Did you know that the neighborhood in Üsküdar known as “Zeynep Kamil” is named for the daughter of Mehmed Ali Pasha, the rebellious Albanian-Turkish governor of Ottoman Egypt (better known in the English-speaking world as Muhammad Ali)? This is just one fascinating detail one can learn from the exhibition entitled Nil Kıyısından Boğaziçi’ne: Kavalalı Mehmed Ali Paşa Hanedanı’nın İstanbul’daki İzleri, curated by Professor Baha Tanman, which deals with the dynasty of this important historical figure. The exhibition, filling a single floor at the Istanbul Research Institute in Pera, consists of a rich selection of paintings and photographs of Mehmed Ali Pasha and his many descendants; their memorabilia and personal possessions; pictures of the buildings they commissioned in Istanbul (many of which are still standing on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus); copies of important period documents and correspondence (including a handwritten letter by the famous Pierre Loti to the Princess İffet Hasan); and much more. Anyone with an interest in 19th century and early 20th century Ottoman history and society should not miss this exhibition, running until the end of March at the Istanbul Research Institute.

When: December 7 – March 31

How much: Free

Language: TR, ENG