The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that teachers under the age of 18 and over 65 years of age affiliated with the Ministry of National Education can visit museums across the country for free.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on its social media account the news, and the statement included the following:

“All our museums are free for teachers affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and citizens under the age of 18 and over 65, and the annual visit fee is 60 lira for other citizens.”

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In Sultanahmet Square, you will stand in the middle of history! From time immemorial, people’s voices roared with glee in this square!

To get to know the heart of Istanbul’s history, just take a walk with us slowly in this square, and follow us until the end of the article.

Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul

Sultanahmet Square, known as Hippodrome Square, overlooks the famous Blue Mosque, and is surrounded by other famous places.

In addition to the presence of many different museums such as the Museum of Turkish Islamic Art.

Sultanahmet district is one of the most famous tourist areas in Istanbul, and it is also a popular place to start tourist trips due to the perfect beauty and size of this square.

This square is a very impressive tourist area in Sultanahmet district, similar to the historical peninsula that leads to all the historical sites around it.

Sultanahmet Square is one of the most popular places for all the tourists, you usually find most enthusiastic tourists in this square on the first day of their visit to Istanbul.

Due to the fact that this square has turned into a no-vehicle area, tourists can walk in this square for a few hours, and visit Topkapi Palace, the German Fountain, the beautiful Hagia Sophia, the small bazaar near Sultanahmet and the colorful houses with great views in complete comfort.

Beautiful trees, ponds, fountains and vibrant greenery around the square would be perfect for taking some photographs, as Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque would be all smiling in the background. (Best photobomb ever)

History of Hippodrome Square

This square was once the most famous and busiest place in the Eastern Roman Empire, hosting many famous historical sites as well as many events and adventures.

The Egyptian Stone Column, Snake Column, German Fountain and many more were among the most crowded places, which we eagerly visit today.

The Hippodrome was built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century after the official proclamation of Istanbul as the capital of Eastern Rome, and this is exactly what we call today Sultanahmet Square.

The Hippodrome was an equestrian venue during the Roman Empire, where contestants ran around the racetrack seven times to win the race, and people watched the performances with excitement.

Things to do in Sultanahmet Square

Walk around Sultanahmet Square, I promise it will be one of the most beautiful moments of your life.

Enjoy the historical atmosphere that includes the most prominent places, museums, mosques, churches, fountains and historical sites in Istanbul all together.

Then relax in one of the restaurants and cafes around the square, and enjoy a cup of tea or Turkish coffee while watching these great historical places.

The most important places to visit

• Egyptian Stone Pillar.
• Hagia Sophia.
• Topkapi Palace.
• Serpent Pillar.
• German Fountain.
• Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
• Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
• The blue Mosque.

The Egyptian stone column

The obelisk or stone pillar that was brought from Egypt in 390 is one of the mysteries of history, and archaeologists have not been able to discover and read the mystery of the tablets written on these pillars.

Some of these obelisks are spread all over the world. From Argentina to Italy and even Sultanahmet Square!

This stone pillar dates back to 1450 BC by the Egyptian pharaoh.

If you visit this column, know that you are standing in front of one of the oldest places in Istanbul.

The monument stands on a marble pillar and depicts the Byzantine emperor, who used to watch matches around it.

Nowadays, tourists with this obelisk take funny pictures like pushing the pillar or leaning on it and then smiling at the camera! (Yep, everyone does that)

Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Istanbul Archaeological Museum has an important collection of prehistoric artifacts from Greece, Rome and Byzantium, which are very beautifully displayed.

The entire collection has been transferred from Topkapi Palace to the Museum.

After visiting the museum, take time to walk in Gulhane Park, which was once a garden for the Ottoman kings.

The garden extends over wide green areas, decorated with flowers, tulips and tall trees.

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)

The Blue Mosque is one of the most important mosques and tourist attractions in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul.

This mosque was built in the seventeenth century between 1603-1617 by Sultan Ahmed I.

The name of this mosque is derived from the beautiful and eye-catching Iznik tiles used in its interior design.

This mosque is a fine example of Islamic architecture and one of the most visited places in Istanbul.

When you go to this mosque, remember to wear appropriate clothes, so that you do not have to use the general covering of the mosque.

Serpent Column

One of the most unusual buildings in Istanbul, this column was brought to Istanbul from Delphi, Greece.

