Hagia Irene, a typical Byzantine structure with its materials and architecture, was built on the site of an old temple in 330. During the reign of Emperor Justinianus, the Nika Revolt in 532 led to the devastation of both Hagia Sophia and the Hagia Irene, and two of them were rebuilt together.

After the fall of Constantinople since the church was not converted into a mosque it was used as loot and gun depot (Harbiye Warehouse) for a long time. In 1846, the first collection of artifacts of Turkish museology was exhibited and in 1869 it became the country’s first official museum under the name of Müze-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum). The weapons collection was reorganized and it served as the first Military Museum between 1908 and 1930.

Three Nave Basilica
Hagia Irene, the only church whose atrium still remain intact, consists of atrium, narthex, three-nave naos and abscissa. Hagia Irene, built as a three-nave basilica during the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), was rebuilt by Leo III (717-741) and his son Constantine Kopronimus (741-775) after the great damage caused by the earthquake in 740. Its upper structure was completely re-examined and restored with few changes and it had the plan and appearance of a domed basilica today. The decoration of the building which was thought to have had rich figurative adornments during the reign of Justinian (527-565) was completely changed during the reign of Leo III and Constantine Kopronimus. The cross mosaic of the apse semi dome is also from this period.

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Miniaturk has become a showcase of Turkey with the Slogan of ‘A small Model of a Big Country’.

135 models in total, 62 from Istanbul, 60 from Anatolia and 13 from Ottoman territory outside of Turkey, that were selected among thousands of architectural works based on their reput. All models are 1/25 of the real size.

Miniaturk is not limited to Turkey and Turkish culture. It carries the life experiences of the nearby geography, including the values that give Anatolia its character. Reaching to the Golden Horn three thousand years ago, the traces left by the civilizations ruled by peace, tolerance and justice are brought together in this park.

On one side, the caravanserais, social complexes, madrasas, bridges, stations, piers, castles, city walls, tombs, mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, mansions, obelisks, monuments and sculptures, on the other side, unique natural formations from fairy chimnies to Pamukkale were selected by the meticulous work of an expert team.

Also, two of the seven wonders of the ancient ages, Artemis Temple and Halicarnassus Mausoleum, which were built in Anatolia and do not exist are displayed.

In Miniaturk, everything is so original that you feel as if you are traveling all over the country from east to west, from north to south. Of course, it is not the same as seeing the actual works but besides willingness to see the actual ones, it feels quite privileged to able to enjoy these works presented in such an aspect.

In Miniaturk, you can find Audio Guide Mobile Application service. The Miniaturk Mobile application is available on the Apple Store and Google Play. The Miniatürk Mobile Application where you can also see the actual location information of models in Miniatürk can be listened to in 9 languages including Turkish, English, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Japanese and Spanish. IMM WIFI is available on our route.

The total area of Miniatürk is 60.000 square meters. Every detail has been carefully designed to ensure visitors a quality experience while having fun in Miniaturk including the 15.000 square meters area where the models are located as well as parking area for 300 cars, restaurant, cafeteria, gift shop, exhibition hall, outdoor show area, children’s playground, ferryboat, remote controlled boat, train, tale tree, mini stadium with 4 biggest teams, chess hall and labyrinth area, Turkey-Istanbul simulation helicopter tour.

Taking its strength and beauty from its 3,000-year-old civilization, Miniatürk is a pleasant park as well as a cultural and social responsibility project at the same time. Young generations will discover the deep roots of their civilizations in Miniaturk.

Miniaturk is one of the first addresses in Istanbul of local and foreign tourists, and an ideal place for those who want to experience a fabulous and quick tour of Turkey. In short, it is Turkey’s Showcase.

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Ibrahim Pasha Palace, one of the most important structures of Ottoman civil architecture, rises above the old “Racetrack Square” stairs. In 1520, it was repaired by Suleiman the Magnificent and gifted to Ibrahim Pasha of Pargali, his son-in-law and grand vizier.

The elevated structure on the arches surrounds the terrace on the three sides. One of the most pleasant places in the museum is this terrace, overlooking the Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque) Square.

