Self-Guided Tour: Istanbul’s Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

By Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran

With a thoughtful and manageable collection of artifacts spanning the course of Turkish and Islamic civilizations, this museum is a convenient place to glimpse the rich cultural fabric of Turkey. You'll see carpets, calligraphy, ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, and lots more. Almost as interesting as the collection is its setting: the İbrahim Paşa Palace, one of Istanbul's great surviving Ottoman palaces.

Length of this tour: Allow one hour.

Highlights: Carpets, ceramic tiles and containers, rare calligraphy, and other artifacts of the Islamic world's religious and cultural heritage.

Overview

The original İbrahim Paşa Palace was much bigger, rivaling that of the sultan. But today, its smaller size makes the museum's U-shaped layout easy to figure out. The palace's original reception hall is today's south wing, with a small wooden balcony facing the Hippodrome. Its north and west wings were once palatial guest rooms.

Today the museum's upstairs north, west, and south wings focus on historical artifacts, while the downstairs (garden level) south wing focuses on lifestyles. Temporary exhibits are located on the entrance level. In the chamber behind the ticket/information desk, you'll find remains of the Hippodrome's Byzantine infrastructure. The museum is well signed and has good English explanations.

The Displays

The museum's displays are in an easy-to-follow (overlapping) chronological order. The north wing concentrates on pre-Turkic Islamic dynasties and early caliphates, including the Umayyad (661–750) and the Abbasids (700–1250). On exhibition are some of the earliest copies of the Quran, and decorative artifacts.

Also featured here is handiwork from the Eyyubid state (1170 to mid-1400s). Founded by Selahaddin Eyyubi, who led the Muslim opposition against Christian Crusaders, the state ruled Egypt and the entire Middle East at its height. On display here are two 13th-century intricate wood columns, turquoise Raqqah ceramicware, and vessels for daily use. For more on these periods in history, see the "Great Caliphates" sidebar.

The corridor through the west wing is used for rotating exhibits from the museum's collection, occasionally with multimedia displays. Rooms in this wing and beyond are dedicated to Turkic cultures, and states named after the founders.

The Selçuk Turks governed from 1000 to the early 1300s, maintaining power over the Near East (mainly present-day Iran), the Middle East, and Anatolia. While Islam was the dominant culture where the Selçuks ruled, you will find extensive traces of their Turkish roots in their art. The decline of the Selçuks in the early 14th century cleared the way for the autonomy of future Turkish dynasties. Just over a century later, the Ottomans would unify the Turks once again.

Displays highlight Selçuk metalwork, pottery, and palace tiles. Decorative star-shaped tiles in blue, turquoise, and purple, usually painted both under and over the glaze, have their roots in central Asia. With high quartz content, these tiles were made to last for centuries. Even at the time they were made, they were considered unique and precious items. The painted figures have classic Turkic features: round faces, almond eyes, and small noses and mouths. A halo indicates aristocratic status, and armbands on caftans and jackets indicate social rank.

Metal artifacts from the Mamluks (1250–1500) are next. The Mamluks were slave-soldiers of Turkic non-Muslim origin under the Abbasid caliphs. This powerful military caste ruled over Egypt and the Middle East until the Ottoman occupation in the early 1500s. The Mamluk artifacts on display (including a giant 15th-century brass lantern) show off skilled craftsmanship. Beaten metal parts were painstakingly decorated by carving and punching.

Also on display are examples of calligraphy and decorative pieces from the two Turco-Mongolian dynasties — the Ilkhanids (1255–1350) and Timurids (1370–1500) — along with the Safavids (1500–1720, founded by the Safavviya Sufi order) and the Turkmen Qajars (1795–1925, who ruled Persia — today's Iran). Notice the boat-shaped brass bowl from the Safavid dynasty, used by dervishes to collect alms and offerings.

The long single case at the end of the corridor displays a 19th-century Kaaba belt. It was a tradition for the house of the ruling caliph to annually present embroidered fabric covers and belts to decorate the stone walls of the Kaaba, the holiest Muslim shrine, located in Mecca. Ottomans used thick woven textiles such as silk, velvet, or wool, embroidered with threads of real silver and gold, for the decorative belts and door covers.

The south wing exhibits some of the highlights of the museum. Only a handful of 13th-century Selçuk carpets have survived, and more than half of those are displayed in this section, along with examples of woodwork, such as griffin and dragon motifs embedded in intricate floral designs.

The European love affair with Turkish, or "Oriental," carpets began in the 13th century. For centuries, upper-class Europeans considered a Turkish rug the ultimate status symbol. If you couldn't afford to buy an actual rug, you'd pay an artist to paint one to hang on the wall — or to paint a rug hanging in the background of a portrait.

