Turkish Forum

Tag: Topkapi Palace

  • The church of Gidon Kremer

    The church of Gidon Kremer

    The church of Gidon Kremer

    I’m not sure there’s another living violinist I appreciate as much as Gidon Kremer. I’ve seen him perform several times and interviewed him once and I never get tired of his approach, which is intense physically, intellectually open-minded and always full of the unexpected. When I learned he would be performing at the Istanbul Music Festival during our stay, I knew I had to go. Beyond that, Kremer’s concert took place in the Hagia Irene, a majestic surrounding. The church, just inside the walls of the Topkapi Palace, was originally built in the 4th century and rebuilt to its present state after an earthquake about 400 years later.

    I took Lila as my date because my wife, Carlene, decided she would rather put Cal to bed than worry about me getting a one-year-old to sleep. By my eyes, that made Lila (easily) the only person in Hagia Irene under 18.

    It is hard to imagine anything not feeling special in this church. You walk down a narrow, arched passageway into the main space, with columns and pillars lit from below. The performers were set to play under the done, with its 20 windows and flowers packed on each sill. There’s a reason, beyond the beauty, that the festival has held concerts here for 30 years: At 330 by 100 feet, the space forms a kind of shoebox, making it acoustically ideal.

    Kremer and his group, Kremerata Baltica, arrived with a program designed to pay homage to Glenn Gould. First, the festival presented Kremer with a lifetime achievement award. Then, after a short exit, the violinist opened a first set heavy on Shostakovich. Lila was awake when intermission arrived, which surprised me considering the late hour and the fact my shoulder has supported her head through countless concerts. But she was clearly impressed by Kremer, though she would only verbalize that some of the music reminded her of “Young Frankenstein.”

    We spent the intermission wandering the church as I explained to her why it was such a bummer that a giant Mercedes Benz banner had been hung in the middle of what I had hoped to be a tasteful photograph of the entrance hallway. The second set was a stunner, with Kremer displaying his range on works by Leonid Desyatnikov, Carl Vine, Valentin Silvestrov, Alexander Raskatov and an aria from Victor Kissine’s version of the Goldberg Variations. This final piece featured some of the most delicate harmonics of the night. In this beautiful church, Kremer used his bow as if he were closing an artery. Not a breathe could be heard in the hall. This audience was with his every stroke.

    He played a short encore, including a rousing piece by Piazzolla. A woman screamed “bravo” from behind us, partially waking Lila, and my promise of a late-night soft serve did the rest of the job. We walked out of Topkapi, past the Blue Mosque and up the street until we reached our 1 lire cone of vanilla.

    via The church of Gidon Kremer – Exhibitionist.

  • Privatization at museums cuts down on fraud, Turkish minister says

    Privatization at museums cuts down on fraud, Turkish minister says

    ANKARA – Radikal

    In one case in 2010, tourists were let into Topkapı Palace with tickets that were sold by the officer, but with their barcodes hidden. Hürriyet photo
    In one case in 2010, tourists were let into Topkapı Palace with tickets that were sold by the officer, but with their barcodes hidden. Hürriyet photo

    Privatizing the ticket booths at Istanbul’s museums has led to a 40 percent increase in revenue due to a sharp reduction in embezzlement, according to Turkey’s culture minister.

    “That [40 percent in revenues] was landing in some people’s pockets,” Minister Ertuğrul Günay said recently.

    Thanks to the November 2010 privatization, the ministry now expects to reap 60 million Turkish Liras in profits from Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum and Topkapı Palace alone.

    It is alleged that prior to the privatization, toll collectors were able to make private purchases that were not commensurate with their official wages, attended sex parties abroad and gambled in northern Cyprus.

    In many of the cases of alleged embezzlement, toll collectors used museum cards to gain illicit income. Visitors entering a museum with a museum card have the right to re-enter within three hours; even though foreign visitors are not permitted to use museum cards, collectors would often use them to allow foreign visitors to pass.

