Fodor's Expert Review Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi

Süleyman the Magnificent commissioned Sinan to build this grandiose stone palace overlooking the Hippodrome in about 1520 for his brother-in-law, the grand vizier Ibrahim Pasha, and it is one of the most important surviving examples of secular Ottoman architecture from its time. It now houses the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, which has an exceptional collection of Islamic art and artifacts dating from the 7th through 20th century, including lavishly illustrated Korans and other calligraphic manuscripts; intricate metalwork; wood and stone carvings; an astrolabe from the 1200s; colorful ceramics; religious relics and artifacts, including an elaborate hajj certificate and device for determining the direction of Mecca; and one of the world's most highly regarded troves of antique carpets.