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The Great Palace Mosaic Museum (Turkish: Büyük Saray Mozaikleri Müzesi), 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.

History

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), although more recent analysis suggests a later date during the reign of Heraclius.^[1] It was uncovered by British 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. The area formed part of the south-western area of the 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.

The subject matter of the mosaics range from a Dionysian procession (the elephant and woman with a jug to many combat scenes featuring both human and non-human animal fighters. Intermixed are also various animals, including lions, eagles, snakes, and even multiple versions of the griffin.

The museum was closed for restoration activities in July 2023. As of May 2024, the museum remains closed and a re-opening date has not been announced.^[2]

Gallery

Floor mosaic of a woman carrying a pot (c. 5th century)
Floor mosaic of a child and a donkey (c. 5th century)
Shepherds with animals
Elephant
Dromedary ride
Bear with prey
Boy and dog
Hunt scene
Decoration
Griffon attack
Arena play

References

^ Bardill, Jonathan (2004). Brickstamps of Constantinople. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199255245.
^ "Istanbul Travel Blog: Great Palace Mosaic Museum Istanbul". Istanbul Travel Blog. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.