The Istanbul Archaeological Museums
The Istanbul Archaeological Museums, a museum affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is located in Istanbul's Sultanahmet neighborhood, on the Osman Hamdi Bey slope connecting the Gulhane Park with the Topkapı Palace. Its name is plural, since there are three different museums under the same administration: The Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Orient Museum (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) and Tiled Kiosk Museum (Çinili Köşk Müzesi).
The Tiled Kiosk
The first regular museum works appeared when the Istanbul Archaeological Museums was founded in 1869 as the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümayun). The Imperial Museum, which consisted of archaeological artifacts collected until then and exhibited in the Hagia Irene (Aya İrini) church, laid the foundations of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.
The Istanbul Archaeological Museums garden
The appointment of Osman Hamdi Bey, the son of Grand Vizier Edhem Pasha, as the director of the museum in 1881 marked a new epoch in the history of Turkish museums. Osman Hamdi Bey led excavations in Mount Nemrut, Myrina, Kymi and other Aeolian Necropoles and in the Lagina Hekate Sanctuary, and collected the artifacts from these sites in the museum. A new museum building was needed in order to display the glorious artifacts such as the Alexander Sarcophagus, the Sarcophagus of the Crying Women, the Lycian Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of Tabnit brought to İstanbul after the Royal Necropolis excavations in Sidon, Lebanon led by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1887 and 1888. The Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which was built against the Tiled Kiosk by the then famous architect Alexander Vallaury on the request of Osman Hamdi Bey, was opened to visits on June 13, 1891. This day is still celebrated as the Museum Day in Turkiye. On the other hand, the Archaeological Museum is one of the few buildings in the world constructed as a museum building. The oldest building in the complex of Istanbul Archaeological Museums is the Tiled Kiosk.
The Tiled Kiosk
The Archaeological Museum, one of the most beautiful and glorious examples of the neo-classical architecture in Istanbul, has a very spectacular architecture especially due to its gorgeous façade. With the two entrances on the long façade, which are reached through wide stairs, and each of which is decorated with four columns and a pediment, it appears like a temple. The kufic inscription on the pediment in Ottoman Turkish says 'Asar-ı Atika Müzesi' (Ancient Artifacts Museum). The tughra (calligraphic seal) above this script belongs to the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II, who ordered the construction of the Old Building.
Visiting Hours of the Museum are between 09:00-19:00. The museum is closed on Mondays and ticket price is 10 TL(Turkish Lira).
The Ottoman Tughra on the door
The Istanbul Archaeological Museums
COLLECTIONS
Some of important collections are here:
- ALEXANDER SARCOPHAGUS
The Alexander Sarcophagus
The Alexander Sarcophagus is considered as the most important artifact in the İstanbul Archaeological Museums. It was found in the Royal Necropolis in Sidon in 1887.
Though it is called the Alexander Sarcophagus, in fact, it does not belong to Alexander the Great. It is thought to be the sarcophagus of Abdalonymus, the king of Sidon. .
On the front side of the sarcophagus, Alexander is shown on his horse. Since Alexander claimed descent from Heracles, he is depicted with the skin of the Nemean Lion on his head. Additionally, next to his ear, a ram horn, the symbol of the Egyptian god Amun is seen. Because of this depiction on the sarcophagus, it was named after Alexander. In fact, Alexander the Great died in Babylon and his body was transferred to Alexandria. It is known that his sarcophagus was an anthropoid one.
The Alexander Sarcophagus
On one of the long sides of the sarcophagus, there is a scene of battle between Persians and Greeks. Greek and Persian soldiers can easily be distinguished thanks to their outfits. Greeks have short tunics or cloaks, whereas Persian soldiers, who had to cover all parts of their bodies excluding their faces and fingers, wear trousers, more than one long-sleeved shirts and tiaras covering their heads. The scene of battle is thought to represent the Battle of Issus, won by Alexander the Great in 333 BC and opened the doors of Phoenicia and Syria. As a result of this battle, the fate of Abdalonymus, who is thought to be the owner of the sarcophagus, changed and he became the king of Sidon after a while.
Two hunting scenes are depicted on the second long side of the sarcophagus. It is known that hunting with horses and carriages was usual for Near Eastern civilizations and that Alexander the Great participated in such events in Phoenicia.
It is accepted that Alexander's aim was to establish a Greek-Persian empire through uniting Eastern and Hellenistic cultures after conquering Iran. Towards the end of his life, he married a Persian princess, started to wear Persian clothes and accepted Persian dynastic customs. The Persians and Greeks who friendly hunt on one side of the sarcophagus should be considered within this perspective. It is known that after defeating Darius III in Issus, Alexander the Great passed through the Amanus Mountains and entered Syria following the Mediterranean shores. The people of Sidon, who disliked the Persian administration, opened the doors of the rich cities to the Macedon army and asked Alexander the Great to choose a king for them. Alexander, who had no time to choose a king for Sidon, gave this job to Hephaestion. He found Abdalonymus, who was a distant relative of the royal dynasty of Sidon but who had a quiet life in the country until chosen as the king. The name of Abdalonymus means "servant of gods" in Persian and the Alexander the Great and Hephaestion depictions were therefore added to the sarcophagus ordered by him.
