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Istanbul Archaeological Museum is a
complex of three museums: the Museum of Oriental Antiquities, the
Archaeological Museum and the Tiled Pavilion Museum.The complex is
located in the gardens in the first court of the Topkapi Palace.
There are sixty-thousand archaeological treasures,
seven-hundred-sixty thousand coins and medallions, and seventy-five
thousand clay tablets in these three museums.
The Archaeological Museum was founded by the famous painter,
archaeologist and curator of the time, Osman Hamdi, and opened to
the public on June 13, 1981 under the name Muze-i Humayun (the
Imperial Musem). The museum, which was rearranged and enlarged by
the addition of a new wing to the building, was reopened to the
public on its centennial. The gate of this majestic building
designed by architect Valaury is monumental.
In the halls to the right of the entrance, examples of “Antique Age
Sculpture” are exhibited. Unique examples of sculpture from the
Archaic age until the end of Roman era are exhibited in the halls of
“Antique Grave Stones and Reliefs” , “Treasures from Persian in
Anatolia” , ”Kenan Erim Hall (Aphrodisias Relics), ‘’Three Marble
Cities in Anatolia ‘’ (Epheesus,Miletus,Aphrodisias), ‘’Hellenistic
Sculpture’’, ‘’Magnesia AD Meandrum and Tralles (Aydın) Statue
Groups’’ ‘’Helenistic and Helenistic Influenced Roman Sculpture’’,
Roman Art of Portrait Making’’ , ‘’Roman Empire Sculpture’’.The
majority of these artifacts was discovered during the excavations of
the ancient cities in Anatolia.
Following the counters, where souvenirs and books are sold, on the
left the entrance, is the hall dedicated to Osman Hamdi, the founder
of the museum.Right after this hall, treasures unearthed during the
excavation of the Royal Cemetery in Sidon are exhibited. Excavation
of the Cemetery was carried on by Osman Hamdi, himself.
The first of the three sarcophagi standing side by side belongs to
Tabnit, the kingof Sidon. A unique Lician sarcophagus and a Satrap
sarcophagus are also found in this hall. Next comes the world famous
Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and the Sarcophagus of the
Mourning Women. Both of these were discovered during the excavation
of Royal Cemetery in Sidon and they date back to the century B.C.
Various architectural fragments are displayed in the annex
building.In its ground level is the hall of ‘’Antique Age Anatolian
Architecture’’ and in the first storey is the hall of ‘’Istanbul
Though the Centuries’’.On the second storey, small archaeologial
finds belonging to the Paleolithie age, Early, Middle and Late
Bronze ages and the Frigian State age in Anatolia are displayed
under the heading ‘’Anatolia Through the Centuries and Troy’’.A
section of this hall is reserved for the artifacts found in Troy and
the tresures discovered in the settlements
I-IX are displayed in separate showcases.
On the third storey, under the heading of ‘’Civilizations in
Anatolia and Its Vicinity’’, treasures discovered in
Cyprus,Paletsine and Syria are displayed in chronological order.
The Museum of Oriental Antiquities
The building housing the museum was constructed in 1883 to house the
Academy of Fine Arts. In 1974, it was turned into a museum to
exhibit the treasures of Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Arab and early
Anatolian civilizations. Archives of Clay Tablets bearing cuneiform
script occupies the ground floor.With its approximately sevent-five
thousand pieces, the collection ranks second in the world after the
British Museum.
The Tiled Pavilion
It is the first pavilion built in the Topkapi palace complex by
Mehmet, the Conqueror, in 1492. Its facade, decorated with columns
and arches, and the decorations of its antechamber and tiled walls
are typical examples of Seljouk influenced early Otoman
architecture.
The antechamber is decorated with a long incription created by
multicolored, cut tiles.
Vaulted rooms surround the domed interior chamber.Twelfth to 19th
century Seljouk and Otoman tiles and ceramics displated in the rooms
in chronological order.Attractive 16th century Iznik tiles are also
on exhibit in the museum.
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