And this spiral column was made from melting military equipment of the enemy army as a sign of the victory of Greece over the Persians.

After the victory in this war, this pillar was presented as a gift to the Delphi Apollo Monument to show their gratitude for this place.

On this blue pillar you will see three intertwined snakes with their heads cut off.

The only surviving snake head is on display in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which is located just a few steps from the Sultanahmet Square, do not forget to visit it while you are there.

Hagia Sophia

Known as one of the best architectural examples in the world, the Hagia Sophia will undoubtedly amaze you both from the outside and inside.

According to the Turks, it is the eighth wonder of the world, although this claim is a little exaggerated.

In fact, this building was a nickname in the Roman era, as it was at that time the largest church in the world.

And then it was converted into a mosque when the Ottomans entered, and when the Republic of Turkey was declared, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum for many years by order of Ataturk.

Currently, Hagia Sophia has been converted into a mosque after a new law from the Turkish government, which means a free visit for tourists!

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace is one of the biggest and most famous tourist attractions in Istanbul, this building was built between 1466 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II.

The palace was considered the political center of the Ottoman Empire from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, and it continued in this state until the construction of Dolmabahce Palace.

You can enjoy a charming view of the Bosphorus and the Asian side of Istanbul from the beautiful balconies of the palace.

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts displays one of the most important Turkish and Islamic art collections in the world.

These holdings belong to the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, Seljuk and Ottoman eras and include rare artifacts such as stone, ceramics, metal, silver, copper and wood, as well as jewelry, manuscripts, calligraphy, carpets and many more…

German Fountain

The German Fountain is located between Sultanahmet Square and the Blue Mosque.

It is a very beautiful fountain with great architecture, with beautiful columns and domes.

Do not forget to see it during your visit to Istanbul.

Tips for a pleasant visit:

• Official guide can make Sultanahmet Square more beautiful for you. Get help from them and know the exact date and details of each building. But beware of unofficial guides, the guide should have an official logo.
• Take good care of your bags and pockets, as this place is always crowded.

The post Sultanahmet Square – one of the best places to visit in Istanbul! appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched an investigation into the allegation of the loss of historical artifacts in the Batman Museum.

When 16 artifacts were allegedly lost in the Batman Museum, inspectors from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched an investigation.

The detectives who came to Batman applied for the museum’s staff statements.

The alleged missing artifacts were also seized in 2017 by regional police department teams during a smuggling operation.

The post “Lost” review at the Batman Museum of the Ministry of Culture of Turkey appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

On Sunday, First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdoğan participated in the opening of an exhibition of products made from recycled materials from waste in Istanbul.

To the effect that the Beyoglu municipality in Istanbul organized the exhibition as part of the “Zero Waste” activities on the occasion of World Environment Day, which falls on June 5 annually.

The exhibition includes the story of waste collection and recycling, where Erdogan was briefed on its stages by those involved in the exhibition.

She also visited the recycling stands at Sheesh Khaneh Square in the region, and received a briefing from Beyoglu Mayor Haydar Ali Yildiz on the municipality’s work in waste recycling.

Erdogan presented a “zero waste” certificate to the mayor after his municipality met all the principles set by the Ministry of Environment and Urban Development in the framework of recycling work.

Beyoglu Municipality is working on the “Zero Waste” project implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Urban Development under the patronage of the First Lady.

The post Istanbul.. Erdoğan’s wife opens an exhibition of recycling products appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The 568th anniversary of the occupation of Istanbul was celebrated through special visual events held in famous places in the city.

The Communications Directorate organized an event in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the occasion of the anniversary of the invasion of Istanbul, which changed the course of history.

A special show commemorating the 568th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul

Activities that began with Quran recitation continued at the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque with a demonstration conducted using light and video mapping technology in the Galata Tower.

The display featured the image of the conqueror, Sultan Mehmed Han, on horseback, who conquered Istanbul at the age of 21, opened and sealed the era, and transformed the Ottoman Empire into a global empire.

In the celebration, where information about the conquest was also expressed, images of the conquest were reflected in the sky of Hagia Sophia, the symbol of the conquest.

And using the video sky mapping method, which was applied for the first time in Turkey.

