Museum of Islamic Civilizations

Alp Eren - Altkat Architectural Photography

• Architects & Interior Design, Scenography

The Museum of Islamic Civilizations (MIC), which was created to exhibit the artefacts brought together in the context of Islamic Civilizations, was opened to visitors on April 8th 2022 in Çamlıca, Istanbul, Turkey. The Museum of Islamic Civilizations is part of the complex of Great Çamlıca Mosque. The project comprises the interior design of the museum and exhibition design, the scenography and designing ancillary spaces of the museum, such as cafe, museum shop, wc etc.

photo_credit Alp Eren - Altkat Architectural Photography — Alp Eren - Altkat Architectural Photography

Designed in two stages, the first stage of the project included the creation of an exhibition scenario by determining the titles and sections of the exhibition, and the latter consisted of the implementation of this scenario by forming the museum's scheme. Afterward the interior and other spaces of the museum and exhibition were designed. At this stage, together with the interior design of the museum, the layouts of the museum showcases, the content and layout of the graphic narratives throughout the entire exhibition space, and the contents and places of the interactive and digital storytelling in the space were determined. In the second stage, in line with the finalized inventory work, the positions and placements of all the artefacts in the showcase were defined, with the design of their pedestals and exhibition apparatus. In addition, the color and material selections of the area where they would be exhibited were decided for each artefact.

This project includes the placement of more than 400 artefacts dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries, describing the artistic and historical development of Islamic Civilization throughout 14 sections. The inventory, which was created under the execution of experts within the Directorate of National Palaces, was created by selecting from the previously unexhibited artefacts of 6 museums: Topkapi Palace, Museum of Palace Collections, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul Tombs Museum, Museum of Waqfs and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. The classification of the artefacts and the creation of the exhibition scenario and their placement in the space within a spatial narrative were realized by working consultants within the scope of the project.

The museum, which consists of artefacts brought together on representation, places of worship, the spread of Islam, scientific developments, architectural and decorative elements, manuscripts, textile works, woven textiles and numismatics, aims to present a comprehensive field of storytelling and experience in the context of the culture and architecture of the Islamic Civilization. The narrative of the exhibition of these valuable artefacts, meeting the visitors for the first time, is supported by audio/visual installations integrated with the architecture and wide graphic expressions with illustrations.

There are interactive experience areas for the visitors in multiple sections of the museum. In the two sections, The Dome and Water of Life that present the areas of Immersive Experience, while in the three sections; The Conquest in Islam, Spread of Islam and Calligraphy; interactive narratives take place. In all sections, there are kiosks, screens and tablets where the visitors can access detailed information about the artefacts. In addition to the exhibition area, the museum includes an information/ticket area, cafe/restaurant, museum shop, temporary exhibition, workshops, museum storage, administrative offices, conservation/preservation and restoration laboratories.

The museum encompasses a total of 8.000 m2 exhibition area and has 2 floors. In the exhibition areas, the middle areas, which have wide openings, are planned, while ancillary spaces of the museum are placed on the peripheries, aiming to create the uninterrupted circulation of the visitor in the exhibition section and provide the perception of a holistic space. While The Dome and Water of Life sections, which are Islamic architectural interpretations and the areas of Immersive Experience, are located in the middle areas, showcases are placed on the peripheries and sized according to the needs of the artefacts and the dimensions of the exhibition space.

In the design of the exhibition, it was aimed to bring together artefacts from different periods in the context of a scenario and to create a spatial design. Each museum showcase was sized according to the requirements of the exhibited artefacts and the spatial narrative in the exhibition section. The exhibition of each work referring to its own context, the design and placement of the exhibition pedestals in a way to bring artefacts to the forefront, and the harmony with the colors of the artefacts in the color selections were taken into consideration. Inside, display cases that have special air conditioning systems, lighting and security technologies were used for the preservation and display of the artefacts.

Among the different approaches and design styles used in the exhibition are certain elements and conceptual philosophies that unite the whole space and create a strong sense of harmony. The entrance hall is a peaceful welcoming space that introduces visitors to Islamic architecture before entering the exhibition space. The Tree Of Life in this hall welcomes the visitors as a represantation of the universality and unity of the religion of Islam. The geometry, which is developed and based on the interpretation of the muqarnas adornment and has an important meaning in Islamic Architecture, spreads to the ceiling and floor of the space and forms a reference extending to infinity. In the geometry, each piece was sized according to the space, drawn by hand one by one and produced in situ and placed on the metal construction wrapped around the column in the middle area. On the ground, the projection of the 3D geometry was continued in two dimensions by using different marble materials. On the periphery of this section places information/ticket area, museum shop and cloakroom.

In the “Places of Worship” section, the space presents information and artifacts from the “First Masjid” with different places of worship, mosques and masjids in the Islamic world. In the middle of the section surrounded by display cases, a representation of the dome is placed with reference to these places of worship. A ten-minute audio-visual experience is created for visitors by projecting the dome images of 8 important places of worship/mosques such as Selimiye Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Bursa Great Mosque, as a visual interpretation within a spatial narrative to this representative dome. The dome, located in the first places of worship sections, also organizes the exhibition space.

The importance of water, which represents a significant element in the Islamic world, is abstracted by the representation of a foundation in the Water of Life section. With the Water of Life Fountain, which was specially designed for the Museum, the entire lifecycle is represented by the fact that water arises from the stone, passes through the pools, spills to each side and disappears on the surface. The area around this fountain turns into an interactive space with a 13-minute audio-visual installation, which begins and ends with the sound of water flowing from the fountain.

On the upper floor, the installation of Sound Tubes welcomes the visitor. Sound Tubes were designed for the section that refers to the importance of music in Islamic Civilization and the tradition of sound therapy. In this area, while the visitor standing at the marked points on the floor, listens to the music recorded in different modes on each tube, the visitor is informed about the importance of music in Islamic Civilization.

Natural and sustainable materials were used as the main design approach of the Museum. To reveal the qualities and characteristics of the artefacts in the exhibition, natural solid wood (oak) was used on the floors of the exhibition areas and an acoustically-efficient discovery route was created. On the periphery of the entrance hall, cascade white travertine material was used with the aim of a natural look and experience in harmony with the Tree of Life. In the depictions of Prophet Mohammed, which consisted of valuable and special artefacts in the exhibition, it was aimed to differentiate the materials on the floors and surfaces, and silver gray marble was preferred.

Natural wood (oak) and agora beige marble were preferred for the fixed furniture pieces in the ticket area, cafe and museum shop, while brass was used in the details. Referring to the importance of tile art in Islamic civilization, handmade tiles were preferred on the walls in the common areas of the museum. The back wall of the logo pedestal at the entrance hall was designed as a special relief for this area, inspired by the geometry of the museum's logo, and was covered in handmade green tiles.