23 Ocak 2011 Pazar

The Bunî Pamphlet

Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn Yusuf al-Buni(died 1225) was a well known Sufi and writer on the esoteric value of letters and topics relating to mathematics, sorcery and spirituality, but very little is known about him. Al-Buni lived in Egypt and learned from many eminent Sufi masters of his time. He wrote one of the most famous books of his era, the Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra (Sun of the Great Knowledge) which is one of the most widely read medieval treatises on talismans, magic squares and occult practices. This work rivals the Picatrix in importance. This book was later banned by orthodox Muslims as heretical, but continues to be read and studied.

His another infamous work is called Bunî Risalesi(the Bunî Pamphlet), which is kept hidden from public and academic knowledge because of its contents. It is told that the 1208 page Bûni Pamphlet explains how to summon and dominate a djinn or a demon with charms and spells, the preparations of these spells and charms are also included with every detail. Only a few pages of the manuscript have leaked in 800 years and the very few people, which had the chance to see the original manuscript, has never(or according to some rumors could never) spoke about it.

Whereabouts: In an unknown private manuscript collection in Istanbul, according to some rumors this collection is in Beyazit Library.

21 Ocak 2011 Cuma

The Bell of Galata Tower

The Galata Tower — called Christea Turris (the Tower of Christ in Latin) by the Genoese — is a medieval stone tower in the Galata district of Istanbul, Turkey, just to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most striking landmarks, it is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and affords a panoramic vista of Old Istanbul and its environs.

The tower was built as Christea Turris in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. It was the apex of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata. The current tower should not be confused with the old Tower of Galata, an original Byzantine tower, named Megalos Pyrgos, which controlled the northern end of the massive sea chain that closed the entrance to the Golden Horn. That tower was on a different site and was largely destroyed during the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

The upper section of the tower with the conical cap was slightly modified in several restorations during the Ottoman period when it was used as an observation tower for spotting fires.

According to the Seyahatname of Ottoman historian and traveller Evliya Çelebi, in circa 1630-1632, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew as an early aviator using artificial wings for gliding from this tower over the Bosporus to the slopes of Üsküdar on the Anatolian side, nearly six kilometres away. Evliyâ Çelebi also tells of Hezarfen's brother, Lagari Hasan Çelebi, performing the first flight with a rocket in a conical cage filled with gunpowder in 1633.

Starting from 1717 the Ottomans began to use the tower for spotting fires in the city. There was a bell on the tower that the firemen used to rang in sight of a fire. In 1794, during the reign of Sultan Selim III, the roof of the tower made of lead and wood and the stairs were severely damaged by a fire. Another fire damaged the building in 1831, upon which a new restoration work took place. In 1875, during a storm, the conic roof on the top of the building was destroyed. The tower remained without this conic roof for the rest of the Ottoman period.

Many years later, in 1965-1967, during the Turkish Republic, the original conical cap was restored. During this final restoration in the 1960s, the wooden interior of the tower was replaced by a concrete structure and it was commercialized and opened to the public. The Bell of the Tower has also been moved to Istanbul Archeological Museums for exhibition.

Whereabouts: Istanbul Archeological Museums

18 Ocak 2011 Salı

The Staff of Moses

According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, the staff used by Moses was by his side throughout important milestones in the narrative. Moses led the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea using his staff. Amongst these milestone events or 'miracles of the exodus' the bible describes that the staff was used to part the red sea, produce water from a rock, invoke a plague on the Egyptians, and the staff could even transform itself into a snake.

Till this day rumour has it that the staff's real location is said to be kept secret to stop treasure hunters and onlookers flocking to the area. There are many speculations about what has happened to Moses's staff.

The Midrash (a homiletic method of biblical exegesis) states that the staff was passed down from generation to generation and was in the possession of the Judean kings until the First Temple was destroyed. It is unknown what became of the staff after the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled from their land.

