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The museum was built on the northern section of the peristyle courtyard of the Great Palace of the Byzantine Empire, where mosaics used to decorate the pavement had been discovered partially in good condition.
Istanbul Mosaic Museum (Great Palace Mosaic Museum), is located close to Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey, at Arasta Bazaar. The museum houses mosaics from the Byzantine period, unearthed at the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople.
The museum hosts the mosaics used to decorate the pavement of a peristyle court, dating possibly to the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I (r. 527-565). It was uncovered by Turkish archaeologists from the University of St Andrews in Scotland during extensive excavations at the Arasta Bazaar in Sultan Ahmet Square in 1935-1938 and 1951-1954.
| Address |
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Sultanahmet, Eminönü |
| Web Site |
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www.ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr |
| E-mail |
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mozaik@muze.gov.tr – ayasofyamuzesi@kulturturizm.gov.tr |
| Phone |
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(212) 518 12 05 |
| Fax |
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(212) 512 54 74 |
The Great Palace mosaics, reflecting a matchless master ship, are dated by specialists to 450-550 AD. The white background of the mosaics resembles fish scales. The scenes depicted on the mosaics are from daily life and nature, rather than being religious. The scenes of a griffin eating a lizard, a fight between an elephant and a lion, a mare nursing her filly, children herding geese, a man milking a goat, a child feeding a donkey, a girl with a jug, bears eating apples and a fight between a hunter and a tiger are among the most spectacular examples displayed in the museum.
Istanbul Mosaic Museum
The area formed part of the south-western Great Palace, and the excavations discovered a large peristyle courtyard, with a surface of 1872 m², entirely decorated with mosaics. It was at this point that the Austrian Academy of Sciences, supervised by Prof. Dr. Werner Jobst, undertook to study and preserve the famous palace mosaic and to carry out additional archeological examinations (1983-1997) within the scope of a cooperative project with the Directorate General of Monuments and Museums in Turkey.
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Istanbul Travel Guide
- Bosphorus, Istanbul
- Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
- Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul
- Etz Ahayim Synagogue
- Galata Tower, Istanbul
- Golden Horn
- Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
- Hippodrome, Istanbul
- Istanbul Archaeology Museum
- Istanbul Jewish Cemetery
- Neve Shalom Synagogue, Istanbul
- Spice Bazaar, Istanbul
- Suleymaniye Mosque Istanbul
- Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
- Underground Cistern, Istanbul
- Zulfaris Synagogue
- Beylerbeyi Palace
- Rumelihisari (Fortress)
- Camlica Hill
- Bosphorus Bridge
- Istanbul Mosaic Museum
- Church of the Holy Apostles
- Eyup Mosque and Mausoleum
- Beyazit Camii
- Fatih Camii
- Fethiye Camii “Pammakaristos Church”
- Hagia Eirene
- Orthodox Patriarchate and Cathedral
- Sts Sergius and Bacchus
- Yeni Camii
- Zeyrek Camii “Church of the Pantocrator”
- Prince’s Islands
- Mosque of Rustem Pasha
- Galata Bridge
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Miniatürk
- Istanbul Modern Museum
- Galata Mevlevihanesi
- Pierre Loti
- Istanbul, Turkish Baths
- Walk through Istiklal Street
- Tunnel
- Military Museum
- Port of Istanbul
- City Walls of Istanbul
- Maiden’s Tower
- Harem
- Tofre Begadim Synagogue
- Yıldız Park
- Bulgarian St. Stephen Church
- Ahrida (Ohrid) Synagogue, Istanbul
- Ashkenazi Synagogue, Istanbul
- Balat, Istanbul
- Blue Mosque, Istanbul
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Rating: +3098 (from 3098 votes)
We were impressed by the quality of the mosaics themselves and the interesting information about how they were uncovered and restored.
This small museum houses the floor of one of the corridors of the earliest phase of the Great Palace of Constantinople. It is decorated with mosaics, chiefly of exotic animals on a white background. Several scenes reproduce events in the hippodrome (animal fights) but there are also domestic animals such as goats and donkeys. These mosaics rank among the best…
This museum is very much low profile, it is not well promoted and is almost difficult to find the entrance. Despite those things it is really magnificent and the mosaics shown there are simply fantastic. It clearly competes with fantastic attractions in Istanbul, but to me it is a must see.
The Arasta Mosaic Museum, a rather smallish museum, is tucked away below the Hippodrome and behind the Arasta Pazar. The entrance fee is minimal, but the excavation work is superb. The placards are in Turkish, English and German and give a history of what Istanbul was like during Roman times.
Not every guidebook mentions this museum, but luckily it's so close to other sights in Istanbul that it wasn't hard to find. Most of the mosaics are in their original position on the ground that had been covered throughout the years. Inside you walk above these colorful artworks and see the range of colors and the variety of scenes depicted.
Very big mosaics in here, some you cant really make out but these are the some of the biggests mosaics i have seen. It wont take you 15 minutes to walk it but it you are in sultanhamet and by the blue mosque pop in. Its another sight seen and another one for the bucket list.
Not many visitors inside. But if you are a mosaic fan, this little museum hidden behind the Blue Mosque and Arasta Bazaar is not to be missed. It actually shelters a pavement mosaic unearthed from one of the former Byzantine Great Palace courtyards. Looking at the fine every-day, bucolic, hunting, mythological scenes framed by a vegetal border one cannot imagine…
My friend and I just made it to the museum before closing time. The website for the museum says 1700 but the sign just outside the museum reflected a closing time of 1600. Every previous time I've been to Istanbul the museum had been closed so I was really excited to find that it would be open.
One of the least advertised attractions of Istanbul, the Mosaic Museum is actually one of the most surprizing ones, especially if you’re interested in history, mythology and art.
This museum is worth a visit if you're a big fan of Roman mosaics. The massive mosaic floor which has been painstakingly restored and displayed is a marvel to look at. It contains many fascinating scenes and is comprised tens of thousands of small tiles.