A few of the carpets here are named for the German painter Hans Holbein the Younger. Holbein, considered a master portrait artist, served as a court painter to Henry VIII.

Uşak carpets displayed at the large exit hall mark the pinnacle of traditional all-wool carpet weaving in Turkey. An average Uşak carpet has about 103,000 knots in 10 square feet. Wool carpets don't come any denser.

Also on dislay in this hall is a scroll with the imperial signature (known as the tuğra) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent himself. This type of scroll is called a ferman, meaning "the word of the monarch." Though the scroll is incomplete, the part we can see has, unsurprisingly, words of praise for the sultan. The scroll (with its signature) is a great example of traditional hat art, which combines Arabic writing with artistic calligraphy.

North Wing

• Upon entering the large central courtyard turn 180 degrees, then go through the first door (to the right of the cafeteria) to begin your tour of the north wing. At the top of the entry staircase, turn around. On the back wall of the corridor (on the elevated section behind the staircase) are the…

Samarra Palace Artifacts

The Abbasid dynasty ruled the Muslim world for more than five centuries, from AD 700 to 1250. Abbasid caliphs (political and religious leaders) employed non-Muslim slave-soldiers, mainly Turkic people from the north who had been abducted by slave traders or sold into slavery by impoverished parents. In time, these soldiers became a powerful military caste, establishing their sovereignty in North Africa and the Middle East.

The presence of these troops caused friction with the public in Baghdad, capital city of the Abbasid dynasty. In 836, largely pressured by local leaders in Baghdad, the caliph decided to move the center of the caliphate from Baghdad to the new city of Samarra, which was then a simple military garrison. Thousands of masons were brought in from all over the Middle East to build immense structures. Even the homes of officials and administrators were huge palaces. The masons created some of the finest examples of early Islamic civil architecture, with summer and winter sections that incorporated baths, canals, and pools.

The display case holds composite column capitals, wall frescoes, tiles, and other decorative pieces unearthed during early 20th-century excavations.

• Before you continue, notice the beautiful ceramic vase with a dark blue glaze (13th century, Raqqah, Syria) in the wall display to your left. This gives you an idea of what is through the doorway, in the chamber dedicated to…

Raqqah Ceramics

Through the Middle Ages, Raqqah (in northern Syria) produced both polychrome and monochrome ceramics. The monochrome Raqqah ware, in a dominant turquoise color and transparent glaze, was the most popular. The collection displayed here comes from archaeological digs done in 1905.

• Leave the room, start down the main corridor, and go through the first door on the right (behind the staircase) to three connecting rooms showcasing…

Objects from Early Caliphs and Islamic Dynasties

These three rooms are dedicated to Islamic art dating back to the early caliphates. Following the first four caliphs of the newborn religion, the two caliphate dynasties — the Umayyad (660–750) and the Abbasid (700–1250) — carried the influence of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula. During their reign, territories of the Islamic Empire extended from central Asia to Spain (see sidebar).

The first room displays objects from the Umayyad period. In the display case, the eighth-century Quran chapter (Juz) deserves particular attention.

The stones you see here on the wall, dating from the seventh and eighth centuries, are some of the oldest pieces in the museum's collection. The slab on the left is a milestone, with an inscription in Arabic that states that you are only at the beginning of your journey.

The next room boasts fine decorative pieces of ninth-century Abbasid palace art. Cases in the room display wall frescoes from the palace harem (the larger fresco of the two dancers is particularly appealing), wooden fragments used for wall decoration, an intricate marble bowl, and ceramics.

The last room is dedicated to a vast collection of Islamic calligraphy called the "Damascus documents" (they were kept in the Damascus Umayyad Mosque for centuries). Among these are the earliest copies of the Quran, including parchment sheets on which the Quran was initially written.

• Head back to the corridor and enter the next room on the right.

Anatolian Artifacts (10th–15th Century)

In the last quarter of the 11th century, the Selçuks (the first of the powerful Muslim Turkish states) invaded Anatolia, aiding an extensive migration of Turkic tribes into the region also known as Asia Minor (the Asian part of present-day Turkey). The Artuqid state (1100–1400) is one of the many states that were founded during this transition period.

As insignificant as the Artuqid state was, it produced some remarkable metalwork. Some of the most attractive pieces in the museum are in this section — such as the two intricate bronze drums. However, the main attraction here, in the large corner room, is the monumental door of the mid-12th-century Grand Mosque of Cizre (today a small town in eastern Turkey west of the Tigris River).