However, according to the identifying document at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Moses's staff is on display today at the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. Furthermore, the Topkapi Palace holds holy relics such as the Prophet Muhammad's footprint, Prophet Muhammad's bow, sword and even his tooth can be seen at the museum. Topkapı Palace was officaiy made a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962. It is said that Sultan Selim I (1512–1520) brought the holy relics to Topkapi Palace after conquering Egypt in 1517. These holy relics where used every year for ceremonial purposes on the fifteenth day of the month of Ramazan several of the items were kissed by the Sultan, his vezirs and dignitaries. This was believed to bring about the victory of good and the defeat of evil, during the reign of Sultan Selim.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

Wings of Hezarfen


Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi was a legendary Ottoman of 17th-century Istanbul, purported to have achieved sustained unpowered flight. The 17th century writings of Evliyâ Çelebi relate this story of Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi, circa 1630-1632:

"First he practiced by flying over the pulpit of Okmeydani eight or nine times with eagle wings, using the force of the wind. Then, as Sultan Murad Khan (Murad IV) was watching from the Sinan Pasha mansion at Sarayburnu, he flew from the very top of the Galata Tower and landed in the Doğancılar square in Üsküdar, with the help of the south-west wind. Then Murad Khan granted him a sack of golden coins, and said: 'This is a scary man. He is capable of doing anything he wishes. It is not right to keep such people,' and thus sent him to Algeria on exile. He died there".
—Evliyâ Çelebi


The title "Hezârfen", given by Evliyâ Çelebi to Ahmed Çelebi, means "a thousand sciences".

In 1648 John Wilkins cites Busbecq, the Austrian ambassador to Istanbul 1554-1562, as recording that "a Turk in Constantinople" attempted to fly. However, if accurate, this citation refers to an event nearly a century prior to the exploits reported by Evliyâ Çelebi.

Evliyâ Çelebi's account of the exploits of Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi is only three sentences long (of a ten volume work), but the story has great currency in Turkey. Other than Evliyâ Çelebi's report, there are no other contemporary references to the events.

Whereabouts: Unknown

Helmet of Orhan I

Orhan I, was the second Bey, or chief, of the nascent Ottoman Empire (then known as the Osmanli principality) from 1324 to 1361. He was the son of Osman I, and his mother was Mal Hatun, daughter of Abdulaziz Bey.

In the early stages of his reign, Orhan focused his energies on conquering most of northwestern Anatolia. The majority of these areas were under Byzantine rule and he won the first battle, the Battle of Pelekanon, against the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Orhan also occupied the lands of Karesi Principality ruled by a Turkish Emir and of Ankara which was controlled by religious fraternity-guilds called Ahis.

During the last years of the civil war in the Byzantine Empire, John VI Cantacuzene induced Orhan to marry Theodora, daughter of Cantacuzene, in order to support him in his aim to become the ruling Emperor, usurping Emperor John V Palaeologus.

In 1354 Orhan's son, Suleyman Pasha (Süleyman Paşa), occupied Gallipoli and gave the Ottoman state a bridgehead into mainland Europe.

Whereabouts: Harbiye Military Museum

17 Ocak 2011 Pazartesi

Zulfiqar

Zulfiqar is the sword of the Islamic leader Ali. In Arabic the name is commonly transliterated as Dhu al-Fiqar, Thulfeqar, Dhulfiqar, Zoulfikar etc. The scimitar is one of the oldest and best known symbols of Islam, and is particularly important to Shī'ah, Alevi, Alawis, and Sufi.

By some accounts, Muhammad presented Zulfiqar to a young Ali at the Battle of Uhud. During the battle, Ali struck one of the fiercest adversaries, breaking both his helmet and his shield. Imām Husayn ibn Ali used Zulfiqar in the Battle of Karbala, and as a result it is seen by Shi'a Muslims as a symbol of honor and martyrdom. A few conflicting images of the sword exist: some show two parallel blades to emphasize its mystical abilities and speed, while others portray a more traditionally shaped scimitar, and others depict a split, V-shaped blade. Shia Muslims, who consider Ali the rightful successor to Muhammad, consider the sword to be exceptional because its bearers were both Muhammad and Ali, who was highly regarded among Muslims and non-Muslims.

By most historical accounts, Ali used the sword at the Battle of the Trench to cut a fierce Meccan opponent and his shield in two halves. The opponent was Amr ibn Abdawad, whose strength was often compared to that of a thousand men. No one had dared to fight him except Ali, who killed him with one powerful blow. Though Amr wore strong armor and carried powerful weapons, he is said to have been no match to Ali and his sword.

According to the Twelver Shia, Zulfiqar is currently in the possession of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi, as part of his collection called al-Jafr. Different rumors claim that the sword resides in the Topkapi Palace with the other relics of caliph.

Whereabouts: Unknown

Aviator Goggles of Ataturk


"The future is in the sky."

