The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was the primary museum in Turkey to compile works of Islamic art. It was founded in 1914 as the Museum of Islamic Foundations and housed within the Imaret building of the Süleymaniye Complex, built by the good Turkish architect Sinan within the 16th century. The museum was renamed the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts after the declaration of the republic and moved to its present location within the 16th-century Ibrahim Paşa Palace in 1983.
The core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the empire at the start of the 20th century. These products include carpets, stones, metalwork, crystal, ceramics, woodwork, and ethnographic materials. the gathering represents an intensive period starting from the increase of Islam to the 20th century and also the vast region ruled by the Turkish Empire.
Turkish and Islamic Art Museum is the first museum in our country to incorporate Turkish - Islamic artworks together. It opened its doors for the primary time in 1914 within the imaret building of Suleymaniye Mosque Social Complex, one among the foremost important structures of Mimar Sinan (Sinan the Architect) by the name of "Islamiye Museum" (Islamic Foundations Museum).
It had been moved to Ibrahim Pasha Palace to the west of Blue Mosque Square, in 1983. Aside from the Sultan palaces, the museum building is one in every of the earliest surviving palace buildings to this day, dating back to the late 15th century. Ibrahim Pasha Palace, one of the foremost important structures of Ottoman civil architecture, rises above the old “Racetrack Square” stairs. In 1520, it was absolutely repaired by Suleiman the Magnificent and gifted to Ibrahim Pasha of Pargali, his son-in-law and grand vizier. The elevated structure on the arches surrounds the terrace on the three sides.
One of the most pleasant places within the museum is this terrace, overlooking the Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque) Square. After 1983, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum was closed to visitors for restoration in 2012, and after extensive work, it absolutely was opened again in 2014, on the 100th anniversary of its first opening, with a replacement understanding of exhibition and new places of visit.
The works of the museum’s rare samples of Emevi, Abbasi, Artuklu, Eyyubi, Ilhanlı, Timurid, Safavi, Kaçar, Memluk, Seljuk and Ottoman periods were collected from different areas of the Islamic world. The museum is legendary for having the simplest rug collection within the world. The masterpieces among the rugs are rare 13th century Seljuk carpets that can't be found elsewhere.
In addition to its rug models, the museum also reaches out with its initial works of art. Glassware, stone and terracotta artifacts and metal and ceramic objects are among the dear pieces exhibited. an outsized hall within the courtyard of the museum is dedicated to the gathering of ethnography, reflecting the standard of living of 19th century Istanbul. The Holy Relics section within the museum brings the foremost important works of this area just like the ones in Topkapı Palace.
Explore the Blue Mosque and its surroundings. The park within the Square is particularly colorful when tulips bloom. The racetrack which constitutes the foremost important part of the square witnessing many historical events, could be a monument that can't be overlooked. The must-see artworks within the Racetrack, where horse carriage races were held in Byzantine times, are Kaiser Bill (German) Fountain, Theodosius Obelisk and Spiral Column. But in spite of everything, the place to not be missed in Sultanahmet Square is the Blue Mosque which provides its name to the square.
The Turkish and Islamic Arts entrance fee is 50 lira per person.
The museum is found near other important Istanbul sights, like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Arasta Bazaar, and Basilica Cistern. The closest tram station is Sultanahmet.
The impressive collection is an Islamic room, featuring fine samples of calligraphy in Islamic art, Islamic art paintings, Islamic abstractionism and contemporary Islamic art. There's also an enthralling ethnography section, containing information about Anatolian life.