Museum of Ancient Oriental Works
The Museum of Ancient Oriental Works was built by the famous painter and archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey in 1883 under the name of Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi, that is, to become the Academy of Fine Arts. At the same time, this academy, which will provide the origins of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in the future, is the first fine arts school opened in the Ottoman Empire. The architect of the building, which is used as a museum today, is Alexander Vallaury, who also built the building that is used as the Classical Building of the Istanbul Archeology Museums today.
In 1917, as a result of the relocation of the Fine Arts Academy from its location to another building in Cağaloğlu, this building was handed over to the Museums Directorate. Halil Edhem Bey, who was working as the Museum Director at that time, thought that it would be more appropriate to exhibit the art and archaeological artifacts belonging to the Near East countries and their ancient cultures in a different way and in a different place from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine works. It was organized as the Museum of Oriental Works.