After 1983, Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum was closed to visitors for restoration in 2012, and after extensive work, it was opened again in 2014, on the 100th anniversary of its first opening, with a new understanding of exhibition and new places of visit.

Hosts The Rare Arts Of Islamic World
The works of the museum’s rare examples of Emevi, Abbasi, Artuklu, Eyyubi, Ilhanlı, Timurid, Safavi, Kaçar, Memluk, Seljuk and Ottoman periods were collected from different areas of the Islamic world. The museum is famous for having the best rug collection in the world. The masterpieces among the rugs are rare 13th century Seljuk carpets that cannot be found elsewhere.

In addition to its rug collections, the museum also stands out with its pristine works of art. Glassware, stone and terracotta artifacts and metal and ceramic objects are among the precious pieces exhibited. A large hall in the courtyard of the museum is devoted to the collection of ethnography, reflecting the daily life of 19th century Istanbul. The Holy Relics section in the museum brings the most important works of this area like the ones in Topkapı Palace.

While You Are Here
Explore the Blue Mosque and its surroundings. The park in the Square is especially colorful when tulips bloom. The racetrack which constitutes the most important part of the square witnessing many historical events, is a monument that cannot be overlooked. The must-see artworks in the Racetrack, where horse carriage races were held in Byzantine times, are Kaiser Wilhelm (German) Fountain, Theodosius Obelisk and Spiral Column. But after all, the place not to be missed in Sultanahmet Square is the Blue Mosque which gives its name to the square.

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The interest in collecting historical artifacts in the Ottoman period dates back to the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, but the institutional emergence of museums coincides with the establishment of Istanbul Archaeological Museums in 1869 as Müze-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum). Müze-i Humayun, housing the archaeological works collected in the Hagia Irene Church, is the foundation of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. The Tiled Kiosk built during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, was converted into a museum because of the insufficiency of Hagia Irene. The Tiled Kiosk which is still under the administration of Istanbul Archaeological Museum, was restored and opened its doors in 1880.

When Osman Hamdi Bey was assigned as the museum director in 1881, there was a breakthrough in Turkish museology. Osman Hamdi Bey excavated in Mount Nemrud, Myrina, Kyme, other Alolia Necropolises and Lagina Hekate Temple and as a result of excavations he conducted in Sayda (Sidon) between 1887-1888, he reached the necropolis of King Sidon and returned to Istanbul with many sarcophagi, especially the famous one; Alexander the Great.

The oldest building (1472 CE) in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum complex is the The Tiled Kiosk. The Tiled Kiosk Museum, which currently displays examples of Turkish tiles and ceramics, is one of the oldest examples of Ottoman civil architecture in Istanbul.

The building, which was used as the Museum of Ancient Oriental Works, was constructed by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1883 as Sanayi-i Nefise school, that is, the Academy of Fine Arts. The architect of the building was Alexander Vallaury, who would later build the Istanbul Archaeological Museum Classic building.

The Archaeological Museum stands out as one of the rare buildings constructed as a museum in that time period in the world. It is one of the most beautiful and splendid examples of neo-classical architecture in Istanbul. It reads ‘Asar-ı Atika Museum’ (Museum of Ancient Works) in Ottoman language on the pediment. The writing on the tughra belongs to Sultan II. Aldulhamid.

A new museum building was needed to display magnificent works such as Iskender Tomb, crying women Tomb, Lycia Tomb and Tabnit tomb, which were brought to Istanbul from Sidon King Necropolis excavation performed by Osman Hamdi Bey between 1887 and 1888. Across from The Tiled Kiosk, Istanbul Archeological Museums Classical Building, built by the famous architect Alexandre Vallaury, was opened in June 13th 1891.

Halls 1, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 located downstairs of the Directorate of Istanbul Archaeological Museums, all the halls on the upper floor, Assos Exhibition Hall and Istanbul Neighbor Culture: Thrakia, Bithynia – Biyzantium Exhibition Halls on the ground floor of the annex building are closed for visitors.

