The best museums Route de la soie

History. The Istanbul Modern project began in 1987 with the first international exhibition of contemporary art, now known as the Istanbul International Biennale. In 2003, the 4th warehouse on the Galata pier, near the Mimar Sinan Academy of Fine Arts, hosted the 8th Istanbul Biennale and attracted attention. After Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the then Prime Minister, had given his approval for the reassignment of the site, the dry goods warehouse belonging to the Turkish Maritime Organisation was transformed into a temple of modern art.

Visit. While waiting for the end of the construction of the new Karaköy building, the museum is temporarily located at Beyoğlu The central staircase from the ground floor, with a video room and a photo exhibition, provides access to the first floor painting collections. The latter, most of which are private, include paintings by Turkish artists inspired by the Western style. The collections are changing to achieve a resolutely modern style. Upstairs, visitors are invited to have a drink in a café with a superb view of the Bosphorus. It is also possible to eat there, as the evening menu is much more elaborate and therefore more expensive. In the museum area you will find many welcoming terraces to drink tea after your visit. A museum not to be missed!

This museum is located in the heart of the historic city, a few steps from the old covered market. What makes it unique is that it was built in such a way as to directly integrate the mosaic pavements discovered in the courtyard of the former Byzantine Grand Palais. This complex would be one of the most important preserved today. The quality of these remains, dated from 450 to 550, is remarkable. The subjects covered concern daily life, nature or mythology.

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.

In two words: Unforgettable experience! Opened in December 2015 by a group of music lovers, this museum is simply exceptional and unique in Iran. Started by Mehrdad Jeihooni and Shahriar Shokrani in the early 1980 ' s, which was only a simple collection of instruments has grown over the years to become a legacy, a momentous testimony to Iranian culture and traditions and their evolution over the centuries.

A tip, don't go at the end of the day thinking about closing the visit quickly before going back to the hotel. You can easily spend two or three hours dreaming in the different rooms and extend the experience with a small private concert in the room dedicated to this effect. The museum is not big by size, but it is immense by the quality of its exhibition.

The first room, dedicated to percussion and strings, presents the national instruments, with in particular a very beautiful collection of tars, some of which have taken up to three years to be made. There is a large declination of sizes and materials for classical models, but some rarer models can be described such as this tar of nearly a century or another, on the hollow back specially designed for pregnant women. For it was a time, yes, or even women could play music! And for times where it's music that was totally forbidden, you can admire miniaturized and flat instruments that could be hidden under the clothes! Also in this room, an exceptional santouri alignment.

The second piece focuses on specific instruments in each region of Iran. In this way, we can admire all the know-how of nomadic populations in this field, including gheychak, a small guitar which originally was made with the head of a horse and which over the centuries has circulated along the Silk Road before arriving in Italy, where it gave birth to the violin. You can also try cooking utensils, which were improvised when the need to play music was felt!

These instruments, far from being presented as relics, are all in a state of functioning. You are not encouraged to touch them, because they remain fragile, but by asking nicely you can try one or two without problems. And in any case, your visit will be ipad in hand, with each instrument a small emptied that will allow you to see how it is played and what sounds it can render.

After such a beautiful initiation, you will be able to visit in a room entirely dedicated to the musical handicraft and where you can observe artisans in their work, to learn everything from the secrets of the manufacture of instruments, and of the tar in particular.

Finally you will be invited to a small private concert, because here there are only fans who play throughout the day. They told you: Unforgettable experience!

Don't miss to linger in the new boutique, where you can find a wide choice of Iranian music Cds as well as small memories and musical instruments.