This magnificent door is made of wood, sheeted with copper, held together with iron nails, and reinforced with brass rods. Patches were made from recycled metal items and used to replace missing sheets on the door's panels. Look at the dragon-shaped handles. The one on the left was stolen in 1969 and somehow showed up in a Copenhagen museum. The lion-shaped middle piece is still on the door wing. Lions and dragons, considered talismans, were common designs in Anatolia in the Middle Ages.

• As you face this door, the doorway on the left leads into a display of…

Middle Eastern Handiwork (12th–15th Century)

Founded by Selahaddin Eyyubi, the Eyyubid state (1170 to mid-15th century) ruled Egypt and the entire Middle East at its height. Eyyubi, known in the West as Saladin, led the Muslim opposition against Christian Crusaders. On display here are two 13th-century intricate wood columns, turquoise Raqqah ceramic ware, and vessels for daily use.

• Step through the doorway, back to the corridor.

West Wing

• Beyond this point, the corridor through the west wing is used for rotating exhibits from the museum's collection, occasionally with audiovisual displays. Go through the next door to find…

Selçuk Empire Arts and Objects

The Selçuk Turks governed from 1000 to the early 1300s, maintaining power over the Near East (mainly present-day Iran), the Middle East, and Anatolia. While Islam was the dominant culture where the Selçuks ruled, you will find extensive traces of their Turkish roots and local cultures in their art. The decline of the Selçuks in the early 14th century cleared the way for the autonomy of future Turkish dynasties. Just over a century later, the Ottomans would unify the Turks once again.

The first room boasts some very fine examples of 12th-to-13th-century Selçuk metalwork, pottery, and tiles. On the back wall, look for a star-shaped 12th-century tile piece that depicts a courting couple (a reminder of the many behind-closed-doors affairs that took place in the Selçuk palace).

Decorative star-shaped tiles in blue, turquoise, and purple, usually painted both under and over the glaze, have their roots in central Asia. With high quartz content, these tiles were made to last for centuries (we'll learn more in the "Selçuk Carpets and Crafts" section, later). Even at the time they were made, they were considered unique and precious items. The painted figures have classic Turkic features: round faces, almond eyes, and small noses and mouths. A halo indicates aristocratic status, and armbands on caftans and jackets indicate social rank.

The adjacent room is reserved for everyday items, from earthenware objects to metalwork, that were both decorative and functional.

Mamluk Metal and Glasswork

The next two rooms display artifacts of Mamluk origin. The Mamluks (1250–1500) were slave-soldiers of non-Muslim origin under the Abbasid caliphs. This powerful military caste ruled over Egypt and the Middle East until the Ottoman occupation in the early 1500s.

The giant 15th-century brass lantern (third room, wall display) shows off skilled craftsmanship. Beaten metal parts were painstakingly decorated by carving and punching.

Labeled badiye, the 15th-century brass bowl in the wall display (fourth room, next to the door) is a true work of art. Further decorated with silver and gold, the inscriptions praise the Mamluk sultan for a victory in battle.

Also note the intricate glass lanterns in the large case across the room, with colorful enamel designs.

• Step through the doorway, back to the corridor. If you have time for a detour, turn right into a section dedicated to…

Turco-Mongolian Art (13th–20th Century)

The works in these rooms is from the two Turco-Mongolian dynasties — the Ilkhanids (1255–1350) and Timurids (1370–1500) — along with the Safavids (1500–1720, founded by the Safavviya Sufi order) and the Turkmen Qajars (1795–1925, who ruled Persia — today's Iran).

You'll see some fine examples of religious calligraphy and decoration, as well as diverse items, such as the 642-page, 14th-century album of Persian poetry that also includes attractive landscape paintings (Mecmua, Timurid, second room). Notice the highly decorated, boat-shaped brass bowl from the 17th century, used by dervishes to collect alms and offerings (marked as Keşkül, Safavid, third room in the wall display).

• Continue to the end of the corridor. The last section in this wing contains…

Holy Relics

The long, single case on the corridor wall displays a 19th-century Kaaba belt. It was a tradition for the house of the ruling caliph to annually present embroidered fabric covers and belts to decorate the stone walls of the Kaaba, the holiest Muslim shrine, located in Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia). Ottomans used thick woven textiles such as silk, velvet, or wool, embroidered with threads of real silver and gold, for the decorative belts and door covers. The texts are excerpts from the Quran.

Along the left wall, the 18th-century kıblenüma (compass pointing in the direction of the Kaaba, toward which Muslims pray) and the 13th-century scroll (Hac Vekaletnamesi) deserve particular attention. Devout Muslims are expected to make the pilgrimage, or hajj, to the Kaaba at least once in their lifetimes. In the Middle Ages, this was a long, arduous journey. Believers who were unable to do it would sponsor someone else to make the pilgrimage on their behalf, as inscribed in this scroll.

