Istanbul Archaeology Museums
İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri | |
Established | 13 June 1891 |
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Location | Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu Sokak, Gülhane, Istanbul, Turkey |
Coordinates | 41°00′39″N 28°58′54″E / 41.010872°N 28.981659°E |
Type | Archaeology museum |
Collection size | 1+ million objects |
Visitors | 382.148 (2011) [1] |
Director | Rahmi Asal |
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums (Turkish: İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri) are a group of three archaeological museums located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. These museums house over one million objects from nearly all periods and civilizations in world history.
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums:
- Archaeological Museum (in the main building)
- Museum of the Ancient Orient
- Museum of Islamic Art (in the Tiled Kiosk).
Background
The origins of the museum can be traced back to the nearby
The Ottoman Sultan
History
Due to space constraints, the museum and its collection was transferred to the Tiled Kiosk (Turkish: Çinili Köşk) between 1875 and 1891. Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II in 1472 as a pleasure palace, it is the oldest non-religious Ottoman structure in Istanbul and retains a visible Persian influence in its style and architecture[5] It was first opened to the public in 1953 as the Fatih Museum, to showcase Turkish and Islamic art, and was later incorporated into the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Appointed to the role in 1881, the first curator and founder of the museum was Osman Hamdi Bey, Painter, Archeologist and son of Ibrahim Edhem Pasha, an Ottoman Grand Vizier. An accomplished artist, in 2019 his painting "Girl Reading the Quran" sold for 6.3 million British pounds, making it the most expensive Turkish painting at that time.[6]
Throughout the 19th century, the existing importance given by the European states to historical artifacts gradually began to be understood by the Ottoman Empire as well. Thereunto arose the issue of establishing a method of regulating these cultural assets. Up to that point in time, 'historical artifacts' in the Ottoman Empire were subject to the common principles of fiqh (Islamic Law). The absence of specific regulations for preserving historical artifacts in effect created a legal void surrounding aspects such as the definition of historical artifacts, along with where and how they would be preserved.[7]
This changed in 1869, when the first set of laws were enacted that outlined the regulation of antiquities. Modern conservation experts refer to this as the first 'protection law' issued by the Ottoman State, focusing on permissions to carry out excavations and related artifact management. According to this law, the owner of land on which an excavation was conducted could claim possession of the finds discovered. While it was illegal to take such relics abroad, they could be bought and sold within domestic borders and the state held the principal right to buy them.[8] With this imperial decree for protecting cultural goods now being enforced, provincial governors throughout the Ottoman Empire would send in found artefacts to the capital city, thus further growing the collection.
With subsequent major finds being discovered shortly thereafter (e.g. excavation of the necropolis of King Sidon in modern-day Lebanon), it soon became clear that a purpose-built building large enough to house the growing museum collection was required.
The construction of the main building was started by
The Museum of the Ancient Orient was commissioned by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1883 as a fine arts school. Then it was reorganised as a museum, which opened in 1935. Collections are relating to Anatolian (Early Bronze Age, Assyrian Colony Period, Hittite, Neo-Hittite, Urartian, Aramean), Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Syrian, Iran, Palestinian and Ancient Arabian. Egyptian collection is c.1,200 items that in all kinds of Egyptian Art artifacts. Most of them had come from Dra Abu al Nagar excavations near Karnak excavated by Gautier in 1891. Others are gifts of Hıdivs of Egypt and Ottoman officers. Mesopotamian artifacts are 10,000 pieces that came from Assur, Nippur, Lagaş, Girsu, Uruk, Şurupak, Sippar, Niniveh excavations. Palestinian objects are from Tell Gezer, Tell Zakarijah, Tell el-Hesi, Tell Taannek, Tell Sandahanna, Megiddo and Jericho excavations in Ottoman times. Some Susa vases were purchased from French excavators.
Gallery
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Old Babylonian period between 1900 and 1600 BCE. Discovered in the late 19th century in what is now Iraq.
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Pediment and shafts of a temple
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Ancient Greek exhibition of the museum
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Icon with reliefVirgin Maryat prayer
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Statue ofEmperor Valentinian II
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Statue of Alexander the Great
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Puzur Ishtar, governor of Mari
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Glazed brick panel from way to Ishtar Gate
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Byzantine emperors
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Siloam Inscription
Collection
The museum has a large collection of
- The ornate sarcophagi from the Royal necropolis of Ayaa in Sidon:
- The Alexander Sarcophagus, found in the Ayaa necropolis of Sidon. Once believed to be prepared for Alexander the Great, is among the most famous pieces of ancient art in the museum.[2]
- Sarcophagus of the mourning women, also found in the Ayaa necropolis of Sidon (in fact, the sarcophagus of Strato I, king of Sidon)
- The Tabnit sarcophagus
- The Sarcophagus of the Satrap
- The Lycian sarcophagus of Sidon
- Glazed tile images from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon
- Statues from ancient antiquity until the end of the
- Statue of an Ephebos
- Statue of Apollo Citharoedus from Miletus
- Parts of statues from the Bergama
- A marble lion from the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the few pieces remaining in Turkey
- Snake's head from the Serpentine Column erected in the Hippodrome of Constantinople
- Mother-Goddess Cybele and votive stelai
- Busts of Alexander the Great and Zeus
- Fragments from the temple of Athena at Assos
- The Troy exhibit
- 800,000 Ottoman coins, seals, decorations and medals
- One tablet with the oldest known law-collection, the laws of king Ur-Nammu
- Two of the three tablets of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
- The Saba'a Stele of the Assyrian king Adad-nirari III
- Tablet archive containing some 75,000 documents with cuneiform inscriptions, including one containing the oldest known love poem, the Istanbul #2461 tablet
- Artifacts from the early civilizations of Arabia and Egypt
- Siloam inscription, which made headlines in July 2007 when Israel asked for its return[4][9]
- Gezer calendar
- Balawat gates(one gate)
- Samaria ostraca
- Warning inscription from the Second Temple in Jerusalem
See also
- Istanbul Mosaic Museum
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
- Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
References
- ^ "Ministry of Culture and Tourism - Museum Statistics". kultur.gov.tr. January 1, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ a b "Istanbul Archaeology Museum". The New York Times. March 18, 2009. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Sultan Abdülaziz - Avrupa Seyahati/Tarih/milliyet blog". blog.milliyet.com.tr. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
- ^ a b "Jerusalem seeks return of ancient tablet". USA Today. July 13, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ "The Tiled Kiosk Museum, Things You Should Definitely Experience in Istanbul". www.bosphorustour.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ^ "Osman Hamdi Bey painting surprises exam takers". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "The Protection of Historical Artifacts in Ottoman Empire: The Permanent Council for the Protection of Ancient Artifacts" (PDF).
- ^ "The Changing Policies on the Protection and Management of Archaeological Sites in Turkey: an Overview". intarch.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "J'lem mayor turns Turkey on tablet". Jerusalem Post. July 13, 2007.
External links
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums
- Istanbul Archaeology Museum page at the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism website
- Museum of Architecture – Istanbul Archaeology Museum