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UK & Turkey Tile and Architecture Journey 34 [Exploring Tiles in Istanbul Metro Line M2, Part 1]

mayumama
After fully enjoying a walk around town, I am now ready to set out on my search for Istanbul Metro tiles.
I head underground from Taksim Station.
Magnificent tile murals appear immediately in the underground passageway.
They remind me of miniatures, the finely detailed paintings.

Turkish miniatures are a decorative art form depicting historical events, court life, and religious stories, serving as paintings for historical records.
I'm not entirely sure if these actually depict miniature subjects, but the designs resembled the postcards of miniatures I used to collect.
Just when I thought that, I found a corner where colorful animal reliefs were lined up on a black background.
It was a lovely corner, but it was quite dark and hard to see due to the lack of lighting...
There are giraffes, parrots and other birds, as well as fish and insects like butterflies.
Instead of one long ceramic panel, they are arranged in two vertical rows of long, narrow tiles lined up horizontally.
They look like works created freely by children.
Could they have been made in a workshop or something?!
It is a masterpiece to see so many colorful animal ceramic tiles lined up like this.
Tile art with different styles appears one after another inside Taksim Station.
This one is geometric tile art.
It looks like there are birds or trees standing in a row.
The sun, flowers, and leaves are represented by embossed ceramic tiles.
There are also parts where mosaic tiles are used.
It even had a signature and date: GRASER 2006.

The tile decorations in the Istanbul Metro seem to be relatively new, mostly created between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s.
From here, I visited several stations on Metro Line 2. The station name plate on the platform at Sishane Station has beautiful marble-style borders and fine mosaics.
Blue glass mosaics are mixed in here and there among the beige stone-style mosaic tiles.
The mosaic of tulip patterns on the platform pillars is cute!
Tulips, a flower often used as a decorative motif in Turkey, are so stylized in Iznik tiles that they no longer look like tulips, but this is a popular shape that is recognizable as a tulip at a glance.

There are also flower-shaped mosaics.
They are also scattered on the arch at the entrance to the escalator.
Some of the stone-style mosaics have fine characters written on them.
What could this be? Just graffiti?
The next station has tiles that can be called a revival of Iznik tiles.
The translucent blue is accented with red glaze.
The saz leaf seems to be the motif.
This is a tile covered with a stylized floral pattern called the Hatayi pattern.
Levent Station features tile murals designed with a miniature-style nautical chart motif.
Sailors wearing turbans are lined up, rowing with oars.
The swirling waves and other details have a slightly cartoonish, interesting touch.

If you look closely, you can even see people having a bonfire on top of a giant fish?!

The peeling and frayed edges look realistic, just like an old map.
The kiosk in the center of the platform is also cool.
Looking down at the platform level from the ticket gate level.
The 4. LEVENT station sign is lovely, with its vibrant orange ceramic lettering.
The mosaics scattered on the pillars also have a nice feel, with orange mixed in.
I saw this ribbon-like pattern in blue at a cafeteria somewhere, but the red mosaic is also nice.
SANAYI station plate.
The lower section is covered in green mosaic tiles, while the upper section features glass mosaics.
These mosaic tiles have a beautiful green glaze that expresses a marble-like texture.
ITU station, where Istanbul Technical University is located.

There are also hexagon tiles inspired by a beehive.
Since the mascot of Istanbul Technical University is a honeybee, honeybee motifs have been incorporated.
When you go up to the ticket gate level, a large ceramic relief covers the wall.
It seems that symbols of engineering and science from Istanbul Technical University are represented in abstract relief.
Starting with a large clock face, there are abstract reliefs of what look like stone architectural columns, gears, mechanical parts, and propellers in the background...
You can also see the mascot honeybee, the beehive, and books.
The textured relief and the background stone architecture seem to use marble-style tiles, and the whole piece is put together in a calm, chic color scheme.

Another thing on the ticket gate level was a large tile mural with beautiful Islamic geometric patterns.
Atatürk Oto Sanayi Station
The combination of faux-stone tiles and glazed tiles is chic and feels great.
At the bottom are wavy, seaweed-like tiles, and at the top, perhaps inspired by bubbles?
Round ceramic reliefs, like bowls of various sizes, are scattered throughout.
From a distance, it has a bit of an aquarium-like atmosphere.
At the ticket gate, there are gear-like reliefs.
Columns with reliefs of flowers and butterflies fluttering about.
A pure white space in the passageway from the platform level to the ticket gate level, and glass art on the high ceiling?!
Since you can see birds and stars, I wonder if it represents the sky.
A tile tapestry that looks like woven fabric.
Ceramic seagull reliefs against a mosaic background of sea and sky.
Waves represented by glass mosaics and glazed tiles.
A very, very large fig tree tile mural.
Figs are fruit trees that have grown wild and been cultivated throughout Turkey since ancient times,
and they are also symbols of prosperity, rebirth, and abundance.

The lush, vibrant leaves and the bountiful fruit seem to represent the richness and prosperity of the Turkish land.
In the bottom right, there was a signature: IZNIK VAKFI 2010. It seems to be a relatively new piece, created by the Iznik Foundation, which carries on the tradition of Iznik pottery, when the Istanbul Metro was expanded in 2010.
At the same station, there are rows of columns with glass art at the top.
I have enjoyed the various tile decorations and glass art displayed throughout the Istanbul Metro.
Finally, the climax?! On to Yenikapı Station.

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