© V&A
© V&A
Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires
7 November 2026 to 9 May 2027
Critic score
A UK-first survey tracing the city's art and design across the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, from ivories, textiles and metalwork to manuscripts and paintings.
From V&A
A major UK-first exhibition exploring 1,600 years of extraordinary art and design, offering a compelling new perspective on a city defined by artistic excellence across more than a millennium.
Critic Reviews (3)
The Guardian
Jonathan Jones
You won’t want to leave this lavish celebration of double imperial splendour
"This is a sumptuous voyage to Byzantium via Istanbul. Linger in the baths, in your tall wooden shoes and silk towel, and enjoy the artifice of eternity. I spent two hours here, but I wanted to do the whole thing again immediately, in reverse."
Read full review →The Telegraph
Alastair Sooke
How much of Istanbul can you squeeze into the V&A?
"As a result, this erudite, somewhat staid exhibition feels bitty, a show of details and fragments rather than grand theses or overarching arguments. The most minuscule, intricate objects dazzle: carved ivory plaques and gemstones; a pair of crescent-shaped gold earrings beneath which semi-precious stones dangle like cranberries."
Read full review →The Times
Peter Sarris
the ‘empire of the world’ comes alive
"The exhibition and its catalogue are especially good at conveying how Constantinople was used by both Christian and Muslim rulers as a stage for imperial ceremonial and the projection of power. Both at court and on the streets, the rhythm of life in the city was determined by a constant cycle of processions and ceremonies meant to enhance the authority of rulers who claimed to be God’s deputy on Earth and to display their religious and sacral power."
Read full review →Visit
South Kensington, London·View on artmap
