While I was in Istanbul for a friend's wedding last weekend, I got the chance to see the 250-piece exhibition Louvre in Istanbul featuring Islamic art from the three capitals of Islamic art history, Istanbul, Isfahan and Delhi. The exhibition was housed in the lavish mansion that used to belong to a famous Turkish businessman, Sakip Sabanci, and was curated extremely well.The historical introduction to each segment of the exhibition provided the necessary backdrop for understanding the pieces as they were perceived at their time, though most of the carpets, calligraphy and china on display were breathtaking solely through their artistry and beauty. Needless to say, I was very proud to have seen the exhibition, but slightly annoyed that the Louvre was housing all of these national treasures from our past, but that's another story so I'll move on...
The mansion itself was beautiful. Designed by an Italian architect in the 1940's, it hints at Versailles and other European royal courts with its interiors. The mansion is widely referred to as Atlı Köşk (Equestrian Villa) because of the bronze horse statue that sits in its front garden welcoming anyone who enters the premises. The view of the Bosphorus from the garden is a sight to behold. What I would give to have that view every morning of every day...
Check out the link to see some pics of the pieces on display and some other pics from my trip to Istanbul last weekend.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ysolmaz/SpringInIstanbulApr2008
On a further note, I found the TV spot that was created for the exhibition on youtube. It's minimalistic but very effective. Check it out!
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