Istanbul’s Pera Museum brings Ottoman, Anatolian treasures online
Visitors walk past Istanbul's Pera Museum, home to diverse art collections, including Orientalist paintings, Anatolian artifacts, and Kutahya ceramics, which are now available online, Istanbul, Türkiye. (Courtesy of Pera Museum)
The Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation has made its Pera Museum collections available online, allowing global access to 2,510 artifacts. This digital transformation coincides with the museum’s 20th anniversary, aiming to share art and cultural heritage with a wider audience.
The collections now accessible online include “Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics,” “Orientalist Paintings,” and “Anatolian Weights and Measures.”
These artifacts can be explored through the Istanbul Research Institute’s website, where users can apply detailed search filters, including collection name, keywords, time periods, or material types.
The “Anatolian Weights and Measures Collection” consists mostly of weights from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. It serves as a valuable resource for those interested in the evolution of trade over centuries. Additionally, the Pierre Willemart Coin Collection offers insights into historical monetary systems and trade practices.
The “Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection” traces the region’s ceramic production from the 18th to the 20th century. The “Orientalist Paintings Collection” features works from the 17th century to the early 20th century, depicting the Ottoman world and Türkiye’s geography through the eyes of both local and European artists.
This digital initiative provides an essential resource for researchers, historians, archaeologists, and art enthusiasts. The museum’s archive allows users to study artifacts in detail, offering an extensive reference for scientific and academic research.
By making these collections digitally available, the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation enhances accessibility to cultural heritage, ensuring broader engagement with Türkiye’s rich artistic and historical legacy.
This initiative expands knowledge sharing and preserves historical artifacts for future generations.