Whereabouts: Pera Palace

The Tortoise Trainer

Osman Hamdi Bey (1842 – 24 February 1910) was an Ottoman statesman, intellectual, art expert and also a prominent and pioneering Turkish painter. He was also an accomplished archaeologist, and is considered as the pioneer of the museum curator's profession in Turkey. He was the founder of Istanbul Archaeology Museums and of Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts, known today as the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts.

His 1906 painting, "The Tortoise Trainer", recently broke a record in Turkey by being sold for the amount of 3.5 million dollars in December 2004. The painting expresses a sarcastic innuendo on the painter's own view of his style of work compared to those of his collaborators and apprentices, and is also a reference to the historical fact of tortoises having been employed for illuminative and decorative purposes, by placing candles on the shell, in evening outings during the Tulip Era in the early 18th century. The painting was acquired by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation and is currently on display at the Pera Museum in İstanbul, which was established by this foundation.

Modern researchers have identified the animals portrayed are Testudo graeca ibera, a variety of the Spur-thighed Tortoise. A reproduction of the painting appeared on the cover of the Bibliotheca Herpetologica issue in which the paper about the identification was published.

Whereabouts: Pera Palace

Edison's Patent Model

One of the most significant items in the collection of Koç Museum is this 1876 patent model by Thomas Edison, describing a method of improving the telegraph system so that it could send alphabetic letters instead of symbols. Edison was one of the most prolific and significant inventors of all time, and his patent models are much sought after by museums and collectors alike.

Whereabouts: Koç Museum

The Bridge Plans of Leonardo


One of Leonardo's more grandiose schemes was for a grand single-span bridge to leap 1,155 feet (347 meters) across the Golden Horn inlet near Istanbul. At the time, it would have been the longest bridge of any kind in the world, and it would have dwarfed any single span bridge built in several succeeding centuries. Leonardo proposed his bridge to the visionary Ottoman Sultan, Bayazit II, in 1502. Bayazit (there are lots of alternate spellings) reigned from 1481 until 1512, and he had many notable accomplishments, including opening mental hospitals (1484 and later), protecting Christian monasteries from further gubernatorial depredations (decree of 1491) and rescuing the Jews expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and (1492.) The latter two acts certainly contributed to the intellectual excellence that characterized his reign. But even Bayazit and his brilliant advisors did not understand Leonardo's concept.

Leonardo's bridge had to wait 500 years to be built, albeit on a smaller scale (slightly less than one-fifth), of different materials (wood rather than stone) and far removed from the Golden Horn (in the small town of Aas in southern Norway). A really ugly modern bridge was finally built at Galata, the site of Leonardo's proposed bridge across the Golden Horn, in the 20th century. But the Aas bridge, which opened in November of 2001, proved Leonardo's concept, and there are plans for other bridges on his design. What took so long?

Leonardo's design was well known, at least among bridge builders and engineers. What was missing -- as it had been in Leonardo's own time -- was faith in his calculations, which may have accompanied his actual proposal letter to Bayazit, but which were not with drawings in his notebooks or with surviving documentation of the proposal. Working only from drawings, no one could really know if a real bridge would stand. Models had been made, displayed, and tested in engineering schools around the world, and they certainly stood up to static stress and pressure tests. But bridges aren't static. Even in modern times, there have been dramatic failures including the much-filmed collapse of the first Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940 due to resonance in high winds and the fall of the Tasman Bridge after being struck by a ship in 1975. There have also been dramatic near-failures: only good luck saved the Golden Gate Bridge, whose central suspension span dramatically flattened beneath throngs of admirers during its 50th anniversary celebration in 1987: folks were quietly ushered off, and there was no horrendous news story that night. And London's Southwark Millennium Bridge, a 350-meter suspended pedestrian span, the city's first new river bridge in more than a century, had to be closed immediately after its June, 2000, opening weekend, because there was unexpected and scarily dramatic swaying.

Modern computers might be able handle active bridge-stress models, but the software designers and the engineers providing the parameters have to do perfect work, which, of course, they can't. So there's always a leap of faith. And with bridge spans you can't simply "overbuild" -- make them more robust than even worst nightmares might demand -- your like you do in some other structures. "Robustness" in bridge spans simply adds more weight.