When the carvings are analyzed, it is understood that those who made this sarcophagus were masters of the Eastern art of decoration. The upper row of the acroter consists of eagles, partially with no remains other than pieces of wings, and women heads. In the Ancient Syria, it was believed that eagles were birds carrying the souls of dead people to heaven. Nine smaller women heads that line up at the bottoms of each of two sides bring the mother goddess worshipped since the prehistoric periods of Anatolia and Mesopotamia to mind. Upper acroters of the both pediments are decorated with Persian griffins and herbal figures. At each of the corners of the pediment, a lion is placed as sarcophagus protectors. Those lions with thin necks and small bodies, which resemble dogs, are elements belonging to the Ionian art.
Colourful Sample of the Sarcophagus
Both the body and the cover of the sacrophagus is made of the same kind of marble. The carvings on the sarcophagus are so fine that is thought that this artifact should have been made in Sidon since it would have been too dangerous to transfer such a work from Greece to Lebanon. There is no information about its sculptor. Painters of the sarcophagus should have been masters of their job as well. .It seems that the eyes, eyelashes, lips and clothes were dyed in purple, yellow, blue, red and violet, and that the figures were slightly varnished.
- SARCOPHAGUS OF THE CRYING WOMEN
the Sarcophagus of the Crying Women
In the Sarcophagus of the Crying Women, found at the Royal Necropolis in Sidon like the Alexander Sarcophagus, nothing could be found other than the bones of its owner and a bronze belt buckle, since it had been robbed in an earlier time. From the partial traces on the marble that remained until today, it is understood that it had been dyed in blue and red initially. It is the best example of the group called by archaeologists "Sarcophagi with Columns", and it is considered as a final resting place, like the "Mausoleum of Halicarnassus" or the "Nereid Monument", rather than a tomb. Its architectural features were used in the architecture of the old building of the İstanbul Archaeological Museums. It is an example of the Greek sculpture displaying Eastern influences. The shaved heads, bear feet, ragged clothes of the figures and their movements and expressions of sadness are features of Semitic societies. It is thought to be the sarcophagus of the King of Sidon, Straton (374-358 BC), who was said to have led a life of pleasure. The sarcophagus has the shape of an Ionian temple.
It is thought that the figures of 18 sad women between the columns represent the wives of the dead person or the women in his seraglio, rather than crying women who were common in the Middle Eastern countries.
- THE ORPHEUS MOSAIC
the Orpheus Mosaic
The Orpheus Mosaic originally decorated the floor of a Roman building near Edessa, in what is modern-day Turkey. The work dates from 194 BC and measures 64 3/4 inches by 60 inches. It depicts the mythic poet Orpheus playing his lyre as he sits on a rock surrounded by wild animals, which are tamed by the magic power of his music. According to myth, Orpheus used his lyre to gain entry to the underworld, where he went in search of his dead wife, Eurydice.
- TILE MIHRAB
Tile Mihrab
This tile mihrab from the Karamanoğlu İbrahim Bey Imaret (public kitchen) built in 1432 is dated to circa second half of the 14th century or early 15th century was made using the colorful glazing technique, which was popular in the early Ottoman era, and is placed in the middle gallery, on the right side of the entrance.
The İbrahim Bey Imaret was ruined in the course of time, and the mihrab was transferred to İstanbul in late 19th century by the order of Halil Edhem Bey and it was mounted to its current place in the Tiled Kiosk Museum in early 20th century. On the inscription panel of the mihrab consisting of tile plates ornamented with herbal and geometric figures, there are the 255th verse (ayat) of the Sura (chapter) Al-Baqara (Ayet ul Kursi) in Naskh script and the 256th and 257th verses in Kufic script.
- FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Fountain of Youth
One of the niches of the room in the left corner against the Gülhane Park was transformed into a fountain in the era of Sultan Murad III (1574-1595). The figure of peacock in the middle of herbal motifs on the stone plate attracts interest. The ornaments are hand-carved and gilded.
From the two marble inscriptions of twelve verses carved in Nastaleeq script on the two sidewalls of the fountain, it is understood that it was built in the year of 999 according to the Islamic calendar (1590 AD) and that the Tiled Kiosk was called the "Glazed Palace" in those years.
During the last rearrangements, a reproduction of Osman Hamdi Bey's oil painting "Fountain of Youth" (Ab-ı Hayat Çeşmesi), dating from 1904, was placed to the niche against the fountain. For this painting, Osman Hamdi Bey had used the photo taken while he was standing next to the fountain.
