Today was a museum day and an amusing day … but how do we say that in the title? Well, we tried, you may not find it amusing, but we did! So on with a recounting of this day. First off was the traveling exhibit we found by accident, the one called Kultepe Kanesh Karum: Assyrians in Istanbul. This exhibit contains artifacts found at Kultepe, the center of the Kanesh kingdom and the capital of the Assyrian trade colonies. Most of the artifacts found are of the 2nd millenium B.C. See if you aren’t as amazed as we were!
The other thing that was interesting with this visit was the building the exhibit was in. The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Constantinople. Roman emperor Constantine I commissioned the first Hagia Irene church in the 4th century. From May to July 381 the First Council of Constantinople took place in the church. It was burned down during the Nike revolt in 532. Emperor Justinian I had the church restored in 548. It served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was completed in 537.
Our next visit was in fact three more museums (all for the price of one) and to describe what we found there has us both stumped, as did the museums! If the photos intrigue you, follow this link! Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Ok, what can one say other than Wow……. we really live in part of the world that is really borrrring.
Also, and you thought it rained in Whitehorse and Little Bear Lake lots. Understatement I guess!!!