Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the other side of Bes are the museum's famed
Statuary Galleries
, which were
closed for renovation when this topic went to print.
On the floor above the Statuary Galleries (accessed behind the cloakroom) is a fascinat-
ing exhibition called
İstanbul Through the Ages
that traces the city's history through its
neighbourhoods during different periods: Archaic, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ot-
toman. The exhibition continues downstairs, where there is an impressive gallery show-
casing Byzantine artefacts.
Tiled Pavilion
The last of the complex's museum buildings is this handsome pavilion, constructed in
1472 by order of Mehmet the Conqueror. The portico, with its 14 marble columns, was
constructed during the reign of Sultan Abdül Hamit I (1774-89) after the original one
burned down in 1737.
On display here is the best collection of Seljuk, Anatolian and Ottoman tiles and ceram-
ics in the country; these date from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 20th
century. The collection includes İznik tiles from the period between the mid-14th and 17th
centuries when that city produced the finest coloured tiles in the world. When you enter
the central room you can't miss the stunning
mihrab
from the İbrahim Bey İmâret in
Karaman, built in 1432.
THE ALEXANDER SARCOPHAGUS
The Royal Necropolis of Sidon room in the Archaeology Museuem showcases this famous piece of classical
sculpture - so named not because it belonged to the Macedonian general, but because it depicts him among
his army battling the Persians, who were led by King Abdalonymos (whose sarcophagus it is). Truly exquis-
ite, the sarcophagus is carved out of Pentelic marble and dates from the last quarter of the 4th century BC.
Alexander, on horseback, has a lion's head as a headdress. Remarkably, the sculpture retains remnants of its
original red-and-yellow paintwork.
The Tiled Pavilion in the museum compound was originally an outer pavilion of Topkapı Palace. The
sultan used it to watch sporting events being staged in the palace grounds below (now Gülhane Park).
