Royal Academy plans Turkish show

A ceremonial helmet from the mid-16th Century, part of the exhibition

The Royal Academy of Arts is to hold a major exhibition of Turkish art at its London headquarters next year.

The exhibition, which opens in January, will hold artefacts of Turkic culture from 600 AD to 1600.

Highlights will include a 13th Century carpet, a rare 30-metre scroll and swords of Ottoman conquerors.

The academy says the exhibition is one of its most ambitious ever, and includes some pieces never seen before outside Turkey.

The show, Turks: a journey of a thousand years, will open in January and run until April.

It spans four Turkic empires, beginning with the nomadic Uyghurs of the 7th Century, it also includes the Seljuks, the Timurids and the Ottomans, with 350 pieces covering 1,000 years of the region's history.

An academy spokeswoman said: "The exhibition will present an extraordinary array of textiles, carpets, manuscripts, calligraphy, woodwork, metalwork and ceramics showing the staggering artistic diversity during this period."

Treasures

Among the works on show are two wooden harem doors measuring 2.5 metres and dating from around 1578, and a six-metre carpet from the mosque of 13th Century sultan.

Sections of a 30-metre Timurid architectural scroll made between 1370 and 1500 will appear, as well as swords, helmets and daggers of Ottoman sultans.

Most of the works are from two Turkish museums, the Topkap Saray and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art of Istanbul.

Academy director Phillip King said the show was the first largely Islamic exhibition in more than 70 years.

This drawing of soldiers in battle dates from around 1490

"This will be the first such major exhibition at the Royal Academy since 1931, and continues the our commitment to exploring art from world cultures," he said.

The exhibition is partly funded by the Turkish government.

"The show promises to be a landmark exhibition, giving a unique insight into the extraordinary artistic legacy of the Turks," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

A series of lectures and workshops coinciding with the exhibition is being planned by the academy.