So why was Leonardo's bridge so scary for so long? First, it looks too thin even to support its own weight. That's an illusion, of course, but city fathers (and Sultans) who have to put up the cash are deterred by such considerations. Arched bridges were not unknown, but the integrity of an arch is mostly based on its ability to translate forces that push outward into forces that push downward. If you want it to push downward, you have to build a high semi-circular arch. You can buttress arches to help to control residual outward forces (even after the fact, as with the buttresses added to the church of St. Francis in Assisi), but any attempt to flatten the arch increases the out-thrusting component. Flatten the arch too much and even the strongest bases and buttresses won't hold. Leonardo's arch is "obviously" too flat -- obvious, at least, to non-engineer bill-payers.

Leonardo knew that no soil or even bedrock could withstand the accumulated outward thrust of a long flat arch unless that thrust could be spread out over a much wider area. His design accomplishes this by splitting and splaying out the ends of the lower supporting arch. The wide ends press down and outward over a very much wider area, distributing and dispersing the forces. The roadway is carried on another superimposed arch, which is recurved like an archery bow and springs from between the splits in the broadened ends. It is supported at its center by the top of the lower arch.

It's not so hard to understand once you've seen Leonardo's actual drawing. (The ship drawn below the bridge in the lower part of the drawing is there to indicate the drawing's scale. Its high stern of shows that it is one of the larger vessels of its day.)

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

Sword of Muhammad


Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, the great figure of the Islamic faith, is regarded by Muslims as the messenger and prophet of God and among the many great deeds and traits were those of the cunning mind of a military general. His sword is a symbol of his majesty and importance. His followers cherished every aspect of his life from teachings to physical possessions including his sword.

The sacred relics in the treasury in Alexandria, as well as those with the Abbasid caliphs in Egypt were transferred to Istanbul. These relics were preserved with honor in the sultan’s throne room and for 400 years the Holy Qur’an was read next to them in reverence. Positively identified, the original sword now lies in the amazing collection in Topkapi Palace.

This 100 cm. long sword has a wood grip w/ black leather hilt. The cross guard and pommel are decorated with 24K gold floral designs in relief. The scabbard is wood covered with leather and is ornamented with 24K gold and hand embroidered straps. The steel blade is hand forged and finished in gleaming nickel plate, preserving this amazing sword for years of beautiful display. The sword weighs 2 ¼ lbs. This is the sword of the Messenger of God.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

15 Ocak 2011 Cumartesi

Fragment of the Pillar of the Flagellation


The Flagellation of Christ, sometimes known as Christ at the Column or the Scourging at the Pillar, is a scene from the Passion of Christ very frequently shown in Christian art, in cycles of the Passion or the larger subject of the Life of Christ. It is the fourth station of the modern alternate Stations of the Cross, and a Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary. The column to which Christ is normally tied, and the rope, scourge, whip or birch are elements in the Arma Christi — various places, claimed to possess the original fragments of column. One of the fragments can be seen in the Church of St. George, which is located at Fener district.

Whereabouts: Church of St. George

Typewriter of Agatha Christie



Dame Agatha Christie(15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), was a British crime writer of novels, short stories and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 80 detective novels—especially those featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple—and her successful West End theatre plays.According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Christie is the best-selling writer of books of all time and, with William Shakespeare, the best-selling author of any kind. Only the Bible has sold more than her roughly four billion copies of novels. According to UNESCO, Christie is the most translated individual author, with only the collective corporate works of Walt Disney Productions surpassing her. Her books have been translated into at least 103 languages.

Her Royal Portable typewriter is now on display at the Pera Palace Hotel, where Agatha Christie has been one of the hotel's most ardent visitors. The "Agatha Christie Room", number 411, is now preserved in her honor. It is rumored that she wrote Murder on the Orient Express here. This seems likely since the hotel was originally founded in 1892 for the specific purpose of hosting passengers arriving on the Orient Express train and no doubt served as an inspiration to the "Queen of Crime".

Whereabouts: Pera Palace

Throne of Nadir Shah


This throne was among the spoils of war brought back from Mughal India by the Iranian ruler Nadir Shah, who presented it as a gift to Mahmud I (1730/1754). In early years it was mistaken known as the Shah Ismail Throne.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

Holy Mantle

There are actually two different Holy Mantles. One of them is called Hırka-i Saadet, which is believed to have been given by Muhammad to a pagan Arab named Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, whose children sold it to Muawiyah I, the founder of the Umayyad dynasty. After the fall of the Umayyads, the Mantle went to Baghdad under the Abbasids, and finally ended up in Cairo where Selim I took it and brought it to Topkapi in 1595.

