ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM (ISTANBUL ARKEOLOJI MÜZESI)

Located in the garden of the Topkapı Palace, this museum is highly recommended for archaeology lovers. Several renovations have been made to enhance some of the museum's pieces. When we learn that the museum was awarded a prize by the Council of Europe in 1991 for the centenary of its foundation, we are not surprised. The neoclassical style of the museum was built by the architect Alexandre Vallauri, the son of a French pastry chef, in 1881 at the request of Osman Hamdi Bey, the father of Turkish museology. It opened its doors under the name "Müze-i Hümayun" (Imperial Museum) in 1891. It is said that the architect was inspired by the sarcophagi of Alexander the Great and the Weeping Women to give the façade the silhouette we know today. Expanded several times, it contains a large collection of pieces amassed from the four corners of the empire, more than a million objects representing almost all eras and civilizations.

Main building. It rises on two levels. Impressive, the first level is that of the sarcophagi and statues. The first pieces on display come from the royal necropolis of Sidon (Lebanon): sarcophagi of the family of King Tabnit, sarcophagus of the Mourners, sarcophagus of Lycian, sarcophagus of the Satrape, considered a masterpiece of Ionian art... the major piece is the so-called Alexander sarcophagus, dating back to the 4th century BCC. Representing scenes of battle between the Macedonians and the Persians, one had believed to find (finally) the tomb of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedonia). It turned out that it was in fact that of Abdalonymos, friend and king of Sidon enthroned by Alexander, but the name remained. The sarcophagus of Meleager is equally impressive. There follow sections with busts, including those of Hermes, Emperors Constantine I the Great and Marcus Aurelius, statues and statuettes including those of Emperors Hadrian and Augustus, Alexander the Great, Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis and Apollo, and bas-reliefs. Among the beautiful sculptures, one can admire the one of the ephebe of Tabnit, king of Sidon. On the first floor are exhibited works in carved or sculpted stone giving an idea of the daily life in Antiquity: Anatolian gourds and jugs from the ancient Bronze Age, clay statuettes from ancient Ionia, red-figured vases from the^5th and 6th centuries, coins, seals, medals... There is also a library containing more than 70,000 books.

Secondary building. Here, the four levels are reserved for thematic exhibitions. We start with Istanbul through the ages, including a section on Thrace and Bithynia. This is followed by Anatolia and Troy, Cyprus and the Middle East (Syria-Palestine).

Museum of Ancient Oriental Works (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi). It is in fact a wing of the museum to which it belongs. Located just to the left, the building was built in 1883, also on the initiative of Osman Hamdi Bey to become the School of Fine Arts (Sanayi-ı Nefise). It was later turned into a museum and was completely renovated in 1974. Works from Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Arabia are displayed on the first floor. There are also objects from Sumerian and Akkadian cultures. The tablets of the Treaty of Kadesh (1269 B.C.), the oldest historical document relating to the sealing of an agreement between Hittites and Egyptians, the colossal statue of a Neohittite king discovered at the site of Zincirli, and the stele of the Akkadian king Naram-Sin are among the unique works of art in the museum. Also worth seeing are the glazed brick reliefs depicting bulls and snake-headed dragons from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon, from which the famous processional route decorated with lions started. This is one of the eight gates of the city, representing various real or imaginary animals. The museum also has important archives, including more than 75,000 cuneiform tablets.

Earthenware Kiosk (Çinili Köşk). Built in 1472 under Mehmed II the Conqueror, much older than the other two buildings in the museum, it was originally designed as a pavilion for the sultan's relaxation in the Topkapı Palace compound. It is one of the earliest examples of Ottoman civil architecture in Istanbul. Mehmed II had three kiosks built in the palace gardens in three different styles - Persian, Greek and Turkish - symbolizing the three worlds of which he was now the master. The Tiled Kiosk, built in the Persian style, is the only one that remains today. Its decoration was entrusted to master ceramists from Khorasan, who used monochrome techniques in the Timurid tradition. It was from this pavilion that the Sultan watched his pages play djirit, the ancestor of polo. The Earthenware Kiosk was refurbished and attached to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in 1981, and now displays an outstanding collection of Iznik and Kanakkale ceramics, as well as Seljuk works. The museum has over 2,000 pieces. The façade of the pavilion, with its marble portico supported by 14 columns and its gallery covered with ceramic tiles, is worth a visit. But the building itself is interesting.