As the Directorate of Traditional arts we aim to disclose and stimulate the existing potential of traditional arts in Istanbul, hence Turkey, in order to make it an essential part of the cities’ culture and arts infrastructure. One of our primary goals is highlighting the contributions of younger generations for the production and development of traditional arts.

 

 

All Traditional Arts Projects

Masters of Istanbul Website and Map The Project aims at making an inventory of craftsmen and ateliers currently working on traditional arts and handcrafts in Istanbul in small factories of arts, in order to draw and maintain attention on such an important cultural richness.

Traditional Turkish Book Arts The Project aims at exhibiting contemporary craftsmen’s art work of Turkish book arts in order to expose the current level of these arts and making solid contributions to their permanence.

Ottoman Headgears The Book of Ottoman Headgears by H. Necdet İşli is the first comprehensive work in this field, and is recommended for being a scientific study where a reading of the various kinds of headgear figures in Ottoman tombstones presents important clues for also understanding Ottoman social structures.

The Art of Writing on The Sky: Mahya The project involves a comprehensive collection of texts and visual content aiming at demonstrating the art of Mahya which decorates the city especially during Ramadan, religious holidays and other national memorial days and has a history of 400 years.