Museum, Art: Turkish and Islamic Art Museum.

They left us alone in this room

Istanbul has no shortage of impressive art museums. An ancient city, it of course boasts its museum of archaeological finds. Home of the Sultans, it's palaces display the many baubles they had made for themselves. All very impressive, yet I was drawn to what seemed to be a less frequently visited museum: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art.

Once inside, we were almost by ourselves. The officials minding the store seemed almost surprised to see us come in. They hustled back to their posts as ticket sellers and takers. The quiet in the foyer gave little clue to the impressive works within. I'd like to show you but they had a no photo policy and enough guards to make sure you obey the rules. I did sneak a couple, but not the best displays.

The art we saw, like early Italian art is dominated by religious themes. I guess that is a no-brainer in an 'Islamic' art museum except that included in the ‘Islamic’ genre is the art of many different nationalities. The Islamic element, however, is more significant than the national element. It is the theme, which dominates the works we saw, drawn as they were from Turkey, Arabia, Persia and elsewhere.

What is interesting about the Islamic element in the art is the general aversion to representing the human form. The belief is that such representation would be a form of idolatry. They may be right (think Marilyn Monroe). As a result, they put their efforts into the artistry of abstract forms and Arabic script. Some of the most impressive specimens are pages from the Koran.

There was a special exhibit of Korans, which interestingly did allow photography. Like the early Italian artists, religious work was the most suitable outlet for artists’ creativity and it is what produces the most beautiful works. That, and carpets. Don't forget the Turkish carpets! Seriously, except for the exhibit on the Koran, the carpet collection was the museum's largest, most impressive and best guarded exhibit (no photos). Too bad, cause MC found her new rug - if only we could show a picture to a dealer.

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