Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Exhibition Design: PATTU Architechture
‘Stories From the Hidden Harbor: Shipwrecks of Yenikapı’ is organized by the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in collaboration with Vehbi Koç Foundation and Koç University’s Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations within the scope of the Third International Sevgi Gönül Byzantine Studies Symposium. The exhibition displays finds from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods identified at Yenikapı and finds from beneath the Harbor floor from the Neolithic period.
One of the world’s most remarkable excavations is conducted at Yenikapı, at the harbor built by Emperor Theodosius. During the construction of the famous Marmaray railway and its station in Yenikapı (between 2004 and 2013), 37 shipwrecks were discovered. They were dated from 5th to 11th century AD. These shipwrecks provided information on trade functions of Constantinople as a harbor city, on vessels of the period used for sea transportation and their construction techniques, as well as on everyday life at the city harbor.
The exhibition ‘Stories From the Hidden Harbor: Shipwrecks of Yenikapı’ shows a collection of pottery, floral remains and shipwrecks from Yenikapı excavation site. Additionally, a multimedia presentation on ancient shipbuilding and trade has been prepared for the visitors.