Istanbul - Discover Turkey: Experience the Best of Turkey - page 143

and artistic treasures from the Topkapı collections. Its exhibits include ancient artefacts,
classical statuary and objects showcasing Anatolian history.
The complex can be easily reached by walking down the slope from Topkapı's First
Court, or by walking uphill from the main gate of Gülhane Park. It has three main parts,
housing the palace collections formed during the late 19th century.
Located immediately on the left after you enter the complex, the Museum of the An-
cient Orient has a collection of pre-Islamic items collected from the expanse of the Otto-
man Empire.
On the opposite side of the courtyard is the Archaeology Museum , with an extensive
collection of classical statuary and sarcophagi plus a sprawling exhibit documenting İstan-
bul's history. After entering, in the second of the dimly lit rooms on the left, is the famous
marble Alexander Sarcophagus , one of the most accomplished of all classical artworks.
On the floor above the famed Statuary Galleries (closed for renovation at the time of pub-
lication), accessed behind the cloakroom, is the fascinating exhibition İstanbul Through
the Ages , which traces the city's history through its neighbourhoods, during periods from
Archaic to Ottoman. The exhibition continues downstairs, where an impressive gallery
showcases Byzantine artefacts.
Built in 1472 as an outer pavilion of Topkapı Palace (with an 18th-century portico), the
Tiled Pavilion holds Turkey's best collection of Seljuk, Anatolian and Ottoman tiles and
ceramics; these date from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 20th century.