Automaton with
mounted pasha,
Southern Germany, c. 1580/90
clockwork, Gold
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kunstkammer
Shield, Ottoman,
2nd half of 17th century
Rattan, wood, leather, iron, silver, silk, wool cloth
Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe
Helmet (Shishak)
of Grand Vizier
Sokollu Mehmed, Ottoman c. 1560
embossed and inlaid iron, silver,
silk, rosette-shaped rivets
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien,
Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer
Dagger with sheath,
Ottoman, mid-16th century
Iron, ivory, gold, rubies and
turquoise, wood and silver
R?stkammer, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Turban Ottoman,
2nd half of 16th century
Cotton, red velvet
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien,
Sammlungen Schloss Ambras
Holder for
a text from the Koran,
Turkey, 2nd half of 17th century
Silver gold, garnet, carnelian, coral
Hungarian National Museum, Budapest
Selected treasures from The Arabian Nights
Europe's leading Turkish treasure chests have opened their collections and lent
170 masterpieces covering five centuries to the World Heritage Site Völklinger
Hütte. In "Treasures from the Arabian Nights – the fascination
of the Orient", the World Heritage Site Völklinger Hütte will
be displaying exhibits from a fantasy that held Europe in its thrall for centuries.
With the discovery of the Orient and the first translation of the Tales of the
Arabian Nights 300 years ago, Aladdin's magic lamp became a symbol of wealth
and power.
The Ottoman Empire – a world empire
Europeans have long dreamt of the Orient as a fairy-tale land of unlimited opportunities.
Generals and statesman from Europe formed the Ottoman State, which at the time
had the world's most powerful regular army. The Ottoman Empire was a major European
power with the same dimensions as the Roman Empire. Modern Europe owes its existence
to the constant confrontation and cultural exchanges between East and West.
…knowing how to live
Numerous travellers have visited the Orient and admired the Ottoman lifestyle,
which in their opinion was the way to live. Literature, theatre and art echoed
this impression, giving rise to a veritable "run" on Turkish literature
and oriental customs. Royalty found room for everyday and luxury items from
the Ottoman Empire, housing them in their own "Turkish Chambers".
The Arabian Nights
The magical "Tales of the Arabian Nights" such as "Aladdin and
his Magic Lamp" and "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" kindle childhood
memories in all of us, and Scheherazade's stories conjure up images of the Orient
before our eyes. The magnificent weapons and armoury, elegant jewellery, magnificent
scripts and Oriental exhibits bring the fantasies of the Orient to life.