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The morning of May 29, 1453 was immortalized by virtue of good efforts by the at Topkapı Culture Park, the area where the conquest was dreamt of, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan supported the construction so that we set out on a journey through the history and remember the never-ending story of the city of Istanbul.

Panorama 1453 Museum of History was opened by on January 31, 2009 upon the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Istanbul metropolitan Municipality gained the museum for our city. As it is situated across the city walls of Topkapı-Edirnekapı where the siege took place, Panorama 1453 Museum of History functions as the gateways that open up the city of Istanbul to the history and is operated by Kültür A.Ş.

As İBB Kültür A.Ş., we freeze the historical moment through Panorama 1453 Museum of History, which will definitely shed light to our past and present, and bestow it as a gift to the future.

We hope that your enthusiasm for the conquest remains as fresh and permanent as is, and gives inspiration for the conqueror of the future…

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There are three galleries, each entered through Tardis-like humidity-controlled entrances. The first, in the me’kel (dining hall), features early Anatolian-era carpets with geometric and abstract designs; these are sometimes called Holbein carpets in honour of Dutch artist Hans Holbein the Younger, who often depicted them in his paintings. Also here are examples of the best-known type of Turkish carpets: Uşak (Ushak) carpets of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The second gallery, in the aşhane (kitchen), displays rugs with central and eastern Anatolian motifs including star-shaped medallions and keyholes; the latter is said to have been inspired by the mosque mihrab (panels decode the many symbols’ meanings). Don’t miss the particularly fine red-and-yellow 19th-century Hereke rug, on the left at the end of the room, from the Mustafa Mosque in Sirkeci.

The third gallery, in the fodlahane (bakery), is the most impressive, with huge 17th- and 18th-century Uşak carpets from the Süleymaniye Mosque and another 19th-century example from the Blue Mosque. The latter is also a late example of a saf prayer rug; several people could pray side by side in a saf (line) on its multiple mihrab decorations.

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As the building which served as the Gallery of Historical Caiques was actually designed as a depot, the museum staff encountered some problems in preserving and displaying the collection. In order to overcome these obstacles, it was decided to build a new museum building in the available area. In this context, a national architectural design competition was organized on 14 August 2005. In 2008, the award-winning architectural design was chosen to be built as the new museum building. Finally, the construction of the new museum building consisting of the annex exhibition building, the gallery of historical caiques, the cultural center and the open exhibition area began according to the modern museology concept. First of all, a temporary depot was built in order to preserve the historical caiques during the construction period. In 2009, the caiques were transferred to this depot. When the renovation/restoration process of the Naval Museum completed in September 2013, the collection of historical caiques was transferred to this building. The new museum began to welcome its visitors on 4 October 2013.

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After a long quest, the Feshane, a former 19th century textile manufacturing plant on the Golden Horn, was converted into a Museum of Contemporary Art. Although the building housed the 3rd International Istanbul Biennial in 1991, the project never reached its long-term goal. From then on, various institutions and individuals sought to establish a museum of modern art in Istanbul. Unfortunately, these initiatives failed for lack of a suitable space and difficulties in obtaining artworks to form the core of the permanent collection.

The fate of the project changed once again in 2003, when the fourth customs warehouse on the Galata pier, near the Mimar Sinan Academy of Fine Arts, served as the main venue for the 8th Istanbul Biennial. After Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then Prime Minister, gave his approval for the permanent use of the site, the project’s main obstacle was overcome. The 8,000 square meter dry cargo warehouse, owned by the Turkish Maritime Organization, was transformed into a modern museum building with all corresponding functions.

After spending 14 years in this building as Turkey’s first modern and contemporary art museum, Istanbul Modern moved to a temporary space in Beyoğlu in May 2018, where it will remain for three years while a new museum building is constructed at its original location. The historical Union Française building on Meşrutiyet Avenue has been renovated so as to accommodate all of Istanbul Modern’s exhibitions and activities. The new building, located within the ongoing “Galataport” development project, is to be constructed with the joint contributions of the Eczacıbaşı Group, the museum’s founding sponsor, and Doğuş Holding – Bilgili Holding, its main sponsor.

