From a celebration of culture spanning from AD 330 to 1922, visitors to this exhibition will be taken through the features of Constantinople to Istanbul from coffee houses to places of worship.
Beginning as the Roman Capital, Constantinople was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
Attracting a wealth of people to this centre of a cosmopolitan metropolitan area, artists, merchants and pilgrims came in succession.
Chariot races once took part in the Hippodrome part of the centre of the city, drawing a picture of imperial drama.
Some of the best-known landmarks are recalled in this show; like the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace.
Jewellery, metalwork, textiles and silk that were commissioned by emperors and courtiers will be on display at the exhibition.
Lastly, the city has changed into Istanbul, and the displays show how this sanctuary has become a centre of different languages and faiths, becoming one of the most successfully cosmopolitan regions in Europe.
The Museum is highlighting some key pieces which include beautifully detailed ceramic-glazed tiles from the Zeyrek Çinili Hamam bathhouse and one of the ancient existing long-necked tanbur lutes (c.1750), richly decorated with ivory, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl.
Tim Stanley, Curator of Constantinople to Istanbul, said: “Creating this exhibition has been an exciting adventure, bringing together two worlds that are usually kept well apart – the Byzantine and the Ottoman. Their capital – known as Constantinople from the 4th century and then as Istanbul – was and is one of the greatest cities in the world, and the artistic ideas generated there in its double history as an imperial capital still play a major role in the world. By combining the stories of these two empires and the amazing art they both produced, we have been able to release the stories of Constantinople and Istanbul from their separate boxes and let them enjoy the limelight together.”
The exhibition Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires run from 7 November 2026 – 9 May 2027. The exhibition has been curated for the V&A by Senior Curator Tim Stanley and Project Curator Bella Radenović. It is accompanied by a new V&A publication Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires, from £35.
You can book tickets here.