Other one is the Hırka-i Şerif, the cloak worn by the Profit Mohammad was under the care of the Uwais al-Qarni family until Sultan Ahmet I had it brought to Istanbul in 1611. Sultan Abdülhamid I kept it in a small room he had built especially for the mantle. Then later, Sultan Abdülmecid cleared about 700 homes to build the mosque presently on this site (constructed 1847-51). The pew on the northern side of the mosque was exclusively for the use of the Sultan. Today the mantle is only displayed during the month of Ramadan.

Uwais al-Qarni (Anis al-Qarni, Oveys Gharani and Veysel Karani) converted to Islam during Muhammad's lifetime, though they never met in person. Following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE, Qarni met Umar and Ali. The Uwaisi form of spiritual transmission in the vocabulary of Sufism is named after Uwais al-Qarni, as it refers to the transmission of spiritual knowledge between two individuals without the need for physical interaction between them.

"The Grand Seignor having taken it out of the Coffer, kisses it with much respect, and puts it into the hands of the Capi-Aga, who is come into the Room by his Order, after they had taken the Impressions of the Seal. The Officer sends to the Overseer of the Treasury, for a large golden Cauldron, which is brought in thither by some of the Senior-Pages. It is so capacious, according to the description which they gave me of it, as to contain the sixth part of a Tun, and the out-side of it is gamish'd, in some places, with Emeralds, and Turquezes. This Vessel is fill'd with water within six fingers breadth of the brink, and the Capi-Aga, having put Mahomet's Garment into it, and left it to soak a little while, takes it out again, and wrings it hard, to get out the water it has imbib'd, which falls into the Cauldron, taking great care that there falls not any of it to the ground. That done, with the said water he fills a great number of Venice-Chrystl Bottles, containing about half a pint, and when he has stopp'd them, he Seals them with the Grand Seignor's Seal. They afterwards set the Garment a drying, till the twentieth day of the Ratnazan, and then his Highness comes to see them put [it] up again in the Coffer."


Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace(Hırka-i Saadet) and Mosque of the Holy Mantle(Hırka-i Şerif)

14 Ocak 2011 Cuma

The Topkapi Dagger


An Oguz Turk from the Avsar Tribe named Nadir Han, having overthrown the Safevi dynasty and taken the throne of Iran as Shah Nadir, embarked upon a great series of conquests. First he marched against the Timurogullari in India, and entering their capital city of Delhi carried off their legendary treasury to Iran. Among the treasures there was also the famous Peacock Throne, which is now on display at the Topkapi Palace Treasury as the Nadir Shah Throne. The campaign extended as far as Turkestan and the Caucasus Mountains. Thinking to establish good and friendly relations with the Ottomans, Nadir Shah sent two of his trusted men, Sanli Mustafa Han and Mehmed Mehdi Han with an embassy and extremely valuable gifts to the Ottoman Padishah, Sultan Mahmud the First. Among these gifts was included the Peacock Throne taken from the Delhi treasures.

On 11 May 1747, the Ottoman Padishah Mahmud the First also sent an embassy with valuable gifts and led by Kesriyeli Ahmed Pasha to Nadir Shah. Among the gifts which Sultan Mahmud sent was a particularly outstanding dagger whose handle and sheath were decorated with precious stones. The Treasury Master had had this dagger made by the foremost jewelers of Istanbul, having provided all the stones necessary from the Treasury. The ambassadors of the two sides met near Baghdad and with a special ceremony displayed their treasures to one another. A few days later the Iranian embassy set out for Baghdad and the Turkish embassy for Hamedan.

About the time the Turkish embassy crossed the Iranian border, news reached them that Nadir Shah had been assassinated in his headquarters at Fethabad. With nothing left to do, the leader of the embassy, Ahmed Pasha decided to return immediately so as to prevent the gifts from being plundered. Indeed after a host of troubles they managed to return no Ottoman lands, but no damage had occurred to the gifts. Arriving in Istanbul they surrendered the gifts in their original condition to be Treasury. The Iranian embassy on the other hand had reached Baghdad and requested asylum from the Ottoman government, which was granted to them. All the gifts which they had brought with them, including of course the Peacock Throne were handed over to the Ottoman Treasury.