The Site
For thousands of years, the Golden Horn area served as an inlet port of the Bosphorus, and this natural port united Istanbul with other centers of commerce and culture around the world.

In the 13th century, various Italian trading colonies located in Istanbul began to build harbors in the area. One of these was the Genoese port in the Tophane district, which would later be known as Galata.  By the 17th century, the Karaköy-Tophane waterfront had become the main arrival point for ships coming from Europe.

At first, each shipping company had its own floating dock/specific anchorage location where it positioned its vessels, and provided a separate rowing team to bring goods and passengers ashore. With the increase in maritime traffic and corresponding rise in the number of passengers, this system became inadequate. In 1879, the construction of piers all along the shore began.

In 1910, warehouses and hangars were built on the piers. With the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the piers were turned over to the Maritime Lines and Docks Administration, which would become the Turkish Maritime Administration in 1984.

The building which housed Istanbul Modern for 14 years was one of several warehouses constructed during the late 1950s and designed by the eminent architect Sedad Hakkı Eldem. Until 1990, the pier served as Istanbul’s main port.

Istanbul Modern’s temporary space, which will accommodate all exhibitions and events through to 2021, is located in Beyoğlu, the city’s cultural and artistic district. The Union Française building on Meşrutiyet Avenue was built by Alexandre Vallaury as a local club for the French community in 19th century Istanbul.

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The pavilion of joy and happiness: Nüzhetiye
The Ihlamur buildings were ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid to be built by Karabet Balyan, one of the most famous architects of the period and the palace foreman. Constructed in the period from 1849 to 1855, the landscaping was done by the German gardeners working at the Dolmabahçe Palace.

Sultan Abdülmecid saw the name “Nüzhetiye”, meaning “freshness, joy and happiness,” appropriate for the region where Ihlamur Pavilions are located. Situated on an area of 24,724 square meters, the Ihlamur Pavilions consist of two structures, one for the official works and ceremonies of Sultan Abdülmecid, the Ceremony Pavilion, and the other for the Sultan’s entourage and occasionally for the harem, the Retinue Pavilion.

Traces of Baroque period in Ottoman architecture
The Ceremony Pavilion has a striking and ornate appearance. The Baroque architectural mentality is visible in the design of the two-armed staircase in front of the building and the façade of the mansion, the decorations of the rooms on both sides of the entrance hall and in the furniture. The Ceremony Pavilion, which is surrounded by cut stone and decorated mainly with marble, can be visited as a museum today.

The Retinue Pavilion has a two-armed staircase similar to the one in the Ceremony Pavilion, although it has been designed with a simpler and more traditional approach than its counterpart. The upstairs hall is surrounded by four rooms of the same size. The walls of these rooms are covered with different colored stuccoes. Today, the garden of the Retinue Pavilion serves as a resting place.

During the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, who ascended to the throne after the death of his brother, Sultan Abdülmecid, Ihlamur Pavilion was the venue of various entertainment events and wrestling tournaments. Frequently visited by the sultan and his entourage, Ihlamur Pavilions were granted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on March 3, 1924. The compound was allocated to the Istanbul Municipality in 1951, finally being transferred to National Palaces in 1966. The buildings, which were opened to visitors as a museum-palace in 1985, have reached their present appearance when the restoration works were completed in 1987.

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The cistern is 140 m long, and 70 m wide, and covers a rectangular area as a giant structure. Accessible with 52-step staircase, the Cistern shelters 336 columns, each of which is 9 m high. Erected at 4.80 m intervals from one another the columns are composed of 12 rows, each has 28 columns. The case-bay of the cistern is conveyed by the columns through arches. Majority of the columns, most of which is understood to have been compiled from the ancient structures and sculpted of various kinds of marbles, is composed of a single part and one of it is composed of two parts. The head of these columns bear different features in parts. 98 of them reflect the Corinthian style and part of them reflect the Dorian style. The cistern has 4.80 m high brick walls, and the floor is covered by bricks, and plastered by a thick layer of brick dust mortar for water tightness. Covering 9,800 sqm area in total, the cistern has an estimated water storage capacity of 100,000 tons.

