Istanbul Museum of Turkish And Islamic Arts

This museum situated in the historical palace of Ibrahim Pasha, opposite the Sultanahmet Mosque , and opened in May 1983 after 15 years of restoration. This unique collection was previously on display in the imaretsoup kitchen of Süleymaniye Mosque , but has now moved to its new location where vast, new display opportunities are afforded to the museum.

The Ibrahim Pasha Palace is situated by the Hippodrome, the site of various ceremonies and games during the Byzantine period , and also during the Ottoman period , when the Hippodrome was re-named the Horse Parade Ground - At Meydani - The Palace was most probably the site of the tribunes of the arena. Although we do not know exactly when this stone building was originally constructed, a document in the archives of Topkapi Palace refers to its restoration in 1520, which indicates that the palace must pre-date 1520 .

In 1521, it was presented to Ibrahim Aga, then Pasha, later vizier, by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. In 1524, the palace witnessed the 15 days and nights of celebration in honor of the marriage of its new owner, and in 1530, the three-week long circumcision celebration of the crown prince. After the death of Ibrahim Pasha, the palace remained as the seat of viziers, and was inhabited by a number of prominent citizens in succession. Miniatures illustrating the circumcision celebrations of crown prince Mehmed, son of Murat III in 1581 are the best source we have for the structure of the palace at the time.

These illustrate both the audience to the celebrations and the imperial gallery, the grand divanhane, the deep eaves and terrace grills of the palace façade. The palace also played an important role in the celebrations held for the completion of Sultanahmet Mosque. The building has survived by the help of several reconstructions, and with the final restorations begun in 1967, it became an ideal setting for the museum. On entering the palace, one finds an exhibition hall, a gallery of shops and a conference hall on the ground floor. Passing through the turnstile, one mounts a flight of steps to the courtyard, which is surrounded by buildings showing various aspects of traditional Turkish nomadic and settled communities, including handicrafts and woven artifacts of considerable interest, and scenes from the henna night, circumcision, wedding and the Turkish baths .

A flight of steps to the right of the courtyard lead up to the second floor of the museum, where Islamic artifacts are displayed in chronological order, accompanied by panels giving the background to the collection. The earliest works on display here are 9th century fragments from Samarra, near Baghdad, including wood, stone and frescoes. From here one enters a larger saloon where works of the Turkish Eyyubid, Mameluke and Timurid periods dating from the 13-15th century, are displayed including Eyyubid pottery from Raqqa, vessels, figurines and lamps, a glass lantern and ceramic ware dating from the Mameluke period, and the 14-15 th century.

Also including brass lantern of some importance and pottery, glass lanterns, bowls and goblets, metalwork and Koran manuscripts of the Timurid period. Some of the most important artifacts on display are the pottery vessels and glass goblets, the figurative, unglazed ware, wooden window shutters, metalwork and mirrors of the Seljuk period .

The Ottoman period is represented by some very fine artifacts in the collection, dating from the 15th to the 19th century, including manuscripts, silverware, bronze, wooden, faience and pottery, and mother-of-pearl inlay artifacts, the most notable of which are bowls, plates, lanterns, orbs, bowls and ewers, incensers, rose-water sprinklers, candelabra and lecterns.

The rugs on display are among the finest in the museum collection, and these are shown in the divanhane of the museum, where the outsize 16 Ushak rugs and the earliest known Seljuk rugs from the Aladdin Mosque in Konya are displayed side by side with western Anatolian rugs and large carpets of the 16-17th centuries.