In Istanbul, Greek History on Display

In Istanbul, Greek History on Display

By SUSANNE FOWLER

In a rare display of cross-cultural cooperation between countries with a history of enmity, a new exhibition in Istanbul features antiquities from Greece, including marble figurines, clay tankards, weapons, cooking utensils, jewelry and ancient idols.

At the Sakip Sabanci Museum in the Emirgan neighborhood, the exhibition ‘‘Across the Cyclades and Western Anatolia During the 3rd Millennium B.C.,’’ runs through Aug. 28.

With about 340 pieces on display, curators said the show represents the first official cooperation between museums from Turkey and Greece, and is the first time that artifacts from museums like the National Archaeological Museum of Athens will be displayed next to Anatolian objects from Turkish museums.

Nazan Olcer, the director of the Sabanci Museum and a curator of the show, said in a statement that “we want this to be an event which will overcome the residual prejudices of past years and be an invitation to share our pride in this past.” The other curator, Nicholas Stampolidis of the Athens Museum of Cycladic Art, said the exhibit offered visitors “the best of what scientific archaeological research has produced in the last hundred years.”

Highlights include a replica of a 45-foot long wooden ship that once plied the Aegean Sea, excavated from the shores of Western Turkey; notably, the original ship was built without glue or nails.

via In Istanbul, Greek History on Display – NYTimes.com.