Istanbul has always been regarded as a very important city since 638 BC, which is considered to be the official founding date. That city which was the capital city as Byzantion in Ancient Greece; as Constantinople in the Roman Empire, was also the capital of two great empires such as Byzantine and Ottoman Empire. Due to this rich history, Istanbul has an open-air museum in its own right, and there are many museums in the city where you can see various works from ancient times. In this article, we will give place to museums where the historical artefacts are exhibited from the Ottoman period. Here are the museums you should see in Istanbul and valuable works in them!
Topkapı Palace
topkapı sarayı
Topkapı Palace was built in 1461 following the conquest of Istanbul and was completed in about 17 years. At the request of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, the palace was used as a barrack-palace where governmental affairs were carried out for a long time; Since Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent the throne, the sultan and his family lived here. Topkapi Palace, today; It is one of the most visited museums in Istanbul. Many items from the Ottoman Empire are exhibited in various collections in the palace. In the Palace Museum; a collection of watches and weapons, Chinese porcelain collections, a collection of clothes, sacred relics, Topkapı Dagger in the Department of Treasure and precious pieces such as the Kasikci Diamond can be viewed as valuable works that can be seen.
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, located right next to the Blue Mosque, is one of the precious museums in Istanbul that exhibited artefacts from the Ottoman Empire. There are some historical artefacts in the museum that reflect the origins of Turks in Central Asia. Besides, antique carpets belonging to the Seljuk State in the museum can be given as examples of valuable works that can be seen dating back to the caliphate period.
Dolmabahçe Palace
dolmabahçe sarayı
Dolmabahçe Palace was built upon the request of the Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid and was used as the main palace in the last 70 years of the empire. In addition, the Republic of Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lived here for a while, and he died here. Nowadays, many sections within the palace can be visited as a museum. Besides, the collection of calligraphy and writing sets, crystal chandeliers and candlesticks, a collection of lighting tools, a collection of watches and many other valuable works are exhibited in the palace and are observed with interest by the visitors.
Turkish Carpets Museum
The carpet collection in TİEM has more than 1700 works, and the collection is considered to be the most important carpet collection in the world. The famous examples of the Seljuk Period and all the Ottoman carpet groups are among the valuable works that can be seen in this collection.
Harbiye Military Museum
In the Military Museum located in Harbiye, large field tents used by the Ottoman armies during the expeditions are shown. Besides, Ottoman weapons and military equipment are among the valuable works that can be seen in the museum. During the visit to the museum, the Ottoman army band Mehter Team can be seen every day between 15.00 and 16.00.
Istanbul Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum in Besiktas exhibits significant works on the history of Ottoman shipping. Also, the sailing boats used by the sultans in passing through the Bosphorus must also be seen among the valuable works.
Yildiz City Museum
The City Museum serves in the Fine Arts building of Yıldız Palace, the fourth largest palace of the Ottoman Empire. The collection of the museum usually contains ethnographic and historical works of 18th and 19th century. These works are reflecting the social life of the Ottoman period Istanbul, consist of objects such as paintings, calligraphy plates, fabrics, porcelain, coffee sets, jewellery, tiles and so on. Other important artefacts can be listed as edicts with tughra from II Mehmed, II Osman and I Mahmud, Tophane chunks and sect clothing.