Incredible mosaics, beautifully preserved by wendywitch
Astonishingly, the fee to get into the Mosaic Museum was only 4YTL (Sept. ’05), a mere pittance for what you get to see. The mosaics are from the 5th and 6th century, from a Byzantine palace. They were part of a massive courtyard, excavated (rediscovered) in 1935. The colors of the tiles are remarkably vibrant, and one can only imagine how glorious they were once upon a time.
It doesn’t take long to go through the museum, which is located behind the Arasta Bazaar, in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. It’s easy to find, and with the admission so low, there’s no reason not to visit. I was moved enough by the beauty of the mosaics, that I confused the ticket man (one of the few people whose English was not very good) and insisted on buying a second ticket, because there was no word for “donation” in my phrasebook.
over 5 years ago
