Hosting genuine exhibitions and cultural activities since 2007 in the frame of its vigorous museum studies, Rezan Has Museum has become a museum site connecting the past to the future with its Ottoman structure dated back to 17th century and Byzantine cistern to 11th century. The Museum enriched its collection by acquiring documents and objects belonging to Cibali Tobacco and Cigarette Factory in 2009 along with its collection of archeological artifacts with nearly a history of 9,000 years.
The Rezan Has Museum is a private museum in Istanbul, Turkey dedicated to culture and arts. Rezan Has, spouse of the wealthy Turkish businessman Kadir Has, founded the museum in May 2007. The museum, situated in a historical building, is located in Cibali neighborhood of Fatih district on the southern shore of the Golden Horn. It is open to public every day between 9–18 local time.
The museum has a very unusual archaeological collection, and provides space for exhibitions within the Kadir Has University’s building, a European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage winning redevelopment from the historical “Cibali Tabacco Factory”.
The museum consists of a cistern dating back to the 11th century, called “Karanlık çeşme” (literally: “The Dark Fountain”), which is one of the few Byzantian structures outside of the Walls of Constantinople along Golden Horn. Another important part of the museum is a hamam ruin from the 17th century of the Ottoman era, which is situated at the top of the cistern.
Rezan Has Museum has conducted a collective work aiming to present a seamless historical process with works covering a broad period from the Prehistoric Age to the Seljuk Empire. In the exhibition, besides displaying the works pertaining to various civilizations that has settled in and around Anatolia between 6500 B.C.- 1500 A.D. chronologically, they are also exhibited thematically within their own historical processes with arms, figurines, idols and lighting tools. In the exhibition, a bronze bathtub, Urartian pins, obsidian arrow tips, harnesses for horses, devotional sculptures, oil-lamps and terra-cotta sculptures may be seen besides the authentic works that have never been exhibited before.
As it has approximately 2,000 archaeological objects in its collection, Rezan Has Museum opened a unique and special exhibition. 1,100 recently restored pieces of Urartian Jewellery went on view to the public at the museum. The exhibition, which is considered one of the most comprehensive in the world, consists of pieces such as jewelleries and belts that sentiment as favour, vanity and wealth. These two main groups of the exhibition are also important pieces in the way that they are the primary elements determining social status for centuries in Urartians.
The exhibition displayed a broad variety of jewellery that belonged to the Urartian Kingdom, a unique civilisation of Anatolia. The collection included pins, rings, earrings, bracelets, fibulas, belts and belt pieces, votive plaques, armbands, neck collars, necklaces, hair spirals and pectorals which are belonged to the mid-ninth century B.C.E.
There is also an interactive screen located in the Museum through which, collection catalogues and artefact photographs can observed in a detailed way. The screen also provides fun puzzles and matching games.
The Rezan Has Museum hosts archeological, cultural and arts exhibitions for limited times.
“Silent Witnesses From Neolithic Period to the Seljuks”
March 23, 2009 – May 30, 2012
Archeological items found between the Golden Horn and Anatolia.
New Stories
September 15-November 20, 2011
Works of Mehmet Kutlu, a contemporary Turkish ceramic artists.
Like Moths to the Flame-The Ottoman Fire Brigades
February 24-August 31, 2011
Devices and instruments used by the Ottoman fire brigades and historical photographs.
Whispers of the Lost Languages
October 14, 2010 – January 30, 2011
Archeological cuneiform script examples showing early writing systems.
Do You Know Hasankeyf?
May 27-September 30, 2010
Photographs about Hasankeyf.
The Centennial Tale of Turkish Painting II
November 19, 2009 – April 30, 2010