In the Istanbul district of Harbiye, just north of Taksim Square, in the historic building of the former military academy, there is a popular military museum .Getting acquainted with the exposition of the Istanbul military museum will be a real gift for those who are interested in art and history of war . Well, if you came to Istanbul together with the growing defenders of the fatherland, without visiting this museum, you can not do at all . Of course, not only the strong half of humanity will be interested in museum exhibits . The representatives of the fair sex will surely be interested in replenishing the treasury of knowledge with new facts about the history of Turkey, which greatly influenced the development of Western civilization . In addition, Istanbul is considered the second largest military museum in the world . Agree, a worthy argument to devote to it a couple of hours of your time .
A bit of history
It all started with the fact that after the conquest of the city by Sultan Mehmed II in the church of St. . Irina was organized a military warehouse . Later the dilapidated building of the temple was restored and opened for visitors as a museum . However, in this kind of museum did not last long, was looted and soon again became an ordinary weapons depot . In time, part of the exposition was restored and the museum began to function again . Needless to say, after working for several years, the museum again closed, but on the initiative of Marshal Ahmed Fethi Pashi Istanbul Military Museum was again opened all in the same church. St. . Irina . Only in 1950 the . museum collection moved to the gymnasium of the former Ottoman Imperial Military Academy, and from 1993 ., after repeated rebuilding , the museum appeared before osetitelyami in the form in which we meet today .
Museum exposition
The museum collection has more than 9 thousand exhibits, which are located in 22 exhibition halls. The highlight of the collection is a gigantic collection of firearms from the 16th to 20th centuries, and also a wide range of cold and defensive weapons from different eras. Some of the exhibitions are devoted to the history of wars, for example, there is a separate hall that illuminates the events of the Battle of Canakkale, the First World War Hall, the Turkish War of Independence.
Walking through the museum, you also inspect the military uniform and arms of the Ottoman era, protective armor for horses and camels, marching sultans tents, a collection of flags and banners
Military-Wind Orchestra Mehter
If you want to listen to Janissary marches performed by the Ottoman Orchestra Mehte , then plan a trip to the museum for the period from 15:00 to 16:00 . Every day for an hour in the concert hall (and in summer on the open ground) this military brass band arranges whole performances with original music accompaniment . Orchestra Mehter, like Istanbul, has its own glorious history: during the years of the Ottoman Empire the musicians participated in military campaigns and solemn processions . The orchestra marched along with Ottoman commanders, playing slow marches in an unusual minor key .The townspeople listened to the thunder of the timpani, the screams of the oboe and the clapping copper plates, felt themselves involved in new events and understood that another campaign was being organized, and a completely different life was starting. .
Useful information
@ Address: Nisantasi, Valikonagi Caddesi, No. 1.
Phone: (0212) 233-27-20.
Business hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 9:00 - 17:00, Monday, Tuesday: closed.
Entrance: 3 TRL, photo taken for free: 6 TRL.
The Osmanbey metro station is located near the museum. The museum can also be reached by buses 46H, 46KY, 69YM, and also by tram TR1 (stop "Kabatash"). From Taksim Square you can take the funicular. From the Asian part, it is most convenient to arrive by ferry, which runs between Kadikey and Kabatash berths.
All prices are for November 2014