Literature of Istanbul Museums
Istanbul is the center of works on museums and museology that started in the Ottoman State in mid-19th century. Istanbul’s status as a capital city and a commercial, artistic and cultural center has enhanced its central role. Fethi Ahmet Paşa and Osman Hamdi Bey are our first curators who initiated the process. Istanbul Archeological Museum and Military Museum are our first museums followed by the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Especially Istanbul Archeological Museum has hosted many valuable works with the efforts of Osman Hamdi Bey. In this context, the contributions of Tahsin Öz, the manager of Topkapı Palace Museum established in 1925, should also be noted. Hagia Sophia is the setting that receives the most attention and visitors after the Topkapı Palace. Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi palaces are the most valuable ones that are connected to TBMM National Palaces. Hence these two museums constitute the core part of this article. The building of the Archeological Museum is the first museum building in Turkey. Since most of our important museums are located in old palace buildings, there has been a need to provide information on these historical buildings. Private museums have been established in Istanbul since 1980. The first such museum is Sadberk Hanım Museum. Large private museums come to the fore with their local and foreign exhibitions. The exhibition catalogues are their most instroductory works.
HAYRULLAH CENGİZ