    In one case in 2010, tourists were let into Topkapı Palace with tickets that were sold by the officer, but with their barcodes hidden. The visitors were able to pass the turnstile easily because the officer had several museum cards attached to his body inside his clothes and the turnstile mechanism was able to detect the cards from a distance through the slightest of movements by the ticket attendant. Unsuspecting tourists would hand over their tickets that were then resold at the ticket booth since they were not recorded.

    Several court cases opened by the ministry against those suspected of embezzlement are continuing

    via Privatization at museums cuts down on fraud, Turkish minister says – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.

  • Topkapı Palace welcomes works from Istanbul Greek painters

    Topkapı Palace welcomes works from Istanbul Greek painters

    ISTANBUL – Daily News with wires

    'Cabaret Singer Peruz Hanım' from the Zeynep Sabancı Collection is one of the pieces from the exhibition
    'Cabaret Singer Peruz Hanım' from the Zeynep Sabancı Collection is one of the pieces from the exhibition

    The Greek Painters of Istanbul at the Topkapı Palace, a new exhibition at the famous Istanbul landmark, is bringing to light close to 100 works by Greek painters from the city. Although the native-born artists contributed greatly to culture in the late Ottoman era, there is little information on them in either the Ottoman or present-day sources

    Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace is hosting a new exhibition featuring 100 pieces of art by Istanbul Greek painters who were influential in the late Ottoman artistic world.

    “People from different faith groups have created very important works on Anatolian land. It is our mission to exhibit these works to the current generations,” Turkish Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, who is helping to organize the Greek Painters of Istanbul at Topkapı Palace show, said Monday during the show’s opening ceremony.

    Günay also said his ministry had established very close relations with the leaders of various faith groups and that the exhibition was one of the results of those relations.

    The works of the Greek painters are a part of Turkish culture, said Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, who attended the show’s opening ceremony Monday. “We, as the Greek community and the Greek Patriarchate, are a part of this country, too.”

    The exhibition, which is based on the book “Istanbullu Rum Ressamlar” (Greek Painters of Istanbul” by Mayda Sari, who is also the curator of the exhibition, features Greek painters who were born or raised in Istanbul. It brings together selected works from Greek Orthodox churches and private collections, as well as the collections of the Topkapı Palace, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Halki Theological School.

    The minister also expressed his objection to the translation of the term “Rum,” which is used in Turkish to refer to the Greek Orthodox Christians living in Anatolia but often rendered simply as “Greek” in English, providing no differentiation between the group and the Greeks from Greece proper.

    “‘Rum’ is the name of the [Greek Orthodox Christian] Anatolian population who lived on Ottoman lands. It is a part of Turkish culture, not a separate population,” Günay said.

    The exhibition brings to light the works of painters who contributed greatly to Ottoman culture but on whom little can be found in Ottoman and present-day sources. Visitors will have the chance to see works by 19th- and early-20th-century painters and iconographers, such as Armenopoulos, Andreades, Andoniades, Flora-Karavia, İgum (Igoumenides), Economides, Xanthopoulos, Michelidakes, Petridou, Platonides, Savvides, Scarlatos, Sofroniades, Stavrakes, Vakalopoulos, as well as Konstantinos Kyzikinos (Kapıdağlı Konstantin).

    Divided along thematic and chronological lines, the exhibition is comprised of approximately 100 works and includes portraits of sultans and high-ranking Ottoman officials, portraits of high-ranking clergy from the collection of the Halki Theological School, icons selected from churches, as well as views of Istanbul.

    The event is being organized by the Directorate of the Topkapı Palace Museum and the Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul under the auspices of Günay’s ministry.

    The exhibition will continue at the Topkapı Palace Museum Imperial Stables until June 30.

    via Topkapı Palace welcomes works from Istanbul Greek painters – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.

