The Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), 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.
Linger here to admire the building’s majestic serenity as well as the fine
Byzantine mosaics. (Open every day except Monday).
The Archeological Museums are found just inside the first court of the
Topkapi Palace. Included among its treasures of antiquity are the celebrated
Alexander Sarcophagus and the facade of the Temple to Athena from Assos. The
Museum of the Ancient Orient displays artifacts from the Sumerian, Babylonian,
Assyrian, Hatti and Hittite civilizations. (Open every day except Monday).
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Rumeli Hisari, or European Fortress, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror
in 1452prior to his capture of Istanbul. Complete din only four months, it is
one of the most beautiful works of military architecture in the world. In the
castle is the Open -Air Museum amphitheater that is the site for some events
of the Istanbul Music Festival.(Open every day except Wednesdays).
Originally built in the l5th century as a kösk, or pavilion, by Mehmet
the Conqueror, the Çinili Kösk, which houses the Museum of Turkish Ceramics,
contains beautiful l6th- century specimens from Iznik and fine examples of
Seljuk and Ottoman pottery and tiles. (Open every day except Monday).
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. The building reputedly stands on
the site of a pre-Christian temple. (Open every day except Monday, but
requires special permission for admission).
The dark stone building that houses the Museum of Turkish and
Islamic Art was built in 1524 by the Grand Vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent,
Ibrahim Pasa, 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 residence 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 Hagia Sophia is the sixth-century Byzantine cistern known as the
Yerebatan Sarnici. Three hundred and thirty-six massive Corinthian columns
support the immense chamber’s fine brick vaulting.(Open every day except
Tuesday).
The Mosaic Museum preserves in situ exceptionally fine fifth and sixth-century
mosaic pavements from the Grand Palace of the Byzantine emperors. (Open
everyday except Tuesday).
The Kariye Museum, the llth-century church of "St. Savior" in the Chora
complex,is, after Hagia Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in
Istanbul.Unremarkable in its architecture, inside, the walls are decorated
with 4th-century mosaics. Illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the
Virgin Mary, these brilliantly colored paintings embody the vigor of Byzantine
art. In restored wooden houses in the area surrounding the church you can
enjoy tea and coffee in a relaxed atmosphere far removed from the city’s
hectic pace. (Open every day except Wednesday).
The Aviation Museum in Yesilköy traces the development of flight in
Turkey. (Open every day except Monday).
In the Military Museum the great field tents used by the Ottoman armies
on campaigns are on display. Other exhibits include Ottoman weapons and the
accoutrements of war. The Mehter Takimi (Ottoman military band) can be heard
per-forming Ottoman martial music between3:00 and 4:00 p.m. (Open every day
except Monday and Tuesday).
Atatürk’s former residence in Sisli now serves as the Atatürk Museum and
displays his personal effects. (Open every day except Saturday and Sunday).
The grand imperial caiques used by the sultans to cross the Bosphoius
are among the many many other interesting exhibits of Ottoman naval history
that can be seen at the Naval Museum located in the Besiktas district. (Open
every day except Monday and Thursday).
Also in Besiktas is the Museum of Fine Arts that houses Turkish
paintings and sculptures from the end of the l9th century to the present. (Open
every day except Monday and Tuesday).
The City Museum, located within the gar-dens of the Yildiz Palace,
preserves and documents the history of Istanbul since the Ottoman conquest. (Open
every day except Thursday). Also within the gardens are the Yildiz Palace
Theatre and the Museum of Historical Stage Costumes, with its richly decorated
scenery and stage , and its exquisite costumes. (Open every day except Tuesday).
The Rahmi Koç Industry Museum, in the suburb of Hasköy on the coast of
the Golden Horn, was an Ottoman-period building, formerly called Lengerhane,
for iron and steel works. Today it houses exhibits on industrial development.
(Open every day except Monday).
Up the Bosphorus in the picturesque suburb of Büyükdere, the collections
of the Sadberk Hanim Museum fill two charming l9th-century wooden villas. A
private museum which originally . displayed only Turkish decorative arts, it
has recently been expanded for a new collection of archeological finds. (Open
every day except Wednesday).
For something different try the Caricature and Cartoon Museum in Fatih
on Atatürk Boulevard under the Bozdogan Aqueductin the l6th century Gazanfer
Aga Medrese