The post A special show commemorating the 568th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “We show that we have protected the heritage of the ancestors by opening the Hagia Sophia for worship last year, putting the Great Camlica Mosque into service the previous year and holding the first Friday in the Taksim Mosque yesterday.”

President Erdogan sent a video message to the Ninth International Conquest Cup Program of the Archers Foundation.

Erdogan said: “My dear nation, dear children of Istanbul, our esteemed athletes, our dear guests, who met in Ok Maidani on the occasion of the Ninth International Conquest Cup.

I greet you all with my heartfelt feelings and loyalty, “and I hope that the 568th anniversary of the Istanbul conquest will be useful.

Erdogan said, expressing his gratitude to every member of the blessed army, especially the conqueror Sultan Mehmed Han, who conquered Istanbul and made it the Eternal City of the nation.

“I congratulate all our martyrs, veterans and heroes who sacrificed their lives without blinking for this land to be our home for a thousand years.

I wish the best of luck to our 200 athletes who came from more than 30 countries, especially in Turkey, and participated in the Archery Cup competitions.

I would like to express my special thanks to our archers who brought the spirit of conquest to the present with their arrows saying “Hey Hack”.

“We protect trust by developing and beautifying our Istanbul”

Expressing that the competition is not just a sports competition, Erdogan said, it is a cultural festival in which the meaning of the great turning point that opened and closed the ages is transmitted from generation to generation.

“Although we cannot realize this with the enthusiasm we desire due to the epidemiological conditions, I believe that the excitement of the conquest embodied in the Cup of Fath surrounded the hearts of all our youth, and we show that we protect the ancestral heritage by performing the first Friday.”

With its streets and bridges, Marmaray and the Eurasia tunnel, metro and parks, and most of all, we protect our confidence by developing and beautifying Istanbul through our many services that we provide directly to our people.

In this context, we admire the activities carried out within the Okçular Foundation, which is the First Fatih Foundation in Istanbul.

Which aims to keep the memory of our ancestors and our ancient traditions alive and to bring our youth together with sports. “

“We are building a great and strong Turkey step by step with our youth”

President Erdogan said, noting that the youth inside the institution are proud of their successful work starting from Malazhert to Istanbul, and from there to events abroad.

“We, with our youth, express the courage of Alp Arslan in Malazgirt, Osman’s dream, Gazi in Sogut, Fatih in Istanbul.

“We are building a great and strong Turkey step by step by living the revolution of the Turkish Republic, the power of Gazi Mustafa Kemal in Ankara, and the will to protect its independence on July 15th.

And these young people are the ones who will raise our civilization that we installed on these lands. We made it our home by watering them with our blood and sweat and bringing it to the top.

Today, we are repeating the saga we wrote with archers yesterday with our unmanned aerial vehicles, our programs, our production and our exports.”

President Erdogan said that they implemented all of this, taking into account the importance that grandparents attach to archery and shooting that they attribute to it, and President Erdogan concluded his speech as follows:

“The inability to enter Okemedani without ablution, and the fact that the competitions must start with Basmalah and the ability to use stocks in the exams.

Observance of morals and personality also shows us the way we should follow today.

A tree that has lost its roots cannot survive, and a society that has lost its ties to the roots of its faith and culture cannot survive for long.

We expect our young people to practice sports and traditional arts such as archery, horse riding, sword, calligraphy, lighting, and all kinds of social and cultural activities today with this understanding.

We look to our future with more confidence as we see our young people thinking mentally, feeling their heart and building with taste.

With these feelings, I hope the ninth International Conquest Cup will succeed, I would like to express my gratitude to all of our young people who have taken care of our traditional sports branches in your presence.

I congratulate from the bottom of my heart all the athletes from all over the world who are participating in the Conquest Cup. Once again, I greet you all with affectionate respect.”

The post “Fatah” message to the Turkish people from President Erdogan appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The Archaeological museum in Istanbul is a great blessing for tourists who do not have time to visit all historical and ancient places in this city or in Turkey in general! As in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul you can see a complete list of historical and artistic works in the ancient period, the Islamic period, and especially the Ottoman Empire era.

An overview of Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Istanbul Archaeological Museum includes more than a million valuable pieces dating back to different historical periods of the world. The museum consists of three sections:

• the main building.
• Islamic art museum.
• The Old East Museum.

