“What Byzantinism Is This in Istanbul!”

Byzantium in Popular Culture

November 23, 2021 - March 6, 2022

Istanbul Research Institute’s exhibition at the Pera Museum called “What Byzantinism Is This in Istanbul!”: Byzantium in Popular Culture, curated by Emir Alışık, navigates through the eclectic presence of Byzantium in popular culture. 

From Istanbul to Byzantium

Paths to Rediscovery, 1800–1955

November 23, 2021 - March 6, 2022

Pera Museum and Istanbul Research Institute’s exhibition From Istanbul to Byzantium: Paths to Rediscovery, 1800–1955, curated by Brigitte Pitarakis, explores the central role of the Ottoman capital in shaping the emerging discipline of Byzantine studies.

Notes for Tomorrow

November 23, 2021 - March 6, 2022

Notes for Tomorrow features artworks from around the world, brought together to reflect on a new global reality ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the ever-present backdrop of the crisis, Independent Curators International (ICI) turned to 30 curators from 25 countries to question and reassess values and relevance in contemporary culture, and to share an artwork they believe is vital to be seen today. 

Intersecting Worlds

Ambassadors and Painters

Since its earlier periods, The Ottoman Empire has established intense relations with European states. Urged by curiosity and a certain degree of fear at times, the West's efforts, on the other hand, to be acquainted with and understand this government of immense military power and source of political authority, emerged as a political exigency. 

Coffee Break

The Adventure of Coffee in Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics

Discovered in Ethiopia as the “magic fruit,” and reaching the land of the Ottomans through Yemen in the 15th century, coffee soon assumed its place as a prestigious beverage in the palace and wealthy households. 

Osman Hamdi Bey

The life and art of Osman Hamdi Bey through his works in the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Collection

An Ottoman intellectual raised by the Tanzimat Era… An exceptional personality, who made substantial, diversified and lifelong contributions to various fields of culture and arts such as painting, archaeology, museology, and art education...

The Art of Weights and Measures

Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection

As the measurement of discovery became the substance of myths, weighing and measuring, beyond being mere physical actions, became an important means of self-expression to those captivated by the universe and what lay beyond the boundaries of knowledge.