Thus today the Emerald Dagger, subject of the movie "Topkapi", is on display at the Treasury of Topkapi Palace, the dagger which had been prepared among the gifts to be sent to Nadir Shah. The dagger is 35 centimeters long. On one side of the sheath are there large, clear emeralds the size of pigeon's eggs, and it is for this reason that it has become famous as the "Emerald Dagger". The emeralds are surrounded with diamonds. At the point of the handle is an octagonal cover of emerald, which reveals a small watch when lifted. The cover and the handle are decorated with enamel and diamonds. The dagger's sheath, made of gold, has a separate beauty and richness of its own. The enamelled flowers and diamonds each constituting a separate motif dazzle the eye. At the lightly turned end of the sheath is a large emerald.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

The Map of Piri Reis

The Piri Reis map is a pre-modern world map compiled in 1513 from military intelligence by the Ottoman-Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. The half of the map that survives shows the western coasts of Europe and North Africa and the coast of Brazil with reasonable accuracy. Various Atlantic islands including the Azores and Canary Islands are depicted, as is the mythical island of Antillia and possibly Japan. The historical importance of the map lies in its demonstration of the extent of exploration of the New World by approximately 1510, perhaps before others. It used 10 Arabian sources, 4 Indian maps sourced from Portuguese and one map of Columbus.

The map was discovered serendipitously on 9 October 1929, through the philological work of the German theologian, Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1866-1937). He had been commissioned by the Turkish Ministry of Education to catalogue the Topkapı Sarayı library's non-Islamic items. At Deissmann's request to search the palace for old maps and charts, the director Halil Edhem(1861-1938) managed to find some disregarded bundles of material, which he handed over to Deissmann. Realising that the map might be a unique find, Deissmann showed it to the orientalist Paul Kahle who identified it as a map drawn by Piri Reis. The discovery caused an international sensation, as it presented the only then known copy of a world map of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), and was the only 16th century map that showed South America in its proper longitudinal position in relation to Africa. Geographers had spent several centuries unsuccessfully searching for a "lost map of Columbus" that was supposedly drawn while he was in the West Indies.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

Caftan of Mehmet the Conqueror


The caftan that is told to be worn by Mehmed II during the conquer of Konstantinople.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

The Spoonmaker's Diamond

The Spoonmaker's Diamond, the pride of the Topkapi Palace Museum and its most valuable single exhibit as part of the Imperial Treasury, it is an 86 carats (17 g) pear-shaped diamond. Surrounded by a double row of 49 old mine-cut diamonds and well spotlighted, it hangs in a glass case on the wall of one of the rooms of the treasury. The surrounding separate brilliants give it the appearance of a full moon lighting a bright and shining sky amidst the stars.

Various stories are told about the Soonmarker's Diamond According to one tale, a poor fisherman in Istanbul near Yenikapi was wandering idly, empty-handed along the shore when he found a shiny stone among the litter, which he turned over one over not knowing what it was. After carrying it about in his pocket for a few days, he stopped by the jewelers Market, showing it to the first jeweler he encountered. The jeweler took a casual glance at the stone and appeared disinterested, saying "It's a piece of glass, take it away if you like, or if you like I'll give you three spoons. You brought it all the way here, at least let it be worth your trouble." What was the poor fisherman to do with this piece of glass? What's more the jeweler had felt sorry for him and was giving three spoons. He said okay and took the spoons, leaving in their place an enormous treasure. It is for this reason they say that the diamond's name became the "Spoonmaker's Diamond" According to another tale, the person finding the diamond was a spoonmaker, or the diamond was given this name because it resembled the bowl of a spoon. Even today it is not known how this diamond came to the Ottoman Palace, who it was obtained from or how. Even though a ring stone called the Spoonmaker's Diamond which belonged to Sultan Mehmet IV appears listed in museum records, this stone along with its gold is only 10 to 12 grams, which is much smaller than our Spoonmaker's Diamond. So where did the Spoonmaker's Diamond come from then? While the experts go on researching this subject, in recent years a new story has begun to be told.

In 1774 a French officer by the name of Pigot purchased a diamond from the Maharajah of Madras and brought it to France. After changing a number of hands, the diamond was put up for sale at auction, in which Napoleon's mother purchased it. For a long time she wore it on her breast. When Napoeon was sent into exile, his aged mother put the diamond up for sale in order to be able save her son.

One of Tepedelenli Ali Pasa's men, who was in France at the time, bought the diamond on the Pasa's behalf for 150 thousand gold pieces, bringing it back and handing it over. During the reign of Mahmud II, Tepedelenli Ali Pasa was killed on allegations of rebelling against the State, and his treasure was confiscated. The whole lot of precious jewelry was moved to the Ottoman Treasury, during the course of which the diamond purchased from Napoleon's mother, subsequently becoming famous as the Spoonmaker's Diamond, also entered the Treasury.

