Turkey’s first panoramic museum opens in İstanbul

Turkey's first panoramic museum, which tells the story of the conquest of İstanbul by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, was opened with a ceremony last weekend. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bağış, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay, İstanbul Gov. Muammer Güler and İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş were among the participants in the inauguration ceremony of the Panorama 1453 History Museum, which was opened by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's culture enterprise, Kültür A.Ş.

The museum, where almost 10,000 Ottoman and Byzantine soldiers are pictured in detail, allows visitors to experience the excitement of the conquest of İstanbul.

There are currently 30 partial panoramic museums around the world, but the Panorama 1453 History Museum provides a full panorama. Some 3,000 square meters of pictures are exhibited in the museum. The facility, which depicts moments from İstanbul's conquest, is located in a dome-like structure that is 38 meters in diameter and 20 meters tall. Museum visitors can view the pictures from 14 meters away to get a panoramic view.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (C) attended the opening of the İstanbul Panorama 1453 History Museum, which tells the story
of the conquest of İstanbul by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Speaking at the ceremony, Erdoğan said the museum was a true representation of İstanbul's conquest as told in history and literature. "Our children will look at the future with respect for their history and feel proud of it," he said.

He also noted that the Panorama 1453 History Museum was the first of its kind in the world as it was built in a closed space.

via Today's Zaman.