The weapons section of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace is being entirely redesigned and will soon display short animations and films featuring Ottoman soldiers and weapons culture.
According to a written statement released by the Istanbul Provincial Administration, the renovation work at the Topkapı Palace Weapons Section, which served as the Foreign Treasury Building during the Ottoman Empire, was recently finished using the latest technological equipment.
Thanks to special animations made as part of the renovation project, virtual Janissaries will introduce weapons and the dresses of the period, while the Ottomans’ deployment in three continents will be seen in miniatures. Also, it will be possible to see the weapons used by the Ottoman military in chronological order.
Hundreds of war- and weapons-related miniatures kept in the shelves of the museum’s archive are now seeing the light of day as part of the renovation project; many of these paintings, meanwhile, will feature in short films using the latest cinematic techniques. These films will serve to inform visitors through LCD screens in different parts of the section.
Two 15-square-meter white walls in the venue will be used as screens for the animations, which were made using miniatures obtained from the Vienna State Library and depict many characters of the Ottoman army. Visitors will be able to see the march of the Ottoman army on these two walls.
Also, showcases prepared to international standards will be illuminated with LED lights. Visitors will see arrows and archers in the entrance to the section; as they follow the route, they will see swords and firearms.
Piri Reis on big screen
A map taken from the Ottoman-Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis’ maritime guide book, “Kitab-ı Bahriye,” has been turned into a huge screen on which the deployment of the Ottomans on three continents is depicted through the troop movements during seven big wars. Miniature depictions of various wars will also be seen through monitors placed on a map measuring 10 square meters.
During the restoration works, the concrete floor on the ground was removed, revealing three tombs and a baptismal font. In addition to these findings, a 20-meter-deep well was also unearthed.
Thanks to the Topkapı Palace Museum Scientific Committee, a decision to install illuminated lighting will allow visitors to be able to see these places, as well as Byzantine remains.
After the completion of the restoration project, a new project will be launched for the display of the works. The project will cost a total of 4.5 million Turkish Liras
