Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is housed in the 1524 Ibrahim Pasha Palace, the largest surviving secular Ottoman building in the city. The palace was commissioned by Süleyman the Magnificent for his grand vizier Ibrahim Pasha (who was also the brother-in-law and rumored lover of Hürrem — and who was eventually strangled in the palace in 1536 at the sultan's order).

The museum's permanent collection has three big draws. First, the carpet collection — over 500 antique carpets from across the Turkic-speaking world, including the 13th-century Seljuk Holbein-pattern carpets that influenced Renaissance painters like Holbein and Lotto. The second is the ethnographic collection on the upper floors, which walks through daily life, household objects, and wedding traditions across Ottoman regions. The third is the calligraphy gallery, with rare Quran manuscripts and panels.

The palace courtyard is one of the most peaceful spots in the tourist center — the fountain, the plane trees, and the view across to the Blue Mosque make it a natural break in a day of sightseeing. The museum itself is rarely crowded.

~10 EUR, closed Mondays. Right across the street from the Blue Mosque. Combine with a tour of the Hippodrome.