Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600 will be the first ever exhibition to explore the cultural influences and geographic dominance of Turkic cultures across a millennium.
The exhibition will continue the RA’s tradition of hosting outstanding exhibitions exploring world cultures, including Africa: The Art of a Continent (1995) and Aztecs (2002) and will be the first largely Islamic exhibition at the RA since the highly popular and critically acclaimed International Exhibition of Persian Art (1931).
The exhibition presents over 350 works from approximately 37 lenders and 11 countries.
A large proportion of works will be shown for the first time outside of Turkey including the majority of surviving drawings by Siyah Qalem ‘Mohamed of the Black Pen’.
Major works include the wooden doors designed by the great architect Sinan for the harem of Murad III, dating from c. 1578 and measuring over 2.5 metres tall.
Sections of the complete Timurid architecture scroll, Timurlu (c. 1370-1500) which measures approximately 30 metres and shows the compass marks and blind lines used to produce it.
A beautifully preserved carpet, with stylised border, over 6 metres long from the Seljuk period (13th century) from the mosque built for Sultan Alaaddin Keykûgad, Konya.
A selection of rare Chinese porcelain from the Topkapı Saray Museum who hold one of the largest such collections of porcelain outside of China.
Elaborately decorated swords and military helmets including those belonging to Sultan Mehmed ‘The Conqueror’ and the dagger of Sultan Selim I, 1514 crafted from steel, rock crystal and turquoise.
Further Ottoman treasures include the childhood notebook of Mehmed ‘The Conqueror’ and an embroidered kaftan collar of Selim II.
The exhibition brings together a unique collaboration between three internationally acclaimed specialists: Filiz Çagman, Director of the Topkapı Palace Museum, Istanbul; Nazan Ölçer, Director of the Sakip Sabanci Museum, Istanbul and David Roxburgh, Professor of Islamic Art at Harvard University.
The exhibition will be introduced by a newly commissioned video presentation mapping out the geographic movement of the Uigurs, Seljuks, Timurids and the Ottomans, highlighting architectural complexes specific to each cultural group.
A comprehensive audioguide will be available for every visitor and included in the ticket price.
www.turks.org.uk – a dedicated website has been created to accompany Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600.
