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The Basilica of St. Sophia, now called the
Ayasofya Museum is unquestionably one of
the finest buildings of all time. Built by
Constantine the Great and reconstructed by
Justinian in the 6th century, its immense
dome rises 55 meters above the ground and
its diameter spans 31 meters. You should
linger here to absorb the building's
majestic serenity and to admire the fine
Byzantine mosaics. (Open every day except
Monday.) |
Interior, Istanbul Archeological Museum
The Archaeological Museums are found just
inside the first court of Topkapi Palace.
The newly renovated Archaeological Museum
includes the celebrated Alexander
Sarcophagus among its treasures of
antiquity. The Museum of the Ancient
Orient displays artifacts from the
Sumerian, Babylonian. Assyrian, Hatti and
Hittite civilizations. (Open every day
except Monday.)
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
lznik wares from the 16th century and fine
examples of Seljuk and Ottoman pottery and
tiles. (Open every day except Monday.)
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Kasikci Diamond
in Topkapi Palace |
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 every day except
Monday.)
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Yerebatan Palace |
The dark stone building that houses the
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art was
built in 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa, Grand
Vizier to Suleyman the Magnificent, as his
residence. It was the grandest private
residence ever built in the Ottoman
Empire. Today it holds a superb collection
of ceramics, metalwork, miniatures,
calligraphy, textiles, and woodwork as
well as some of the oldest carpets in the
world. (Open every day except Monday.)
Across the street from the Ibrahim Pasa
Palace is the Museum of Turkish Carpets
which contains exquisite antique carpets
and kilims gathered from all over Turkey.
(Open every day except Sunday and Monday.)
Near St. Sophia is the sixth century
Byzantine cistern known as the Yerebatan
Sarayi. Three hundred and thirty-five
massive Corinthian columns support the
immense chamber's fine brick vaulting.
(Open every day except Tuesday.) |
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 11th century church of St. Savior in
Chora, the, is, after St. Sophia, the most
important Byzantine monument in Istanbul.
Unremarkable in its architecture, inside
tne walls are decorated with superb l4th
century frescoes and mosaics. Illustrating
scenes from the life of Christ and the
Virgin Mary, these brilliantly colored
paintings embody the vigor of Byzantine
art. Restored wooden houses in the area
surrounding the churcn offer tea and
coffee in a relaxed atmosphere far removed
from the city's hectic pace. (Open every
day except Tuesday.) |
Mosaic From
Kariye Museum |
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Mosaic from
Kariye Museum |
The Aviation Museum in Yesilkoy traces the
development of air 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 military
band) perform Ottoman Marshal 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 every
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.)
Near the gardens of Yildiz Palace, the
City Museum preserves and documents the
history of Istanbul since the Ottoman
conquest. (Open every day except
Thursday.)
Up the Bosphorus in the picturesque
village of Buyukdere, 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.) |
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