THE MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS

The Palace of Ibrahim Pasa (16th century), situated on the west side of Sultan Ahmet Square, now functions as the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. It is the only extant private palace, except for the imperial palaces. The building, elevated on arches, surrounds three sides of a central courtyard. A staircase leads from the terrace to the first section of the museum. Rare works of art created in various Islamic lands are on display in the hallways and the rooms. The stone, baked clay and metal objects, ceramic wares and handwritten books are some of the most valuable examples of their period. The carpets exhibited in the section fitted with glass panes near the large chambers are magnificent examples of 13th-20th century handmade Turkish carpets. This matchless collection is the richest of its kind in the world. 13th century Seljuk carpets and other examples from subsequent centuries are exhibited with much care. The floor below the carpet section is the ethnographic collection where one can get a glimpse of everyday Turkish life and objects in daily household use in the past.

VAKIFLAR CARPET AND KILIM MUSEUM

The Department of Foundations (Vakiflar) of Turkey has a very rich carpet and kilim collection, and selected samples of this collection are exhibited.
In Sultan Ahmet Mosque carpets are displayed in the sections next to the Sultan's loge, and kilims in the vaulted galleries below the mosque.
The best examples of carpets from 14th -20th centuries are shown on the ramp leading to the loge and the rooms belonging to the sultans. All the carpets are restored in perfect condition, and are displayed in a modern concept.

THE MOSAIC MUSEUM

The market of the Sultan Ahrnet Mosque was built over the remains of the former "Great Palace" which is dated to the 4th -6th centuries. The mosaic pavements of the palace were discovered in their original places at the lower end of the market. The mosaics, which were unearthed in the 1930's, used to decorate the floor of a large hall. The hunting and everyday scenes and the decorative designs exhibit high quality workmanship. Some of the most attractive scenes are the Medusa head, pictures from a lion hunt, and busts enclosed in acanthus leaves. These extremely realistic scenes were done in the style of the Antakya (Antioch) School in the Roman Age. Mosaics found in other districts of the city were carefully encased and moved here to be displayed.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The museum was founded by painter and archeologist Osman Hamdi on June 13, 1891. It was called at that time the Imperial Museum. Two side wings were added in 1902 and 1908, and on its centenary in 1991 the museum was enlarged with a new section and reorganized. The architect of the monumental building was the famous Valaury.
Eacing the entrance is the huge and formidable statue of god Bes. To the left are the halls where matchless antique statues are exhibited, starting from the archaic period and continuing down to the Roman era, in a visitor-friendly arrangement. The first room contains ancient tomb stones and reliefs, followed by the Kenan Erim Hall where one finds relics from the time of the Persian dominance in Anatolia and from Aphrodisiacs. In the room called ''the three marble cities of Anatolia" there are findings from Ephesus, Millets and Aphrodisias, Hellenistic statues, sculpture from Marsias by the River Meander, and finally statues of Hellenistic-influenced Roman and Roman styles.
To the left of the entrance, after the gift and book shops, there is the room dedicated to Osman Hamdi, and then come the halls containing the works of art he personally discovered in the royal necropolis of Sayda (Sidon). The first three sarcophagi belong to the family of Saydan King Tabnit. An exceptionally beautiful Lycian sarcophagus and the Satrap sarcophagus are also in this room. The next section contains the Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women and the very famous Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, which in fact did not belong to him. The four sides of this sarcophagus are decorated with reliefs depicting scenes of the war between the Macedonians and the Persians, and hunting scenes.
On the side wall of the new annex the Temple of Athena in Assos has been reproduced in its original dimensions.
The first hall houses the section on "The Local Cultures of Istanbul". Here, exquisite artifacts from various ages that were found in the vicinity of the city are exhibited in a modern setting. There is also the room containing works of art from the Byzantine era. Another section is called "Istanbul Through the Ages".
On the upper floors, there is the exhibition "Anatolia Through the Ages and Troy", and a chronologically arranged display of works from Palestine, Syria and Cyprus under the title of "Civilizations of Anatolia and Neighboring Countries".

THE MUSEUM OF THE ANCIENT ORIENT

This is the first building to the left at the entrance of the Archeological Museum. Originally a school building, it was converted into a museum in 1917, and then modernized between 1963-1973. The artifacts brought here from Egypt and the Middle Eastern countries that were under Ottoman rule prior to World War I, and relics from ancient Anatolian civilizations comprise a unique and beautiful collection.Two basalt neo-Hittite lions are placed at the entrance. The Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Anatolian sections are on the second floor. Some of the pieces on display are artifacts from the old and new Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations, the graves of the pharaohs and Arabic tomb stone, as well as Hatti-Hittite and Urartu relics. The museum has a very rich and rare collection of cuneiform inscriptions consisting of 70 thousand tablets.

SADBERK HAHIM MUSEUM

One of the interesting mansions in Sariyer, a three-storied building, was chosen as the locale of a beautiful museum founded by the Koc family. Rare objects collected over the years, costumes and artifacts reflecting the lifestyles of past centuries, valuable fabrics, and gold, silver and porcelain wares are displayed in the museum. After the Koc family acquired the archeological collection of Huseyin Kocabas, the building next door was bought and added to the museum to provide space for the exhibition of this rich collection. This modern and impressive exhibition is in chronological order and it contains pieces from the Neolithic age and Hatti, Hittite, Urartu, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk periods.