Visits & Study Days Study Day Tuesday 5 May 2026 £35 The Coplow Centre, Billesdon LE7 9FL Antonia Gatward Cevizli Istanbul - City of Faith, Power and Beauty The three lectures are Lecture 1 The Conquest of Constantinople and the Making of Istanbul This talk will immerse you in some of the architectural marvels of Istanbul. It explores the iconic landmarks of Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and more. We will think about the sultans who built them and how they communicated ideas about themselves, their power and their place in the world. Lecture 2 Treasures of Ottoman Istanbul: Suleiman the Magnificent's Era and Beyond The Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its power during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent. Money was pouring into the Ottoman capital and being invested in architecture, ceramics, textiles and manuscripts. This lecture introduces some of the treasures of this period and Süleyman’s importance as a patron. View of the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey. The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city. Diego Delso, license CC BY-SA Lecture 3 Carnations, Tulips and Hyacinths: The Story of Turkey's Iznik Ceramics Immerse yourself in a world of carnations, tulips, hyacinths and roses as you discover the history of the famous Turkish Iznik ceramics. From its origins imitating Chinese porcelain to its 16th-century heyday and subsequent decline. The focus on flowers makes this an ideal subject for spring but it works equally well at any time of year. Tiles with red clouds Iznik Turkey 2nd half underglaze painting on quarz ceramics. Dosseman, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Click here for a booking form and more details