Erdem Yucel

This is a small attractive book of illustrations and some explanatory text about the history and archaeology of Great Palace Mosaic Museum in Istanbul , dating back to the early years of the establishment of Constantinople Located in today's Sultanahmet district , the mosaic museum is accessed through the Arasta Bazaar.. The museum is one of the less well known and visited sites in the city but if you are interested in the Eastern Roman empire and the magnificence of the decorative mosaics the museum is well worth a visit and the book is a special souvenir of this treasured and lovingly presented art works. An introductory map imagines the layout of the Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome , the Great Palace and the surrounding areas during the Byzantium era . It was a sophisticated , rich and well organized core of Eastern Roman civilization and Early Christianity . The museum offers a taste of the grandeur of the palace , which was the administrative hub. the floors and wall panels are indeed the most magnificent examples of early mosaics ; the mosaics were made of small cubes of glass, baked clay and limestone and the themes depicted are of rural life and bucolic landscapes . Hunting scenes, animals such as deers, snakes , lions and mythical creatures as well as people in ordinary country settings or enjoying country pursuits are fresh and delightful , despite the fact that we see fragments . One realizes that the project was one of years of archaeological endeavor and . This book is an excellent overview of the series of mosaics on the floor. The fold out plan of the museum makes one realize that it is a fragmentary survival but what a miracle that we can glimpse into this other special ancient world of emperors and rulers.… (mais)