It is known that the stone known in France as the Pigot Diamond which was purchased by Tepedelenli Ali Pasa's men was 86 carats. The Spoonmaker's Diamond in the Treasury of Topkapi Museum is also 86 carats. Thus, the world-renowned Pigot diamond must be the Spoonmaker's Diamond in Topkapi.

Actually, among the world's 22 famous diamonds, the 191 carat diamond known as the Koh-I-nur (Mountain of Light) was found in India and is today in the British Royal Treasury. The diamond known as the Derya-i-nur or Sea of Light is held today in the National Bank of Iran. The Southern Star diamond of 128 carats found in Brazil in 1853, the Grand Mongol Diamond, and the Pigot or our Spoonmaker's Diamond are among these 22 diamonds.

Experts are of the opinion that the two rows of 49 brilliants surrounding the Spoonmarker's Diamond were added later. These 49 brilliants were ordered arranged either by Tepedelenli Ali Pasa, or by Mahmud II. These brilliants provide an additional beauty to the Spoonmaker's Diamond and increase its value by as much again.

Whereabouts: Topkapi Palace

Chain of Golden Horn


The Golden Horn forms a deep natural harbor for the peninsula it encloses together with the Sea of Marmara. The Byzantine Empire had its naval headquarters there, and walls were built along the shoreline to protect the city of Constantinople from naval attacks. At the entrance to the Horn, there was a large chain pulled across from Constantinople to the old Tower of Galata (which was known as the Megàlos Pyrgos, Great Tower, in Greek among the Byzantines) on the northern side, preventing unwanted ships from entering. This tower was largely destroyed by the Latin Crusaders during the Fourth Crusade (1204), but the Genoese built a new tower nearby, the famous Galata Tower (1348) which they called Christea Turris (Tower of Christ).

There were three notable times when the chain across the Horn was either broken or circumvented. In the 10th century the Kievan Rus' dragged their longships out of the Bosporus, around Galata, and relaunched them in the Horn; the Byzantines defeated them with Greek fire. In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, Venetian ships were able to break the chain with a ram. In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, having failed in his attempt to break the chain with brute force, instead used the same tactic as the Rus', towing his ships across Galata into the estuary over greased logs.

Whereabouts: Harbiye Military Museum

13 Ocak 2011 Perşembe

Alexander Sarcophagus


The Alexander Sarcophagus is considered as the most important artifact in the İstanbul Archaeological Museums. It was found in the Royal Necropolis in Sidon in 1887.

Though it is called the Alexander Sarcophagus, in fact, it does not belong to Alexander the Great. It is thought to be the sarcophagus of Abdalonymus, the king of Sidon. .

On the front side of the sarcophagus, Alexander is shown on his horse. Since Alexander claimed descent from Heracles, he is depicted with the skin of the Nemean Lion on his head. Additionally, next to his ear, a ram horn, the symbol of the Egyptian god Amun is seen. Because of this depiction on the sarcophagus, it was named after Alexander. In fact, Alexander the Great died in Babylon and his body was transferred to Alexandria. It is known that his sarcophagus was an anthropoid one.

On one of the long sides of the sarcophagus, there is a scene of battle between Persians and Greeks. Greek and Persian soldiers can easily be distinguished thanks to their outfits. Greeks have short tunics or cloaks, whereas Persian soldiers, who had to cover all parts of their bodies excluding their faces and fingers, wear trousers, more than one long-sleeved shirts and tiaras covering their heads. The scene of battle is thought to represent the Battle of Issus, won by Alexander the Great in 333 BC and opened the doors of Phoenicia and Syria. As a result of this battle, the fate of Abdalonymus, who is thought to be the owner of the sarcophagus, changed and he became the king of Sidon after a while.

Two hunting scenes are depicted on the second long side of the sarcophagus. It is known that hunting with horses and carriages was usual for Near Eastern civilizations and that Alexander the Great participated in such events in Phoenicia.