- THE OLDEST LOVE POEM
the Oldest Love Poem
This inscription, dating from the 8th century BC and belonging to the Ancient Babylonian Era, is described as the world's oldest known love poem. According to the Sumerian belief, it was a sacred duty for the king to marry every year a priestess instead of Inanna, the goddess of fertility and sexual love, in order to make the soil and women fertile. This poem was most probably written by a bride chosen for Shu-Sin in order to be sung at the New Year festival and it was sung at banquets and festivals accompanied by music and dance.
Its translation:
Bridegroom, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet,
Lion, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet.
Bridegroom, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey,
In the bedchamber, honey-filled,
Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,
Lion, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey.
Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,
Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,
My father, he will give you gifts.
You, because you love me,
Give me pray of your caresses,
My lord god, my lord protector,
My SHU-SIN, who gladdens ENLIL's heart,
Give my pray of your caresses
- ISHTAR GATE
a dragon relief
The aurochs and dragon reliefs formed by terracotta and glazed and embossed bricks belong to the monumental double-gate connecting the inner and outer walls of Babylon, the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, dedicated to goddess Ishtar. The walls of the gate are ornamented with reliefs of aurochs, the holy animal of the god Adad, and the dragon sirrush (or mushhushshu), the holy animal of Babylon's chief god, Marduk. Meanwhile, the reliefs of lion, the holy animal of the goddess Ishtar, were ornamenting the two sides of the Processional Way. The monumental way was starting from the temple of Marduk in the city center, passing the Ishtar Gate and ending at the "feast house" outside the city wall, where the New Year's celebration was held. The Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way were built during the era of Nebuchadnezzar II, the most glorious period of the Neo-Babylonian Era, in late 6th century BC. A model of the gate and the processional way is displayed too. Many elements of the structure are in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
the Ishtar Gate reliefs
- SUNDIAL
the Sundial
This sundial, which has a concave surface divided into 12 equal segments with eleven radial lines, was found in Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia. It has an Aramaic inscription and it is made of red sandstone. The shadow of the perpendicular rod at the center falls on different lines according to the movement of the Sun and it shows the time.
- BASES OF THE STATUES OF CHARIOTEER PORPHYRIOS
Bases of the Statues of Charioteer Porphyrios
Those statue bases found in the second courtyard of the Topkapı Palace belong to the Byzantine Era, 5th century AD. They are the bases of statues erected in the Hippodrome, a heavily used entertainment area of Constantinople. The statue was erected for the charioteer Porphyrios by the order of Emperor Anastasius. In one of these bases, each of which has 4 faces, Porphyrios is depicted frontally in a quadriga, standing, holding a palm branch in his left arm and an object in his raised right arm. The bases, which have Greek inscriptions too, give information about horse races held in the Hippodrome as well.
- TOMB MONUMENT OF THE PRAEFECTUS AND HIGH PRIEST
Tomb Monumet of the Praefectus and High Priest
On this tomb monument dated to the Roman Era, 1st century AD and found in Marmara Ereğlisi, a town in the Marmara region of Turkey, the armored Tiberius Flavius is depicted at the center on his rearing horse. There are 2 Roman soldiers standing on the right side and 3 on the left side.
Other collections;
a statue from the Hippodrome
a sarcophagus cover from the Royal Necropolis in Sidon
a plague physician figure on the sarcophagus
a Sidamara type sacrophagus
a Sidon sarcophagus from The Royal Necropolis
inscribed cylinder belonging to Nabonidus the Last King
of the Neo-Babylonian Period
Mummy of Sidonian King Tabnit, 500 BC
Winged Goddess of Victory, Nike
a sarcophagus from the Royal Necropolis
a Sidon man sarcophagus
a Sidon woman sarcophagus
a warrior sarcophagus
a charm tablet against sexual impotence
the Hittit Law tablet
After returning to İstanbul in 1869, he worked at different positions as a civil servant. In 1873, he participated in the World Exposition held in Vienna as the first commissar. After the death of the German director of the Imperial Museum (today's Istanbul Archaeological Museums), Dr. Philip Anton Dethiér, he was appointed by Sultan Abdulhamid II as the director of the museum on September 4, 1881, and he opened a new era in the history of Turkish museums. Osman Hamdi Bey remained the director of the museum until 1919, i.e. 29 years long, and during this period, the museum became one of the prominent ones in the world and made many important archaeological explorations possible.
Osman Hamdi Bey's statue in The Istanbul Archaeological Museums
As a painter, he became famous while he was alive. He worked on compositions with figures and portraits, and he was the first Turkish artist who painted figures.Today, many domestic and foreign museum collections include his paintings as well.
The Tortoise Trainer
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