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MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS
Islamic Arts Islamic Museum

Ibrahim Pasa Palace, known as Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art is built in 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa, Grand Vizier of Suleyman the Magnificent. The palace that was the biggest private residence ever built in Ottoman Empire was converted to a museum containing beautiful Turkish and Persian miniatures, Seljuk tiles, Korans and antique carpets.

Turkish and Islamic Works Museum is the first Turkish museum covering the Turkish and Islamic art works wholly. The establishment works that have been started at the end of 19th century have been completed in 1913 and the museum has been opened for visit in the soup kitchen building located in Süleymaniye Mosque complex, which is one of the most important works of Mimar Sinan, with the name of "Evkafi Islamiyet Müzesi" (Islamic Foundations Museum). After the announcement of the republic, it has taken the name "Turkish and Islamic Works Museum".

Ibrahim Pasha Palace, which is claimed to be bigger and more magnificent than Topkapi Palace by the history has been the stage of many weddings, feasts and celebrations as well as rebellions and turmoil and called with the name of Ibrahim Pasha after the death of this person in 1536. It has been used by other grand viziers, and had functions such as barracks, embassy palace, register office, Janissary band house, sewing workshop and prison.

The palace located around four big internal courtyards has been made of stone in contrast with many Ottoman civilian buildings, most of which are wooden, therefore it could reach today and has been repaired between the years 19661983 and has been born again as the new building of Turkish and Islamic Works Museum. The section, which is used as a museum today is the big ceremony hall of the palace and the 2nd courtyard surrounding it, which have been the subject of all Ottoman miniatures of the palace and the gravures and tables of Western artists.

The museum has been moved to Ibrahim Pasha Palace from the soup kitchen building in 1983. Ibrahim Pasha Palace, which is one of the most important samples of 16th Century Ottoman civil architecture samples is on the stages of the historical hippodrome, the history of which goes back to the Roman Period. This building, the precise construction reason and date are not known, has been presented to Ibrahim Pasha by Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in 1520, who would be his grand vizier for 13 years.

Turkish and Islamic Works Museum has been awarded with the Special Jury Award of Museum of the Year Competition of the European Council in 1984 and with the prize given by European CouncilUnesco for its studies for making the children love the culture inheritance.

Turkish and Islamic Works Museum, that is among the important museums of the world in its class has works from almost all periods and all types of Islamic art with its collection exceeding forty thousand works.

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