  • Irresistable Istanbul Attracts Growing Tourist Interest

    Irresistable Istanbul Attracts Growing Tourist Interest

    Irresistable Istanbul Attracts Growing Tourist Interest largeTurkey’s travel industry authorities have been promoting the exotic and diverse city of Istanbul as an ideal place for British holidaymakers to visit this year.

    The Turkish Culture and Tourism Office highlighted the cultural and historical delights of taking an Istanbul city break. A spokesperson referenced the eclectic mix of historical influences that can be seen in every facet of the city’s make-up; from the times of Ancient Rome, through the Byzantine Empire era and Ottoman Empire right up until the current day.

    Turkish Culture and Tourism Office spokeswoman Joanna Marsh said that Istanbul is: “one of those cities which everyone has on their list of places to visit at least once in their lifetime.”

    She cited the uniquely exciting contrast of cultural influences as a major spur to get potential visitors to book a Turkish holiday or even a shorter city break. She also explained how Istanbul’s vibrant nightlife and enticing cuisine could offer something for everyone.

    Mentioning a number of must-see attractions, Ms Marsh said: “Head to a traditional Turkish Bath, visit Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque, but also make time to eat out at one of the swanky restaurants on the Bosphorus or in the trendy area of Beyoglu and visit more contemporary attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art.”

    In addition to the well known attractions, Ms Marsh said that one of the best ways to experience the wonderful sights, sounds and smells was to take leisurely walks through the city.

    Due to its continually rising popularity in the UK as a holiday destination, cheap flights to Turkey are plentiful and are offered by a wide variety of airlines. Be sure to book ahead in order to secure the best deals and avoid disappointment.

    via Irresistable Istanbul Attracts Growing Tourist Interest.

  • Topkapi Palace

    Topkapi Palace

    Between the Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea, with an incredible view of the Bosforo, sits the Topkapi Palace . Built by order of the Sultan Mehmed II a few years after the final collapse of the Byzantium, it was the centre of administration for the Ottoman empire for the following four centuries – until 1853, and the Christian era, when the Sultan Abdulmecid decreed that the headquarters move to the modern Dolmabahçe Palace.

    topkapi palace istanbultopkapi istanbul

    Today, the Topkapi Palace is a museum dedicated to those far away glory years of the Ottoman Empire, and which houses some of the most magnificent treasures in the world. Visitors who wander the vast and winding spaces are often grateful for a tourist guide to show them the Pearl room for example, which holds the Topkapi head, embellished with precious stones, gold and emeralds – or the room which displays the famous Indio-Turkish throne from the 18th century.

    But one thing we would advise you not to miss out on is the extraordinary collection of talismanic shirts, made famous recently thanks to the publication in Istanbul of Hülya Tezcan’s Las Camisas Mágicas del Palacio de Topkapi.

    In Turkish culture, great importance has always been placed on magical practice – whether aesthetic or ritual – as a lesson for the future, from coffee, to the summoning of the omnipresent Turkish eye, or nazar to cast curses. Tezcan’s book speaks of the power of the talismanic tops to make the fighter invisible in battle, to protect from evil, to maintain good health and aid fertility. The latter was the case with the powerful Sultana Nurbanu – worried by the succession to the throne in the Somali house (which governed the Ottoman empire for 700 years) of her son, Murad III. At the time of coronation, Murad only had one son, and 14 years later – due allegedly to the magical garment, which was lined with verses from the Koran and various astrological signs, the sultan had produced 19 boys.

    In Tuzcan’s opinion, with the restoration of many of the pieces, the clothes – which were worn by every member of the court – “allow us to evaluate to what extent the superstitions of the Ottoman court affected the politics of the empire.”

    Paul Oilzum Only-apartments AuthorPaul Oilzum

    The Sultan’s shirts required three years of work – and only at the end were chosen verses from the Koran inscribed. It’ll take you much less time to marvel over them when you rent apartments in Istanbul

    via Topkapi Palace Istanbul.

