Epic Travel → Europe → Turkey → Great Palace Mosaic Museum

Location: Sultanahmet District, Istanbul

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Admission is 15 TL (around $4 US) – alternatively you can buy the Museum Pass (85 TL), which is good for 5 days and will also allow you admission to the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Open daily from 9am – 5pm (until 7pm during the summer, 15 April – 25 October); other hours may be observed on religious holidays. For more information, visit the official website.

What’s Nearby?: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Gülhane Park

Not much is left of the Great Palace, which was built when Constantine I moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in 330 CE, but was in ruins a thousand years later and was demolished during the rebuilding of Constantinople during the Ottoman era. Less than 25% of the total area covered by the palace has since been excavated (significant portions of the palace lie under existing historically important buildings, like the Blue Mosque), but excavations carried out in the early to middle 1900’s uncovered a spectacular series of wall and floor mosaics which had decorated a large courtyard in the palace. These mosaics were preserved and transferred to the Mosaic Museum, where they are currently on display. The museum is located right next to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, and is certainly worth a stop if you have any interest at all in art, history, or marveling at the patience of people willing to take 5mm square tiles and create amazing images.

Epic Travel → Europe → Turkey → Great Palace Mosaic Museum