Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

Atmeydanı Sk. No: 12, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art is an impressive museum that combines Turkish and Islamic works. It is located at Ibrahim Pasha Palace (one of the most important buildings of 16th century Ottoman civil architecture) in Sultanahmet. The museum was the last to open during the Ottoman period and houses a unique display of over 40,000 items in carpet, manuscript, wood, glass, metal, ceramic and ethnographic sections.

The museum was first opened at the Imaret (mendicating house) building inside the Sulemaniye Mosque Complex in 1914. However, there was a major problem from theft at many mosques, monasteries and museums in Istanbul at that time. When burglaries continue to happen despite all precautions; many works have been gathered from various mosques, mascots and tombs with the management of Osman Hamdi Bey (curator of the Royal Museum and an artist known for his painting "Turtle Trainer of the Turtles" ” on display at the Pera Museum today) was moved here and a new museum was established as the Museum of Islamic Establishment.

According to the statement of the Republic of Turkey, the museum was renamed "Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art". In 1983, the museum was moved to its present-day location, in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace (renovated by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1520) located at Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome), directly opposite the Mosque Green spear.

What's interesting at the museum of Turkish art and Islamic art?

Here, visitors will admire many wonderful collections from the early Islamic art to the 20th century with artifacts displayed in the areas of carpets, manuscripts, wood, water. ceramics or artifacts of different ethnic groups in Turkey. Collection includes:

Manuscripts and Written Works
Carpets and Kilims (floor or wall tapestries)
Metal, Glass and Ceramics
Wooden
Stoneware
Ethnographic
Sacred Relic

The collections belong to the Umayyad, Abbasid, North African (Moorish), Andalusian, Fatimid, Seljuk, Ayyubid, Ilkhanid, Mamluk, Timurid and Safavid dynasties, the Beylik and Ottoman periods and from various Caucasus states.

Carpet collection

Includes 1,700 artifacts from the museum's carpet collection, from the Seljuks, Ottomans, Anatolias from the 15th to 17th centuries, or from Iran, the Caucasus and the famous Usak carpets. These are recognized as the most unique carpets in the world. Due to the abundance of carpets, the museum is also known as the "Carpet Museum".

Metal, glass & ceramic artifacts

Metal, glass and ceramic artifacts from the 12th, 13th and late Ottoman eras; ceramics and plaster reliefs from Seljuk and Ottoman buildings, murals brought back from the Abbasid palaces and stonework from Raqqa, woodwork, stonework from the early Islamic, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, are other unique and very valuable items on display at the museum.

The museum is an attractive place for visitors who want to learn deeply about Turkish art in particular and Islamic art in general.

Fare:

Adults: 50 liras/pax

Business hours:

Daily except Monday.

From April 1 to October 1: 09:00 – 19:00

From October 1st to April 1st: 09:00 – 18:00

Ticket office closes 1 hour before museum closing time.

Address: Atmeydanı Sk. No: 12, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul
Phone : +90 212 518 18 05 / 06

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