Friday 13 December 2013

Favourite exhibits - Istanbul Archaeological Museums



This museum is one of the top ten in the world . There are 3 museums altogether within the same compound and here are some of the amazing exhibits found here

1. The Ishtar Gate featuring dragons, aurochs and lions. Dedicated to Ishtar the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility. Only 3 museums in the world have the sirrush dragon, holy animal of Babylonian chief god Marduk (It's the topmost animal that looks like a stick) and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums is one of them. 


Auroch.
Holy animal of the god Adad




Lion, holy animal of Ishtar.



2. Sarcophagus of Phoenician King Tabnit found in Sidon,Lebanon. Complete with skeletal mummy on display. At the foot, is a sort of curse that he not be disturbed nor taken out of the tomb.



Well, I got rather spooked over here and I really, really think that they should put him back in and leave him to rest.


3. Ravenna Mosaics


4. Silahtaraga.
Battle of the Gods and Giants



5. Greecian statues, Gods and Goddesses



Poseidon


Oceanus, God of Rivers


Kuoros


6. Super cute Hittite Portal Lions.
This one's called Kapi Aslani.





7. Super creepy Hittite mini sphinxes.
Double sphinx.



Single


8. Temple and church columns



9. Assyrian relics ( correct me if I'm wrong )








10. Basalt statue of Assyrian King Shalmaneser II


11. Yenikapi Byzantine harbour shipwrecks. This is very new, only discovered lately.


 with a mini Noah's Ark like cache of animal remains




12. Fountain of Life over at the Tiled Museum



Not to be confused with the Fountain of Youth, this one's for baptism purposes


13. Egyptian Mummy process 




14. Stele with Hieroglyphics



Hieroglyphic adorning the wooden flooring in the Orient Museum



15. Aramean Sunak Altars





Location : Istanbul Archaeological Museums

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