Gulhane Parki and the Archaeology Museum Complex (Istanbul part 2 of 7)

While the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque dominate Sultanahmet by virtue of being highly visible, Topkapi Sarayi (Topkapi Palace) is perhaps Sultanahmet's most impressive sight. The palace is tucked away within high walls, hidden until you enter into it. But Topkapi is a post (or three) in itself; here I'm going to focus on other things of note within these walls.

Immediately after passing through the high stone walls and pass through a bunch of food carts and then through a wrought iron fence, one comes upon Gulhane Parki, a public park that once served as the grounds and gardens of the sultans living at Topkapi.

The park is a great place for some downtime between hectic sightseeing, and plenty of trees provide some much appreciated shade during the heat of the afternoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed parking my tired self on a bench and munching on baklava and people-watching for an hour. There are also several museums within the huge sprawl of the park, most notably the Archaeology Museum Complex. 10 TL gets you into the Archaeology Museum itself, as well as the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Museum of Turkish Ceramics.

The three musuems are centered around a "column garden" courtyard (also a good place for some shade) and are open until 7 pm, a bit later than most places.

The Archaeology Museum is the best of the three in my opinion, and has some really neat stuff you won't find in most museums. Sure they've got your basic Greco-Roman style sculpture:

and some mosaics:

and some Roman soldiers:

But what is really cool about the museum is their Sidon collection. Sidon was a major Phoenician city way back in the day (you can thank them for the alphabet), now in modern Lebanon. Excavations in the 19th century turned up some fantastic tombs and sarcophagi reflecting a broad range of artistic styles and influences, and showcasing just how cosmopolitan the Phoenicians and Sidon in particular were. 

This is the Alexander Sarcophagus, named for its depictions of Alexander fighting the Persians on one of the long sides and hunting with them on the other. The tomb was originally thought to have housed Abdalonymus, king of Sidon appointed by Alexander, but that has since been challenged, so it may have belonged to a Persian noble & governor of Babylon instead. But what's great about it is how much of the original pigment survives.

You can still make out the orange in the hair of the man riding the horse, along with the yellow of his cloak and the red in the cloth on the arm of the man behind him. In fact, enough paint has survived to allow a reconstruction of what the image might have looked like to be created. The recreation is from the opposite side of the sarcophagus.

(G.dallorto derived from MatthiasKabel derived from Marsyas via Wikipedia)

The Lycian tomb, above, also comes from the necropolis at Sidon, but less is known about it. Basically, it is monumental, belonged to somebody important, and features the pointed arch lid characteristic of Lycian tombs.

The museum's collections continue upstairs, with artifacts from Istanbul through the Ages, and more material collected from throughout what used to be the Ottoman Empire, including a number of finds from excavations at Troy. They also hold the Kadesh Peace Treaty, believed to be the oldest surviving peace treaty in the world, dating back to 1258 BC and signed by Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire. The archaeologist in me appreciated this shot:

What do you do with the massive amounts of pottery sherds dug up in excavations? Stick them on the overhang between two floors of the museum! 

Definitely worth a visit, and since it is open late, can be combined with a visit to Topkapi Sarayi no problem, especially if you take a break to enjoy a snack and relax in Gulhane Parki.