Many people have asked where is the Museum of Innocence in Istanbul? Many people have searched for the Museum of Innocence, the museum Orhan Pamuk speaks of in his novel of the same name. Such a great body of literature must have a home – a museum where that which is collected can be placed for the future collective memory of people.
In my search for the Museum, I found only one thing. A Facebook page for fans who love and are obsessed with the novel by Pamuk. The Museum of Innocence details the obsession, passion and other great questions of love. Orhan Pamuk is establishing a museum in Istanbul based on the novel to exhibit the objects mentioned in the book.
The Museum of Innocence was published in August 2008. Pamuk said in an interview with Der Spiegel that,
The famous quinze grater
“The Museum of Innocence ” chronicles the love story of Kemal, an upper-class person, a person who is occasionally described as high-society. He is 30 years old in 1975 and chronicles his infatuation with a distant relative, a twice removed cousin, Fusun, an 18 year-old shop girl, but very beautiful. As sort of a compensation for his failure to get her hand, he collects everything he can get that Fusun touches, and in the end he makes a museum of the objects that their story is associated with.
The latest news of the Museum of Innocence is that it is expected the Museum will open in the Spring 2011,which, of course is now. We will update when further news is available.
Ümit Yigit began a fan page in Facebook for the Museum of Innocence and is organizing a tour in Istanbul of the places Pamuk mentions in the story of the love of Kemal and Fusun. Visit his page in Facebook to find out more.
Between September 15 and November 20, 2010, you will have the opportunity to experience “Istanbul 1910-2010: The City, Built Environment and Architectural Culture Exhibition,” a project which conveys the architectural and culture evolution of the city of Istanbul over a period of 100 years.
This project is on the economic, social and architectural evolution of
Istanbul. The City, Built Environment and Architectural Culture exhibition consists of a map based exhibit, drawings, models and visual communication tools, reflecting the rapid transformation of the city. In fact, Istanbul’s quickly burgeoning population from the
The City, Built Environment and Architectural Culture Exhibition
beginning of the last century to today, reflects how quickly this city has evolved. After this exhibit is finished, the materials and exhibits of the project will be donated to the Istanbul City Museum which is not yet created. However, plans for the Museum are in the works as a future project for Istanbul. This is an exhibit not to be missed by anyone interested in architecture and architectural culture and evolution of a city.
One of the driving motivations behind this project is an attempt to decode both alienation of the individual and the consequences of alienation in a city such as Istanbul.
A discussion platform will be held to discuss the future vision of Istanbul.
Photo courtesy of Istanbul2010.org
On September 10, 2010, the Princes’ Islands Museum opened. It is the first museum to open on Büyükada Island, telling the story of the Prince’s islands from their early formation to the architecture, the history, the writers, poets and artists on the Prince’s Islands. If you are visiting Istanbul and enjoying the culture and art of the city this year, you should not miss a visit to the Princes’ Islands (Adalar) in the Sea of Marmara and the Prince’s Island Museum that has just opened.
The Princes' Islands Museum has opened
Getting to the Princes’ Islands is easy by ferry. There are plenty of hotels and bed & breakfast inns on the Islands for you to stay in. You must reserve a hotel room in advance, especially in the summer because the hotel rooms fill up fast. Watch out for tourist traps in the shops and restaurants because some tourists have been ripped off.
The Museum of the Princes’ Islands is located in the Adalar Müzesi Hangar Müze Binası, Aya Nikola Mevkii, Büyükada which is an old helicopter hangar. Exhibits include video installations, tours of the exquisite wooden houses and gardens of the Island and historical documents and objects from the varied and diverse cultural and ethnic peoples who emigrated to the Islands.
The Princes’ Islands are themselves some 600 million years old and the Museum presents an interesting geological history of the Islands. The name the Princes’ Islands originates from the islands history as a destination for exiled princes during Byzantine times.
Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of urban Istanbul, you will find a jaunt over to the Princes’ Islands will offer an enjoyable outing in a tranquil setting. Something more to do in Istanbul 2010.