The Archaeological Museum was founded in June 1891 by the famous Ottoman painter and archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey. In that period it was called the “Royal Museum”, after that, it was rebuilt and expanded between 1902 and 1908. The museum building was also re-expanded in the same century, in 1991,

When you enter the museum, you will see a large statue of the marriage god directly in front of the front door, and on the left there are halls where unique antique sculptures are displayed, from ancient sculptures to Roman sculptures, and the first room also contains tombstones and ancient tombs.

Then you see “Erim Hall” where you can easily see the remains of the Iranian era in Anatolia and the Aphrodite era, as well as in a room called the Three Marble Cities in Anatolia.

The stunning architecture of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum shows the coffins of the black women and the sarcophagus of Alexander, both of which are considered to be the wonders of the museum. The second floor of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum also displays the works of Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Arabia.

The column of King Akkad Nram Sen, and the chainsaw statue are some of the rare and remarkable works found in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which includes a large archive with up to 75,000 cuneiform.

The museum also houses an important and valuable collection of prehistoric artifacts, Greece, Rome and Byzantium eras.

Human civilization in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul

If you are interested in learning about the history of this city and the history of its inhabitants, it is best to plan a visit to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, as the museum includes an important and valuable collection of the prehistoric monuments.

Greece, Rome and Byzantium are beautifully presented, and it is interesting to know that all these collections have been moved from Topkapi Palace to this archaeological museum in Istanbul and the Museum of Islamic and Turkish Art.

The museum is located in Gulhane Park, south of Topkapi Palace, and it houses three separate buildings. While the neoclassical main building is home to the main treasures, inside the courtyard is the Eski Sark Eserleri Museum of Oriental Archeology, dedicated to pre-Islamic artwork, including Babylon’s artwork.

Sections of the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul

Palace of the tiles

The third building in the museum complex is the Cinili Kösk building, which is one of the oldest buildings dating back to the Ottoman era in Istanbul, and it’s the most interesting buildings, because it is one of the oldest and most unique buildings from the Ottoman period in Istanbul. This section was built in 1472, with architecture completely affected by Persian art, as this museum was originally built for Sultan Mehmed Fatih, to be a luxury place so that he can play sports and competitions easily.

All the beautiful porcelain works in this building, mainly made of luxurious Iznik tiles from the 12th to the 19th centuries, which remained remarkably intact.

Division of the coffin of kings

It should be noted that among the main treasures found in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, are the coffin of kings, the results of the Ottoman archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey, which was brought from Sidon, southern Lebanon.

Those valuable and unique coffins from the cemetery of the ancient Kings of Sidon, will surprise you with all the meaning of the word, especially the coffin of Alexander.

In addition to the “Sidon” section of this large section, there are also finds from all over the Ottoman Empire, such as the 5th-century BC Satrap coffins, the Lycian 400 coffins.

The third year BC and the sarcophagus of Sidamara in the third century A.D. refer to the culture and traditions of the ancient people in Istanbul, and if you go to this museum, do not forget to visit this section.

Istanbul throughout the ages

If you are interested in the history of Istanbul, then make sure that you visit this wonderful section, as this exhibition tells the story of the origin of this legendary city. It is a wonderful road that will allow you to not miss a moment in the history of Istanbul.

The outer section of the museum

After visiting the entire Istanbul Archaeological Museum, it is time to take a walk in the famous Gülhane Park, which was formerly the Garden of the Ottoman Kings, and this striking garden is part of the cozy green spaces, located in the center of this ancient city decorated with tulip flowers, shaded trees and beautiful natural scenery on the Gulf of the Golden Horn, that captivates you with its beauty.

How to go to the archaeological museum in Istanbul

As we mentioned above, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is located in the European side of Istanbul, next to Topkapi Palace and Gulhana Park, in the famous Sultanahmet district, where you can find tons of historical sites and hotels.

It is very easy for tourists to get to this amazing historical site from the famous Topkapi Palace.

And the museum can be reached from anywhere in Istanbul using public transportation in the city, including Istanbul metro, buses and trams at Gülhane Station.

Visiting hours at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul

The museum is ready to welcome guests and visitors daily from 9 am to 7 pm, and at specific times you can see the magnificent and valuable works of Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egyptian and Arab civilization and other works mentioned in the previous sections.

Come take a look and have fun!

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