Medusa Heads
Except couple of the edged and grooved columns of the cistern, majority of them are shaped as a cylinder. Two Medusa heads, which are used as supports under the two columns at the northwest edge of the cistern, are the great work of art from the Roman period. What attracts most attention from the visitors is that the structure from which the Medusa heads have been taken is unknown. The researchers often consider that it has been brought for being used as supports to the column at the time of construction of the cistern.  However, this has not prevented myths for the heads of Medusa.

As the legend has it, Medusa is one of the three Gorgonas that are female monsters in the underground world in Greek mythology.  The snake-head Medusa, one of the three sisters, has the power of gorgonising the ones that happen to look at her. Accordingly, Gorgone paintings and sculptures were being used for protecting big structures and special venues in that time. And putting the head of medusa in the cistern was for protecting purposes. According to another rumour, Medusa was a girl who boasted for her black eyes, long hair and beautiful body. She loved Perseus, the son of Zeus. Athena was also in love with Perseus and this made Medusa jealous. Therefore, Athena converted medusa’s hairs into snakes. Now, everybody that happened to look at Medusa was gorgonised. Afterwards, Perseus headed off medusa and beat many enemies by using her power.

Therefore, the head of Medusa was engraved on the handles of the swords in Byzantium, and applied onto supports of the communes in reverse (so that the onlookers would not be gorgonised). According to another rumour, Medusa  gorgonised herself by looking sideways. For this reason, the sculptor that made it generated Medusa in three different positions depending on the reflection angles of the light. The Basilica Cistern has been renovated repeatedly until today. It was repaired by the Architect Kayserili Mehmet Ağa during the reign of Ahmad III (M.1723) in the Ottoman Empire, followed by Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909) in the 19th century. There are 8 columns in front of the northeast wall towards the middle of the cistern, and they were exposed to the risk of breaking during the construction works in 1955-1960, thus each of them were surrounded by a thick layer of cement, so they lost their previous feature though.

During the rule of Byzantium, the Basilica Cistern used to meet the water needs and requirements of the great palace that covered a wide area where the emperor resided, as well as the other denizens in the region. After conquest of the city of Istanbul in 1453, it was used for a little while and water was supplied to Topkapı Palace where the sultans resided.. However, the Ottomans preferred running water over still water, and established their own water facilities in the city. It is understood that the cistern was not used thereafter and the western world did not notice it until the mid XVI century. It was in 1544-1550 when P. Gyllius, a Dutch traveller that came to Istanbul for making researches on Byzantium ruins was rediscovered and introduced to the western world. In one of his researches, P. Gyllius, while roaming around Hagia Sofia, managed to enter inside the cistern with a torch carrying in his hand by proceeding from the stone steps that went towards the underground from the backyard of a wooden building surrounded by walls situated on a large underground cistern as he was told that the householders there pulled water with buckets down inside the large round holes similar to well on the ground floor of their houses, and even fished there. P. Gyllius ranged around the cistern on a rowing boat under harsh conditions, measured it and identified the columns. The information acquired from his experience was published in the travel book, and Gyllius had influence on many travelers.

The cistern was subject to repeated renovations since its establishment. Renovated twice during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the cistern was repaired during the rule of Ahmed III (1723) by the Architect Kayserili Mehmet Ağa for the first time. And the second repair was made during the rule of Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909). In republican period, the cistern was cleaned by Istanbul Municipality in 1987, and was opened to visits for creating a route. Another extensive cleaning was made in May 1994.

This mysterious venue is an integral part of the Istanbul itineraries and has been visited -among others- by the US former President Bill Clinton, Wim Kok the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Lamberto Dini, Former Minister of foreign Affairs of Italy, Göran Persson, Former Prime Minister of Sweden and Thomas Klestil, Former prime Minister of Austria until today.

Currently operated by Kültür A.Ş. (Culture Co.), one of the affiliates of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Basilica Cistern functions as a museum and is the home for many national and international events.

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