Rumeli
Hisari or European Fortress, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452
prior to his capture of Istanbul. Completed in only for months, it is one
of the most beautiful works of military architecture in the world. In the
castle is the Open-Air Museum amphitheater that is the site for
some events of the Istanbul Music Festival. (Open every day except Wednesdays)
Aya
Irini
|
"Kasikci"
diamond (Topkapi Palace)
|
Originally
built as a kosk or pavilion by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century,
the Cinili Kosk, which houses the Museum of Turkish Ceramics,
contains beautiful Iznik wares from the 16th century and fine examples
of Seljuk and Ottoman pottery and tiles. (Open every day except Monday)
Like
the Ayasofya Museum, the St. Irene Museum was originally a church.
It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Istanbul. Constantine commissioned
it in the fourth century and Justinian later had the church restored. Reputedly
the building stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple (Open ec-very
day except Monday)
Across
the street from the Ibrahim Pasa Palace is the Museum of Turkish Carpets
which constain exquisite antique carpets and kilims gathered fromm all
over Turkey. (Open every day except Monday) |
Islamic
Art
|
The
dark stone building that houses the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
was built 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa, grand Vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent,
as his residence. It was the grandest private residance ever built in the
Ottoman Empire. Today it holds a superb collection of ceramics, metalwork,
miniatures, calligraphy, textiles and woodworks as well as some of the
oldest carpets in the world (Open every day except Monday) |
| Near
St.Sophia is the sixth century Byzantine cistern known as the Yerebatan
Sarnici. Three hundred and thirty-six massive Corinthian columns support
the immense chamber's fine brick vaulting (Open every day except Tuesday) |
Yerebatan
Palace |
From
the Mosaic Museum |
The
Mosaic Museum preserves in situ exceptionally fine mosaic pavements
of the fifth and sixth centuries which remain from the Great Palace of
the Byzantine emperors. (Open every day except Monday)
|
| The
Kariye Museum, the 11th century church of "St. Savior" in Chora, is
after St. Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul unremarkable
in its architecture, inside, the walls are decorated with superb 14th century
frescoes and mosaics. Illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the
Virgin Mary, these brilliantly colored paintings embod the vigor of Byzantine
art. Restored wooden houses in the area surrounding the church offer tea
and coffe in a relaxed atmosphere far removed from the city's hectic pace.
(Open every day except Tursday) |
Kariye
Museum
Mosaic
from Kariye Museum
|
The
Aviation
Museum in Yesilkoy traces the development of flight in Turkey (Open
every day except Monday)
The
great field tents used by the Ottoman armies on campaigns are displayed
in the Military Museum. Other exhibits include Ottoman weapons and
the accoutrements of war. The Mehter Takimi (Ottoman militaryban) perform
Ottoman martial music between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. (Open every day except
Monday and Tuesday) |
| The
house in which Ataturk lived in Sisli now serves as the Ataturk Museum
and displays his personal effects. (Open ever day except Saturday and Sunday).
In
the Besiktas district the Naval Museum displays the great imperial
caiques in which the sultans were rowed across the Bosphorus, as well as
many other interesting exhibits of Ottoman naval history (Open every day
except Monday and Thursday).
Also
in Besiktas, the Museum of Fine Arts displays Turkish paintings
and sculptures from the end of the 19th century to the present day
(Open every day except Monday and Tuesday).
Located
within the gardens of Yildiz palace, the City Museum preserves and
documents the history of Istanbul since the Ottoman conquest (Open
every day except Monday and Thursday). Also within the gardens are the
Yildiz Palace Theatre and the Historic Stage Costumes Museum,
with its richly decorated scenery and stage and its exquisite costumes.
Rahmi
Koc Industry Museum, in the superb of Haskoy on the coast of the Golden
Horn, an Ottoman-period iron -and steel- works building formerly called
Lengerhane, houses industrial development exhibits (Open every day
except Monday). |
|
Up
the Bosphorus in the picturesque suburb of Büyükdere, the collections
of the Sadberk Hanim Museum fill two charming 19th century wooden
villas. A private museum, which originally displayed Turkish decorative
arts, it has recently been expanded with a new collection of archaeological
finds. (Open every day except Wednesday). |
|
| For
something different try the Caricature and Cartoon Museum in fatih on Ataturk
Boulevard under the Bozdogan Aqueduct in the 16th century Gazanfer Aga
Medrese. (Open daily 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) |
|
