The Istanbul Tile Pavilion (also known as the ’tiled kiosk’) is part of the Archaeological Museums, as we mentioned in this other post. And now we dedicate a complete article to it because its attractiveness deserves it. If you like traditional and decorative arts, a visit to this space will not disappoint you.
A Place to Learn about the History of Turkish Ceramics
The Istanbul Tile Pavilion, as its name suggests, is a museum space dedicated entirely to the ceramic tradition of Turkey, which is one of the richest, most productive and admired in the world. There are beautiful examples of this in the city itself, as can be seen in the Blue Mosque in the nearby Sultanahmet Square.
But visiting this site makes sense if you want to have a more structured understanding. Here you can learn about the origins, evolution, main production centers and great examples of Turkish ceramics, which has been used since time immemorial to decorate religious and civil monuments, but also for everyday use.
A tradition that was already brilliantly present in the times of the Seljuks and that the Ottoman Empire elevated to its maximum expression. The undisputed epicenter was the city of Iznik, from whose kilns came the most appreciated tiles of Asia Minor and the Near East. But mention is also made of other centers of great tradition, such as Bursa.
The different styles of one and another production centers are well reflected in the rooms, highlighting the famous monochrome style of Iznik in blue on a white background, but also other polychrome compositions, with the importance of the golden color as an evocation of the divine presence, as can be seen in the wonderful mihrab of the Ibrahim Bey mosque’s dining hall in Karaman (15th century).
Compositions of vegetal and geometric fantasy invade everything, among which are also inserted beautiful examples of calligraphic decoration. But it is also surprising to find some examples of figurative ceramics, where human beings and animals are recognized, something that was not usual but not infrequent in non-religious contexts, in the production of places like Çanakkale.
A Monumental Building in Itself
In addition to the rich collections that can be visited inside, going to the Istanbul Tile Pavilion represents a good opportunity to admire its architecture, as it is one of the most beautiful palaces in the city. It was built in the 15th century, in the times of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, although the spectacular portico with marble columns is later (18th century).
Of course, all over the facade you can see beautiful tiles, enveloping the arches, framing the columns or simply filling the cloths of the walls, which thus acquire a colorful character of the most striking. All this combined with Persian-style plasterwork.
At the time, it was conceived as a recreation pavilion next to the nearby Topkapi Palace, but in the 19th century it was used as an imperial museum and in the mid-20th century it acquired a character similar to the current one (museum of Turkish and Islamic art).
Information for the Visit
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this content (August 2025), the Istanbul Tile Pavilion remained closed for renovations. We indicate below some basic data for the visit, in case it is already open again during your trip:
- Address: Alemdar Cad. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokuşu Sk. 34122 Gülhane/Fatih
- Price (for the Archaeological Museums): €15
- Hours (to be confirmed): open every day, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
- Website: https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/arkeoloji
- Email: [email protected]