Items in the connecting rooms include hair from the Prophet Muhammad's beard, his footprint, and two highly decorated verbal descriptions of his qualities — all the more important in Islam in the absence of physical portraits. Called a hilye (heel-yeh), or Hilye-i Şerif, the poetic text describes the Prophet's attributes, such as generosity, honesty, and gentleness. It combines two traditional arts — hat (calligraphy) and tezhip (decoration) — into one artwork.

Traditionally, a hilye was given to a young man about to get married, with the hope that he would read it and be inspired to model himself after the Prophet. Similarly, a bride's dowry chest contained a Quran, so that she could pattern herself after the woman to whom an entire chapter in the holy book is dedicated — Mary, the mother of Jesus.

• Now continue into the…

South Wing

• As you enter the south wing, the left wall of the entrance hall is covered with fine examples of…

Ottoman Carpets and Tiles

A few of the carpets here are named for the German painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543). Holbein, considered a master portrait artist, served as a court painter to Henry VIII and illustrated the first German translation of the Bible. He and other artists of his time liked to paint Oriental carpets (and other handicrafts) in the backgrounds of paintings and court frescoes. Europeans who had seen these designs in the paintings wanted to own a similar carpet in real life…and Turkish weavers happily obliged. A particularly famous Holbein portrait, The Ambassadors, featured an Anatolian carpet — hence the term "Holbein carpet."

Holbein carpets often have large eight-pointed stars, a motif more common in earlier Selçuk carpets (shown in the next section). The carpets you see here are mainly based on designs from the Turkish towns of Uşak (oo-shahk) and Bergama (known in ancient times as Pergamon). Today, a limited number of carpets are still being woven in Bergama. (We'll see more examples of Uşak carpets later.) Crafted in a predominantly red color, these carpets have a traditional design and are extremely fine, especially considering the density of their wool.

The prayer rugs on display here — or what's left of them after centuries of constant use — have bare spots worn by the foreheads, knees, and toes of worshippers. They have repeating prayer-niche designs that reflect their purpose.

In the large central case, you will find a few examples of early Ottoman tiles and ceramics, including decorative fragments of a 15th-century inscription. Pieces called Miletus ware were thought to resemble the ceramics of Miletus, an ancient city along the Aegean Sea, near Ephesus. But they're actually late 14th- and 15th-century ceramics manufactured in İznik (ancient Nicaea), a town to the east of the Sea of Marmara. Miletus ware, which was produced for just a short time and represents a transition from traditional Selçuk to fine Ottoman tiles, usually features purple and cobalt-blue colors on a white undercoat, with basic geometric shapes and plant and animal motifs.

• Walk through the doorway by the fireplace into the next section, which is reserved for…

Selçuk Carpets and Crafts

Only a handful of 13th-century Selçuk carpets have survived, and more than half of those are displayed in this room. They were gathered from mosques and shrines in central Turkey, especially in Konya, the capital city of the Selçuk Empire. Each carpet here is unique in color and design, with floral and animal motifs adapted into geometric forms and stylized almost to the point of abstraction. Designs feature eagles, arrowheads, crescents, and eight-pointed stars, as well as Kufic letters (which are also commonly used to decorate borders), often in repeating patterns. The carpets, made of pure wool, use a double-knot technique known as the "Turkish knot."

On the opposite wall, you will find rare and highly intricate examples of traditional wood carving. The larger, 13th-century walnut window shutters, brought from a tomb in the early 1900s, represent painstaking craftsmanship. Arabic script on the upper panels reads, "There is no greater virtue than to avoid ambition and earthly desires." The detailed ceremonial wood sarcophagus dates back to 1250. The smaller walnut doors are more recent, and not Selçuk.

On the north wall hangs a 13th-century tiled-brick panel made in a traditional fashion. The Selçuk Turks used tiles to decorate both the interiors and the exteriors of their monuments. The secret to their artistry was the fine clay they used, which contained a large amount of quartz. The quartz made the tiles durable enough to survive even the harsh weather of the steppes of central Asia. To create the tiles, Selçuk artisans spread a layer of clay several inches thick on a tray and cut it into smaller shapes such as triangles, rectangles, and stars. Then they painted the pieces with colored glazes and fired the tiles. Unlike thin-surface tiles used elsewhere, the Selçuks' thick, glazed tiles were integrated into the walls, ceilings, and minarets.

