Christmas gift ideas from gift shops at top Istanbul museums
Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:13:00
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| Article by: Hurriyet English |
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The snow is here. The joy is here. And the plane tickets are ready. Everything is ready for the Christmas holiday – except you and your Christmas gifts. Just one week to go before Christmas. Don’t panic. It’s OK if you haven’t had time to think about what to buy for Christmas for your family or friends because of your busy work schedule. That’s why we visited gift shops at four of Istanbul’s top museums and checked the gifts one by one and chose the coolest ones for you to make your presents special and specific to Istanbul. Christmas is one of the most important holidays celebrated with absolute joy and happiness on Dec. 25 of each year all over the world. It’s the time for being together including lovely gifts, many parties and extraordinary meals. It’s obvious that it must very difficult to wait for. For those who live in Istanbul but will go to another country for the holiday and would like to take the idea of Istanbul’s arts and history with them, from jewelry to mugs, special art books to magnets, here are some of the best Christmas gift ideas for no more than 100 Turkish Liras from the city’s top museums: the Istanbul Modern Museum, the Pera Museum, the SSM Museum and the Rahmi Koc Museum. Istanbul Modern Museum Everything here is artistic, modern and wild. Founded in 2004, Istanbul Modern was the first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions in Turkey. It occupies a large site on the European shore of the Bosphorus, encompassing 8,000 square meters. The gift shop is as fascinating as the art works presented there. For those who are looking for “modern” or “artistic” gifts, this is the best shop for you. A handmade notebook featuring a portrait of Aliye Berkel by Şükriye Dikmen, a famous Turkish painter, can be a very good gift for a writer or a teenager who keeps a diary or a businesswoman to keep her notes in. The notebook costs 49 Turkish Liras. Buying a gift for a man is one the most difficult jobs in the world, but a tie from Istanbul Modern’s gift shop could be your lifesaver this Christmas. SSM Museum Sabancı University's Sakıp Sabancı Museum, or SSM, is located in Emirgan, one of Istanbul's oldest settlements on the Bosphorus. SSM presents a versatile environment with its rich permanent collection, its comprehensive temporary exhibitions, its conservation units, model educational programs and various concerts, conferences and seminars. SSM Museum has recently gained attention for hosting Salvador Dali and Picasso exhibitions. Just for 10 Iiras it is possible to find mugs with Dali or Picasso painting for those who love art. Ottoman calligraphers are famous all around the world. Plates featuring calligraphy are very Turkish. Just for 20 liras, you can buy the perfect gift for your wife or girlfriend. Magnets are the ultimate gifts from a foreign country. For your friends and family, they make great small but “I didn’t forget you!” presents for Christmas for 3.5 liras. Pera Museum The Pera Museum, which opened its doors in June 2005, is the first step toward a comprehensive cultural endeavor that the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation has launched at this distinguished venue for the purpose of providing cultural services on a variety of levels. An historical structure originally constructed in 1893 by architect Achille Manoussos in Tepebaşı (Istanbul's most prestigious district in those days) was completely renovated to serve as a museum and cultural center for the project. The five-floor museum, presenting one exhibition on each floor, has a fantastic gift shop as well, mostly with traditional touches of Istanbul and Turkey. The mug with “Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi” (The Tortoise Trainer) painted by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1906 and 1907 in two versions was sold in 2004 for $3.5 million, but you can buy the mug at the Pera Museum gift shop just for 5 TL! You can also find two color choices – red or black. The famous blue eye of Istanbul, a traditional amulet of Turkey’s superstitious culture, is a must-buy gift. A lovely bracelet costs about 25 liras. The six coasters with The Tortoise Trainer painting on them cost 15 liras and make for a nice gift for a colleague. The museum is also offering a special art package for Christmas including portraits from the Ottoman Empire from the 18th to the 20th century, selected works of art featuring views of Istanbul and daily life in the Ottoman era from the 17th to 20th century from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Collection, and “The lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting.” The package is half price for the holiday – 80 liras. Rahmi Koc Museum Rahmi Koc Museum is a lifesaver for those who look for a nice Christmas gift for a man! The gift shop is full of choices for men! The Rahmi M. Koç Museum, located in Hasköy near the Golden Horn, is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of transportation, industry and communications. Housed in magnificent buildings – themselves prime examples of industrial architecture – the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full-size ships and aircraft. The bookmarks have all zones of Istanbul on them. If one of your friends or family member is into reading, this is a great “extra” Christmas gift for just 2 liras. Rahmi Koç museum is a fantastic place for those who like anything about sea, sailors and ships. If you have friends who are into SeaWorld and the sea industry, this gift shop is like a candy store for a child. Ship models available at the Koç Museum’s gift shop could be the perfect Christmas presents for them. Depending on the size, prices range from 7 to 50 liras. It’s a very well known fact that there are not so many gift choices for men. These nice t-shirts will save your life this Christmas if you are looking for a nice present for your husband, boyfriend or son. Just for 20 liras, you could have both a very nice souvenir and a Christmas gift. Make this Christmas Gift his lucky gift. Make him remember you in every business deal with these ties at 25 liras you are off the hook this Christmas.
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