Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art

Nearly four hundred years after the invention of printing, it was taken to Ottoman Empire in the 18^th century by İbrahim Müteferrika. Before that, all the materials of the empire were written by calligraphers. Many of these manuscripts works, from the year 1299 to the 18^th century, were maintained, and they are now on display at the Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art which is located in the Beyazıt Square. The museum was first opened as the “Writing Museum” at the madrasah of Yavuz Selim Complex in 1968, and later in 1894 the museum was moved to the madrasah of Beyazıt Mosque and renamed “Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art”. It is the only museum of Turkish calligraphic art in Turkey and its collection consists of 3121 pieces including hand-written Korans, sultan’s signatures, miniatures as well as important examples of stone and glass work.