★出版配合V&A博物館於2026/11/07~2027/05/09期間展覽

The art and legacy of Istanbul across centuries

For nearly 2,000 years Istanbul has been one of Europe’s greatest cities. Under its former name, Constantinople, it was the capital of two mighty empires – the first (from 330) ruled by Roman and Byzantine emperors and second (1453-1922) by Ottoman sultans. During these two periods, the city developed different but coherent traditions of art and design.

Lavishly illustrated with objects including sculpture, ivories, manuscripts, icons, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and weapons, this publication will trace the challenges and advantages of the city’s geographical location, the religious currents that influenced the nature of its art, the aims of the ruling courts in their artistic patronage, and a rich urban culture as shared by a remarkably diverse population.

Tim Stanley works in the Asian Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He is senior curator for the Middle East collection, which primarily covers the Islamic period. His most recent projects include the Epic Iran exhibition (May to September 2021). He was also founding curator of the Jameel Prize from 2009 to 2021. He is currently developing his next major exhibition, yet to be announced publicly.