  • Harem at Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace in perilous state, expert says

    Harem at Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace in perilous state, expert says

    VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

    ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

    Officials are planning to restore the most famous section of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace, the harem, but its decrepit nature is much worse than initially believed. At present, the harem’s priceless hand-carved tiles and ceiling slabs are severely damaged, architect and restoration expert Fatma Sedes says. The room is currently very fragile, she says

    National and international film directors are increasingly starting to use the palace and the harem as a film set, further causing damage to the centuries-old buildings.
    National and international film directors are increasingly starting to use the palace and the harem as a film set, further causing damage to the centuries-old buildings.

     

    National and international film directors are increasingly starting to use the palace and the harem as a film set, further causing damage to the centuries-old buildings.

    Hit TV shows like “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century) have reawakened interest in Turkey’s Ottoman past, yet this popularity has failed to prevent the empire’s most famous landmark from becoming increasingly decrepit, according to experts.

    Istanbul’s iconic Topkapı Palace, the former seat of the Ottoman sultans and their retinues, receives the highest government funding while also bringing in the most visitor revenues, yet even it is in a perilous state, according to Fatma Sedes, an architect and restoration expert at Istanbul Aydın University and a member of the Foundation for the Protection of Historical Heritage.

    “Despite that big a budget, the palace does not receive enough attention. Also, the fact that people touch [artifacts] during daily visits causes permanent damage to the palace,” she recently told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

    Already one of the most popular sections of Topkapı, the harem has received even more attention due to “Muhteşem Yüzyıl,” which dramatizes the life of Süleyman the Magnificent and the intrigues in his harem.

    Sedes, who is currently conducting appraisals of the harem in preparation for a planned restoration, said section was in a perilous state. “The problem could become bigger in the future, as it is a fragile place.”

    Moreover, national and international film directors are increasingly starting to use the palace and the harem as a film set, further causing damage to the centuries-old buildings. “Building a film set [in the harem] means giving structures that have been carrying years of weariness their deathblow,” Sedes said.

    At present, the harem’s priceless hand-carved tiles and ceiling slabs are severely damaged, Sedes said.

    Rest of complex also in danger

    Topkapı Palace and its harem are not the only parts of the complex that are falling into ruin, according to Topkapı Palace Director Professor İlber Ortaylı. At the moment, the palace’s walls overlooking Seraglio Point and home to priceless artifacts like the Kaşıkçı Diamond are at risk of collapse, he told the Daily News in a previous interview.

    In the 1950s the Topkapı Palace underwent a serious restoration, conducted by one of Turkey’s first female architects, Mualla Eyüboğlu-Anheger.

    The palace has survived until today thanks to the extensive restoration conducted by Eyüboğlu-Anheger, Sedes said.

    “Despite our technology advantages today, it is impossible to carry out the same extensive work that she did in the past. She not only carried out restorations, but also archaeological excavations in the sections called the İkballer Apartment and Şimşirlik [Boxwood] Garden and revealed reservoirs,” she said.

    Asked about the connection between the reservoirs beneath the site and the buildings’ decrepit nature, Sedes said: “The reservoirs are all in a dry state. Also, contrary to what is supposed, the reservoirs give stability in the event of a possible earthquake. This was scientifically proven by geophysics engineers.”

    Sedes also said it was important to have a fully authorized restoration team in all national palaces, as is the case in foreign countries.

    At the moment, however, only Beşiktaş’s Dolmabahçe Palace has such a team, Sedes said.

    ‘Sultan’s tomb in terrible state’

    Sedes has also been carrying out restoration work on the tombs of Süleyman the Magnificent and his wife, the famous Hürrem Sultan, which were constructed by the architect Sinan behind Fatih’s Süleymaniye Mosque.

    “The tombs, which are decorated with various stones and marble from around the country and unique İznik tiles, are in a terrible state,” she said, adding that there were also serious problems with the roof and the marble.

    via Harem at Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace in perilous state, expert says – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.