian Gulf, western Arabia, the Caucasus, and Cyprus.
Early Ottoman works on display include manuscripts, carpets, belts, and a 15th century candlestick once used at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.
Some incredible works of art from the middle and late Ottoman period include incense burners, candlesticks, lamps, pottery, and even a stunning 19th century ceramic barometer.
Ethnographic Collection at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
The ethnographic collection focused on the cultural and social life in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) in the 19th century. It’s located in the 17th gallery on the ground floor of the courtyard.
Coffee Culture
The first section deals with coffee culture. One display recreates a 19th century coffee house while another represents a street vendor. Several different coffee-related utensils also feature.
Hamam Culture
The next ethnographic section at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts covers hamam culture. Hamams, or Turkish baths, were an essential part of Ottoman society due to the importance of cleanliness in Islam. Most hamams in Constantinople were double baths, with a separate entrance for each gender. If the hamams were single baths, a towel was hung at the door to notify if it was the men’s or women’s time to bathe.
Mansions
Mansions owned by the wealthy began to pop up in the 19th century. They were usually surrounded by a yard and contained enough rooms for an entire family plus servants. A mansion was considered small if it had 10 to 20 rooms, and large if it had 20 to 40 rooms. Many mansions also served as academies for scientific, economic, and intellectual purposes, and the owners used them for charitable purposes as well.
Calligraphy
Many famous calligraphers lived in Constantinople in the 19th century. Their works could be found in just about every mansion or wealthy residence, and in every important mosque in the city. Even some of the sultans were gifted calligraphers.
Carpets
Carpets were an essential part of 19th century homes. Many were handed down from generation to generation. The tradition of carpet weaving in Anatolia continued well into the 19th century.
Shadow Puppets
Shadow puppets were a form of entertainment. The most famous characters were Karagöz and Hacivat, who originated in Bursa and are possibly based on actual people. The first documented performance was for Sultan Selim I in Egypt in 1517, but they may actually have been performed as early as the reign of Bayezid I in the late 14th century.
Clothing
Clothing in the 19th century started to turn towards Western styles, beginning with clothing reforms for civil servants under Mahmud II in the 1820s. In the 1850s, European fashion became popular thanks to intellectuals and wealthy individuals in close contact with Western culture.
Jewelry
The final section of the ethnographic collection at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts focuses on jewelry. There are some incredible works of art on display.
Most works were made of gold, silver, bronze, copper, or brass. Ornamental techniques such as inlaying, scratching, filigree, enameling, stitching, or carving were then applied. Precious and semi-precious stones such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls, jade, coral, agate, and crystalized quartz added elegance and status to the pieces.