It is accepted that Alexander's aim was to establish a Greek-Persian empire through uniting Eastern and Hellenistic cultures after conquering Iran. Towards the end of his life, he married a Persian princess, started to wear Persian clothes and accepted Persian dynastic customs. The Persians and Greeks who friendly hunt on one side of the sarcophagus should be considered within this perspective. It is known that after defeating Darius III in Issus, Alexander the Great passed through the Amanus Mountains and entered Syria following the Mediterranean shores. The people of Sidon, who disliked the Persian administration, opened the doors of the rich cities to the Macedon army and asked Alexander the Great to choose a king for them. Alexander, who had no time to choose a king for Sidon, gave this job to Hephaestion. He found Abdalonymus, who was a distant relative of the royal dynasty of Sidon but who had a quiet life in the country until chosen as the king. The name of Abdalonymus means "servant of gods" in Persian and the Alexander the Great and Hephaestion depictions were therefore added to the sarcophagus ordered by him.

When the carvings are analyzed, it is understood that those who made this sarcophagus were masters of the Eastern art of decoration. The upper row of the acroter consists of eagles, partially with no remains other than pieces of wings, and women heads. In the Ancient Syria, it was believed that eagles were birds carrying the souls of dead people to heaven. Nine smaller women heads that line up at the bottoms of each of two sides bring the mother goddess worshipped since the prehistoric periods of Anatolia and Mesopotamia to mind. Upper acroters of the both pediments are decorated with Persian griffins and herbal figures. At each of the corners of the pediment, a lion is placed as sarcophagus protectors. Those lions with thin necks and small bodies, which resemble dogs, are elements belonging to the Ionian art.

Both the body and the cover of the sarcophagus is made of the same kind of marble. The carvings on the sarcophagus are so fine that it is thought that this artifact should have been made in Sidon since it would have been too dangerous to transfer such a work from Greece to Lebanon. There is no information about its sculptor. Painters of the sarcophagus should have been masters of their job as well. It seems that the eyes, eyelashes, lips and clothes were dyed in purple, yellow, blue, red and violet, and that the figures were slightly varnished.

Whereabouts: Istanbul Archaeology Museums

Treaty of Kadesh


The Treaty of Kadesh, the earliest peace treaty known, was concluded between the two big political and military powers of the 13th century BC, the Hittite and Egyptian empires. The clay tablet containing the text of this treaty sealed by Hattusili III, the king of the Hittite empire and the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II was found during excavations at Boğazköy in 1906.

Before the emergence of this artifact, only the text of this treaty carved on a stele in the Egyptian Tempel of Karnak in Egyptian hieroglyphs was known. In the inscription, it is stated that Hattusili III had made the text of the treaty carved on a silver plate and sent to Egypt; but this version could not be found yet. The tablet in Akkadian, then the language of diplomacy, had many missing pieces and contained only about half of the text. During later excavations, four pieces belonging to the main text were found and the missing parts were completed. The text of the treaty sealed under equal conditions reads:

"It is concluded that Reamasesa-Mai-amana (the cuneiform transcription of Ramesses II) , the Great King, the king (of the land of Egypt) with Hattusili, the Great King, the king of the land of Hatti, his brother, for the land of Egypt and the land of Hatti, in order to establish a good peace and a good fraternity forever among them." Later, information about the ancestors of the two kings and their efforts aimed at achieving peace are described repeatedly, before the articles of the treaty. Those articles may be listed as follows:

"If domestic or foreign enemies marches against one of these two countries and if they ask help from each other, both parties will send their troops and chariots in order to help. If a nobleman flees from Hatti and seeks refuge in Egypt, the king of Egypt will catch him and send back to his country.

If people flee from Egypt to Hatti or from Hatti to Egypt, those will be sent back. However, they will not be punished severely, they will not shed tears and their wives and children will not be punished in revenge."

Since it is the first written peace treaty in the history, a 2-meter long copper copy of the original tablet was hanged on a wall of the United Nations building.

Whereabouts: Istanbul Archaeology Museums

The Oldest Love Poem


This inscription, dating from the 8th century BC and belonging to the Ancient Babylonian Era, is described as the world's oldest known love poem. According to the Sumerian belief, it was a sacred duty for the king to marry every year a priestess instead of Inanna, the goddess of fertility and sexual love, in order to make the soil and women fertile. This poem was most probably written by a bride chosen for Shu-Sin in order to be sung at the New Year festival and it was sung at banquets and festivals accompanied by music and dance.

Its translation:

Bridegroom, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet,
Lion, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet.


Bridegroom, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey,
In the bedchamber, honey-filled,
Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,
Lion, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savory than honey.
Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,
Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,
My father, he will give you gifts.


You, because you love me,
Give me pray of your caresses,
My lord god, my lord protector,
My SHU-SIN, who gladdens ENLIL's heart,
Give my pray of your caresses

Whereabouts: Istanbul Archaeology Museums