To the right of the panel, find the rare pieces of Selçuk stone carving, including a relief with two Selçuk warriors and two others with griffin motifs. In the Selçuk tradition, stylized reliefs display birds, beasts of prey, and griffin and dragon motifs embedded in intricate floral designs. The Selçuk Turks used these motifs extensively in wood and stone to decorate facades and entrances on civil as well as religious architecture.

• Pass through the doorway next to the stones and into the last and largest hall of the museum to see…

Uşak Carpets and Artifacts

You've arrived at the pinnacle of traditional all-wool carpet weaving in Turkey. An average Uşak carpet has about 103,000 knots in ten square feet. (Wool carpets don't come any denser.) The most common design features medallions; the second-most common uses repetitive star patterns. The museum has a large inventory of these Uşak "palace carpets"; others are displayed at the Carpet Museum (at the northeast corner of the Hagia Sophia, by the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace).

The first case beyond the carpet display has some attractive items from the Ottoman era. Standouts are two 17th-century gilded copper candlesticks adorned with floral motifs and semiprecious stones, a highly decorated 15th-century copper lantern, and a 17th-century incense burner-candlestick featuring curved arms that end in tulips.

Continuing around the room counterclockwise, in the next case you'll find a scroll with the imperial signature (known as the tuğra) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent himself. This particular type of scroll is called a ferman, meaning "the word of the monarch." Though the scroll is incomplete, the part we can see has, unsurprisingly, words of praise for the sultan. The scroll (with its signature) is a great example of traditional hat art, which combines Arabic writing with artistic calligraphy. The calligrapher (hattat) plays with the shape of letters, creating beautiful forms that remain grammatically correct but can be hard to read.

The next display case boasts ornate woodwork and outstanding decorations. This late 16th-century Quran holder (the taller of the two displayed) was brought here from the library of Hagia Sophia. The wood is studded with ebony, ivory, turtle shell, and mother-of-pearl, and the interior of the domed cover has exquisite paintwork.

Also on display are two 17th-century rahles, or Quran stands. A rahle supported the fragile binding of the Quran (or another book) while it was read.

The last case displays a masterpiece of Ottoman calligraphy and traditional book decoration. Renowned calligrapher Seyyid Lokman created the book, Religions, Islam, and Ottoman History, at the end of the 16th century on the order of the sultan. The book's miniatures and decorations were painted by skilled artisans in watercolor and glaze. The 55 miniatures depict personalities of religious significance, as well as Ottoman sultans.

• Exit down the staircase to return to the central courtyard. Next to the base of the stairs is the entrance to the…

Ethnographic Department

This section of the museum is dedicated to traditional Turkish lifestyles and art. If it's open when you visit, it may be worth a quick look.

You'll see why textiles, especially those that can be used as furniture in a Turkish home, are the flagship of Turkish arts and crafts. Once produced for basic needs, textiles eventually turned into a pleasing art form, especially as the Turks prospered under Ottoman rule.

You'll find more examples from the museum's immense carpet collection, including a custom-designed silk carpet depicting 19th-century Istanbul. Turkish carpets are usually known by the name of the region where they are made, and traditional wool-on-wool carpets from the same region almost always have similar designs and colors. This is not only because traditional designs are passed down through the generations but also because the plants used to dye the wool are grown only in certain areas.

A number of cases display women's clothing and jewelry. Notice the white bridal gown embellished with gold threads — the traditional Turkish bridal dress was either completely red or dominated by red, but as Western influence grew, more brides began wearing white.

Theater is represented here as well, in the form of the shadow play, long popular among Turkic people in central Asia.

For centuries, the shadow play was enjoyed as local entertainment. But under the Ottomans, it became a major influence as the cast of stock characters expanded to include ethnicities found across the empire. (Audiences could always find someone onstage to identify with.) Simple animated stories turned into plays examining complex social relations, but two main characters were always present — Karagöz, a rather unruly peasant who tended to get himself in trouble, and Hacivat, his educated (and pompous) foil. Hence the Turkish name for the traditional shadow play: Karagöz-Hacivat.

• Our tour is over. As you walk back across the garden, notice the terrace overlooking the Hippodrome, with sweeping views of the Hippodrome monuments and the Blue Mosque.

Getting There

The museum is in the Old Town's Sultanahmet area, across from the Hippodrome's Egyptian Obelisk and the Blue Mosque. From the Sultanahmet tram stop, cross the park toward the Blue Mosque, then jog to the right when you hit the Hippodrome.

Other Practicalities

The museum is covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.

A cafeteria is to the right as you enter the central courtyard; WCs are located under the staircase that leads up to the courtyard.

Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran are the authors of the Rick Steves Istanbul guidebook.