In the very center of the "Lost World", as Istanbul residents call the ancient quarter of Cihangir, there is a melancholic museum of innocence, in which time is embodied in everyday objects. The museum was created by the famous Turkish writer, Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, during the creation of the novel of the same name and is inextricably linked with it. It is difficult to imagine that somewhere in the world there is a more personal museum than this.

A considerable part of the writer's work is filled with a sense of longing. Yearning for provincial life, for the past, for childhood, for the departed love. The same idea fills the museum space: it seems that everything here is permeated with an aching feeling of loneliness, sadness and sadness about the past time. And there is only one way to preserve the past and bring back the dear to the heart of the moment - you can breathe life into lost memories through things. Only they are able to preserve what is beyond the human memory.

The Istanbul Museum of Innocence is fundamentally different from other city museums, such pompous and huge. Its visitors will not only open the door to the past of Istanbul, they will touch a wonderful love story

Museum exposition

At the exhibition windows of the museum of innocence the things of the main characters of the novel - Kemal and Fusun . Like its creator, Kemal carefully collects what once belonged to his beloved Fyusun . Here are her yellow shoes, here is the lost earring, but the old clock-walks . Among the exhibits you can see even a few thousand cigarette butts smoked by the main heroine . The stands are filled ancient objects and everyday life, costume jewelry, dishes, newspapers, lighters, toys, old cans, keys, bottles, receipts ... It's easy to trace the history of Istanbul through the exhibits collected in the museum of innocence . Yes, and not only Istanbul, for sure everyone will find here a particle and its past .

Each stand of the exposition is devoted to one chapter of the novel. Of course, reading a book is not a prerequisite for enjoying the museum. But, of course, the reader who read the novel will understand the cultural context of the collection, the interrelationship of the exhibits. For them, a visit to the museum will be like an excursion to the scenery of a favorite theatrical performance, during which undiscovered details and nuances of the plot will open.

The history of the creation of the museum

The idea of ​​creating a museum of antiques, each of which would have its own history and reminded happy moments of life, came to Orhan Pamuk in 1990 . At about the same time he conceived his novel . Pamuk buys an old building in the European part of Istanbul, restores it, and in parallel creates a love story of Kemal and Fusun, inspired by packed in flea markets and flea markets with things . Sometimes the suitable things are found by the writer himself after writing the next storyline . As a result, the book and museum are related to each other like a chicken and an egg - it is impossible to say what came before .

According to Pamuk's plans, the museum was to open in 2008, but the date was constantly postponed. As a result, the novel "The Museum of Innocence" was published in 2008, and the museum was opened only in the spring of 2012.

@ Useful information

Address: Beyoglu, Cukurcuma Caddesi, Dalgıc Cıkmazı, 2.

Phone: +90 (212) 252-97-38.

Fax: +90 (212) 252-97-48.

Email: info@masumiyetmuzesi.org

You can get to the museum by tram, the nearest stop is Tophane 6-8 minutes walk

Working time: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00, Thursday: 10:00 - 21:00, Monday: closed. The museum does not work on January 1 and on the first days of religious holidays.

Entrance: 25 TRL, for students: 10 TRL, the cost of an audio guide is 5 TRL. Tickets to the museum can be booked by e-mail or purchased on site, at the ticket office of the museum (on the left side of the entrance, the ticket office closes at 17:30)

All prices are for November 2014