Home › Exhibits and Resources › Exhibit list › Istanbul
Istanbul: Portrait of a City
Istanbul has a heritage of 16 centuries as an imperial city, an even longer history as the world’s meeting place of culture and commerce, and a population of diverse religious and ethnic groups. It is an exotic, compelling, complicated place, a distillation of history and a harbinger of times to come—an ideal topic for humanities programs that promote global awareness and understanding of other cultures.
Exhibit
Recreating the life of the city through the centuries, with emphasis on the past 500 years, this humanities exhibit in twenty-eight panels features photographs, prints, engravings, and maps depicting the city in its many identities.
Panel topics include:
- Geographical, historical setting of the city
- Byzantine heritage
- the Ottoman conquest
- the Ottoman city
- Istanbul’s global reach
- Imperial government and ceremony
- Religious pluralism
- Learning
- Economic life
- Western influences
- from Empire to Republic
- Contemporary city and urban life
Exhibit format
Freestanding only. 28 panels (14 double-sided units) with 190 visual images and texts arranged behind plexiglas, 32” wide x 40” high. Panels attach to wooden poles to stand 76” high. Included free with exhibit is a 60-minute audiocassette of music from all eras of the city’s history.
Shipping weight (2 wooden crates, 1 fiber case): 480 lbs.
Floor space required: 12’ x 24’
Supplemental materials
- Brochure, illustrated survey of the city's status in the past 500 years. 50 copies free with exhibit.
- Viewer's guide featuring key points to look for, panel by panel. 50 copies free with exhibit.
- Teacher's guide featuring overview, activities, readings. 50 copies free with exhibit.
- Poster featuring evocative image of the city in its watery setting. 5 copies free with exhibit.
Available for rental
- VHS videos
- Byzantium: From Splendor to Ruin
- Süleyman, the Magnificent